My PCM is Toast
 

Last Friday I decided to take my car to work since the weather was clearing up. But when I started the car, it started then stalled. Tried it again and same thing… I then followed the emergency start procedure, pushed down on the accelerator and then turned the ignition but I didn’t even get to the point to crank the car and heard loud clicking. I shut off the key and turned it to the accessory position and again heard the loud clicking noise. At that point I called the tow truck to haul my 8 to the dealership. On Monday afternoon they told me to bring in all my keys because for some reason they became deprogrammed?? I told them the keys don’t just become deprogrammed. Then they told me my Valet key does not have a chip and if I try to use the key then it thinks the car is being stolen. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing so I gave them the keys and told them reprogram the keys and I will pickup the car tomorrow.

I just got of the phone with the service department and they now tell me my PCU is damaged and needs to be replaced. They have no ETA on when the part will arrive. I asked about a rental car and was told I could have one for only 2 days.

Has anyone tried or have had a car for more then 2 days under the warranty program?

Has anyone had to have the PCM replaced?

Life sucks with out my RX8 :mad:

Most dealerships are unaware that you get a free loaner, I don't have the 800 number for Mazda's North American Ops. handy but I'm sure somebody will pass it along. Give them a call and they will make sure your dealer will provide you a loaner for the full repair duration..

Your the first I've heard regarding a faulty PCM module.

Same here very odd if they give you any bullshit give them the part number for the J-spec Mazdaspeed Rx-8 PCM :)

18002225500

Thanks for the number Zoom44 I called and the rental was extended.

When I went to go pickup the rental they were out of cars and cups for the coffee. I had to wait 3 hours to get a ride to work. I called the service department and they expect the part to be in by Friday. So I called the customer support number that Zoom44 gave me and asked for an extension on the rental. So the rental place upgraded me to a mid-sized car and I will have it until the repair is done.

We will see if the module fixes the problem and I will let you know if they have any root cause.

-Ron

lol why then his car wouldn't work at all>?

We won’t real know until some one tries, you keys would defiantly have to be reprogrammed and your dash maybe Japanese characters, or worst case the car won’t work at all.

Stock J-spec Ecu's work so there is no reason a MS Jspec shouldn't.

really?
someone has put a j-spec ecu in thier usdm 8?

can you provide me with the link?
and what would be the benefit of doing so?

If it worked, wouldn't the upshot be a/f mappings that were not callibrated for EPA2, theoretically giving more zoom zoom? What would happen when they tried to M-ify it per MSP04, or would they assume the chip came with M?

Canzoomer had done it he told me over the phone.

Nothing beside it would program it to a A-Spec car you would loose the mazdaspeed a/f map ignition map and oil metering pump maps.

gotcha, thank PoLaK

it really depends on the dealership. some loan from stock others have rental agreements with enterprise or somesuch and you get whatever economy car that rental co. has

The condition you describe doesn't sound like an immobiliser problem. When a key that is not registered is put in the ignition and turned, the immobi lamp will flash and the starter will not engage - nothing at all will happen.

Either your battery is just flat (probably not), or you have a short somewhere that caused this, possibly in the PCM like the dealer suggested. If the PCM has given up the ghost, then that could be what cleared all your keys too.

Has your car had any electrical work done on it, or accident repairs done? Maybe there is a short in the wiring somewhere?

My one and only gripe I have when I take my car in for service is the fact that I get a crappy rental car from Enterprise. The last car I got was a Dodge Stratus that had a bad front end. I told the guy and he just shrugged and said he would have someone look at it when I returned the car. :confused:

Mr M,

The root cause was a short in the PCM they told me they checked the rest of the electrical and did not find a problem, it was just a bad chip. They had to re-program all the keys over again but, I got my car yesterday and it seems to be running fine.
-Ron