Valve Stem INfo needed ASAP!
 

maybe this is in the wrong area but I just got off the phone with my Mazada Dealer and here is what they said while changing my tires

there is a service bulliten about using aftermarket valve stem caps, that they may corrode and when replacing the tire the the valve stem may break off and damage the TPS sensor. IN which since after market caps were used this is not a warranty item and since ther is a service bulliten.

Anyone have knowledge of this or what but I am so pissed off!!!

I have never heard of this. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't put my rotor valve stem caps on. :dunno:

I just found the SB on this stupid ass deal...here it is...From Mazda, You are not allowed to use aftermarket valve caps, they can sometimes fuse to the valve stem and under preasure to turn the cap to put air in the tire/change tires it can snap off and you will have to replace the TPM stem and sensor!
It came from the dam Mazda Dealer this way you would think they wouldve known!!
Anyway it is true just got the Sb sent to me from a friend Plastic it is!!!!


IT IS NOT WARRENTY EVEN IF THE DEALER JACKS UP YOUR STEM!!

I have heard of problems with aftermarket valve stem caps before. I was told to use anti-seize when putting them on. This is supposed to eliminate any problems, and you could probably just put your stock caps on whenever you needed to take it in for work?

Not sure if the link will work well b/c it is a PDF file. Try it!
If not it's the 4th or 5th TSB in black font here.

well I am pissed off anyway....I am keeping up on all service buletins now!!

Thats where I just got my info from..how freaking stupid!!!

Is it safe to assume you are pissed off b/c your TPMS got f'd up and needs to be replaced? Sorry papa.

I mean seriously, if you knew about this, would you not try and take just a bit more care taking it off? or maybe spray some wd40 on it to see if it breaks up the corrosion? so it does not break off! and then explain the deal to me since you already got me for damn tires!! good price on tires but now my tab is up to 705.00 jack asses... adn I bring those morons doughnuts sometimes!!!!

Thanks for posting that - guess I will keep the little cheap plastic ones
The only stuff I heard on after market valve caps was that the one's with the colored LEDs are not legal at night here unless you are doing a car show cruise-

I understand some of these techs are not the sharpest tacks on the pad but damn....

I will be calling the dealer back and explaining these points

1) when they did my brakes they shouldve told me that the service bulliten came out and told me about that
2) before they touched my tires they shouldve told me about the bulliten and I wouldve done it at home to get them off and I am sure with more care, also if I screwed it up at home I have AAA so it gets towed for free,
3) if the tech new about the problem he shouldve taken more care in doing it!!!!

Who cares, I don't even have valvestems on mine and I haven't had any problems. The stock ones are so cheap and it's easier to check tire pressure without taking them off and putting them on every time.

Would that include the rotor-shapes ones from Mazda then, too? I've been too lazy to put mine on so I still have the plastic ones.

I have some metal ones on one of my tires. I got it I dont even know when, but I think it was one of the time when I replace my tires.

THE tsb was out for quite a while, I just never really paid my attention to it.

I guess I'll take the metal cap off when Im going to wash my 8 later today.

When I saw that TSB, I just removed my metal caps and wiped the threads on the stems w/ WD40. It's wonderful at displacing water, and w/o water, there's no corrosion issue....

It does suck that they can be relieved of any responsibility for busting the TPMS units, tho...

The black plastic caps just look so cheesy.... replacing them was the first thing I did to my car...

I am calling the service mgr now with several valid points about this issue, I have spent allot of money there and also They would have a customer for life but in this case , they broke it so I am sorta pissed off, So I am somewhat knowledgable about the RX8, it is not my job to make me aware of the SBs, also if they new there was an SB they shouldve called me and told me before taking my tires off!!

Sorry bro, but it IS your responsibility to inform yourself about anything you want to know. Your points about them knowing better are all valid and they should be better at dissemination of information, but, err, welcom to reality. Where ya been?

If we were able to make claims against people/corporations for incompetence the court system would still be working on cases from the roaring 20s.

I understand that but what if I was some bum and had no knowledge of a Sb ya know?? they are the dealer even if not informing me when they did my brakes a few months ago, beore they started workign on the tires I shouldbve been at least called and told " hey there is an SB about these stems, and if we try to replace your tires there is a chance that we can break a stem off, and I would either say do it or not, then I wouldve been more informed or at least made the choice to try and get them off at my house with WD40 before they hacked them , I think I am calling the service mgr now just so everyoen knows what the hell is going on. I think this is the end of this relationship with this mazda dealer, I know of one farther but in this case I am sure it would be diffrent.

Read the whole service bulletin:

The problem is with valve stem caps with COPPPER (Brass) THREADS. since the TPMS valve stem is aluminum, it corodes with the copper(brass) and fuses. Valve stem caps made of aluminum (make sure they don't have a copper threaded sleeve inside) should be fine.

Also, if the dealer sells those rotor shaped valve stem caps and they are copper threaded then they should be partially responsible if there is a problem since they are selling you a part with aknown defect (its not compatible with the intended purpose theyre selling it) Unless the one they sell is all aluminum...

I am assuming that you bought the 8 used then? If you bought it from them they should be partially responsible, if you bought it from a non Mazda dealership then you might be out of luck (although you might argue the fact that they had looked at your car's tires before and told you nothing about it, but it is a very light argument..

Good luck

well I am in the legal and contract field so I argue for a living, I am going to get my car at 400, and I am speaking face to face with the service mgr, they did not charge labor to put in the part ( which they are doing the tires anyway) so nothing there, and they disc the part to 114.98 instead of 140. I also just dropped 600 on tires, so would you be happy with what they tried to do to resolve this? I am acutally asking if anyoen here thinks I am taking this to far or over reacting

It depends if they were theones that sold you the car with those valve stems.

I f they did not, they are actually being nice about the discounts and stuff since technically they did nothing wrong.

why did they even need to touch the valve stems to change the tires? they are bolted on. I bet you got a idiot tech who busted it tryitn to replace them. it takes some serious force to break them.. i know I've tried. even if they are severely corroded you are gonna have to hit it with a hammer to get it to break. the only reason they should break is if they were trying for some unknown reason to remove it from the rim, and they shouldn't have been doing that.

that is what I was thinking...I just do not understand how this happen, I have worked on several cars, race bikes and if a bolt , screw whatever didnt move we used WD40 to break it loose, they "claim" it was corroded and they needed to use a wrench to get the cap off and it snapped off the stem. I gues I will just see what they say when I get there, I am sure he already knows I am pissed off, My main point is the SB, if they knew about it, before touching the tire they shouldve told me there is a chance the stem can break because of the type of caps. And I couldve made my choice from there.

i'd call it improper aplication of force. INSIST you get the old parts. if they are not visibly corroded and that valve cap isn't crammed on there tigher than hell, you need to raise some hell yourself.

I do want to see the part they broke I am have already requested it...we shall see how this turns out...if bad you will for sure see the post on here!

^ An excellent idea.

Just trying to help. I would recommend against going in there and say anything even close to "it is not my job to make me aware of the SBs".

But I agree w/you about them calling you b4 messing w/something they should absolutely know could cause significant damage. I don't think you're overreacting at all. The service dept. should be smacked around at least a little bit for not AT LEAST contacting you & making you aware of the potential problem. They probably didn't know about the TSB until after they broke it & did a little research. Unfortunately, their ignorance is now your problem, and I would be surprised to see them eat any of the costs.

Good luck.