Engine Replacement
 

My 2004 AT began to stall out about two weeks ago on hot days. It started with a really rough idle followed by an extreme lack of power. Then whenever I came to a light it would just shut off. I took it into Mazda and they performed MSP16 which according to them would fix the problem. Two days later I was once again sitting on the side of the road calling roadside assistance for a tow to the dealership. My dealer has actually been pretty good about it, the service rep seemed more upset than i did when i told him. What really sucks is that my car only has 22,500 miles on it, but I guess it can happen at anytime when you have an 04? I took pretty damn good care of the car with regular oil changes (5w-20 like mazda recommends) and i drove it like its meant to be driven. If the engines already being replaced so early I can't help but think that this won't be the last replacement so thank god for that warranty extension. Mazda needs to show some real balls and extend the warranty on the entire car. None of us should have to pay for their mistakes....but anyway any ideas on how not to end up going through another replacement after this one?

2000-3000 dollars with the warranties items is what another member here is paying.

i to have had a engine replacment at 75 000 km. with this engine im premixing and using 5w 30

I've highlighted your mistake. Oh, Mazda did made a mistake, they did NOT made 2 oil coolers standard for all rx-8.

So after the replacement, you might want to Add another oil cooler, plus stop using 5w20 garbage.

thats ridiculous...mazda is USUALLY the one responsible for these engine problems simply because they rushed the 04's into production...making someone pay for their mistakes is absolutely insane

What type of use did your car get mostly(give us some more info)? Short trips(15-20 min drives) , gas type(reg or prem), reved up the engine much(red line engine regularly), oil change intervals(months and miles) any thing you can tell us.

Wow, I'm sorry. Give us the whole story.

Mazda did made mistake by letting certain Rx-8 to go *on the road* with only 1 Oil cooler.

How can they do that when 2 oil coolers are barely enough in the first place ?

Now 09 with even more coolers. go figure.

5w20 is another mistake.

5w-30 going to kill the new core warranty? just curious how to approach that one when they ask for receipts.

It was my daily driver...I knew enough about it not to abuse it with short trips. I took it to work almost everyday and that was a 20-25 mile drive which took about forty minutes. Some days it could be a little stop and go, and I'm sure the GA heat didn't help the cause. I was regular with the oil...I ignored the owners manual and did the customary 3000 mile change. I'm a pretty firm believer if you take care of a car it will take care of you, this is true with everything except the 8 i guess. I did red line it and drive it hard when I had the opportunity...which is kinda why I'm a little pissed because I feel like i did everything right with the exception of the 5w-20. What are other people using for the most part? I've heard so many different things it would be nice to know what the best oil would be.

So now my Mazda dealer has me cruising around in a Nissan Rogue, and its pretty friggin ugly. I think crossovers were the worst thing that ever happened. Also when i spoke to my Mazda dealer about the new warranty extension he mentioned that Mazda planned on being strict about actually performing the engine replacements. He said something like how they were going to carefully look at the car to make sure it was not in any way the fault of the owner. So the above question about using a different oil that is not 5w-20 affecting the warranty is important.

Mazda does recommend 5W20 but they also say use whats best for your environment so if it's HOT where you drive use a heavier grade. Here is what the manual says..........

Engine oil viscosity, or thickness, has an
effect on fuel economy and cold-weather
operation (starting and oil flow).
Low-viscosity engine oils can provide
improved fuel economy and cold-weather
performance.
But high-temperature weather conditions
require higher-viscosity engine oils for
satisfactory lubrication.

so is it safe to say something does go wrong and they ask for receipts and i show 5w-30 or 10w-30, etc. they aren't going to make a stink?

They would have to prove that the oil grade lead to the engine failure and a 5w-30 is not going to hurt the engine.

not exactly...

They can simply deny the claim, it's their right.

It is also your right, to pay for the work, and take them to court. At THAT point they are required to prove it was the fault of the wrong oil.

^haha, yeah, that is pretty lousy though. Using 5w-30 instead of "recommended" (not required) 5w-20.

If they deny the whole thing for using 5w-30...*Which..seriously, are you KIDDING?* will look SO bad upon that dealership. Sure, they don't give a shit, as they have screwed over people before...but maybe it will lead you to intelligent people.

I wasn't saying it was likely, simply stating it's POSSIBLE. People on this forum tend to think the Magnusson Moss act is really a protective shield, it's not. You are far better off listening to the manufacturer while they are willing to warranty your car.

They can not deny warranty based on which oil weight you use. They can deny it ONLY if they can prove that the "whatever" is the cause of failure.

if they say "we will deny warranty becuz u use weight other than 5w20". I can fax you a copy of my dealership's receipt, I was at dealership couple days ago for Some stuff, then they *forced* my ass to buy one of their oil change, I was like "whatever" and paid 30 bux for new stock oil filter, new gasket, and garbage motorcraft motor oil, guess what weight they used, 5w-30.

I also have TONS of receipt of 5w-30 oil, going to use 10w40 soon, never worry.

^You don't seem like the kind of person to be "forced"

I should hear from my dealer tomorrow. Last time we spoke I asked him if this was going to be my first and LAST engine replacement. He said that the new engines they are putting in are "better". I'm guessing this is complete bullshit and he's just trying to make me feel better?

Again, think this all you want, but it's NOT how the MM war4ranty act works. They are free to deny all they want, and then if you bring it to court is where they must PROVE that your mod killed your engine...

They are very unlikely to deny a warranty claim based on 5w30, vs 5w20 however, especially if there are dealers out there doing oil changes with such oil.

Put a turbo on yrou car and watch all of your powertrain claims denied, and no they don't have to PROVE it caused the damage to deny it, simply to win in a courtroom, if you pay for the repair at an authorized dealer and feel that is unfair, hire a lawyer and take it to court.

Can someone please define "remanufactured" engine for me?:Wconfused

the basic core of the engine was kept and all internals were replaced as needed.. you're getting an engine blown by someone else with new gaskets/seals/rings/bolts as deemed necessary by the re builder... so there are times that some internals may be reused :SHOCKED:

Whaaaat?! this blows! I don't want someone else's engine. That is like buying a used pair of shoes or something. Mazda sucks. Thanks for the explanation though.

US Code - Title 15, Chapter 50, Sections 2301-2312:
Legally, a vehicle manufacturer cannot void the warranty on a vehicle due to an aftermarket part unless they can prove that the aftermarket part caused or contributed to the failure in the vehicle (per the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)).