Shini

**FINAL VERDICT!**:

They ended up "upgrading" my computer and refreshing it, reset the barrel something or other, fuel pressure in, oil, etc etc.

It ran fine on the way to work, so I'm crossing my fingers hoping this'll work.

**UPDATE**:

Just got off the phone with Andy in the service department after calling him back 4 times today to wait and see if I could hear something about my car and why it's so fuxed up right now. Apparently he was on hold with Mazda for 40 minutes and talking to them, then recieved a long lists of "tests" that he has to run, even though the only thing they've been doing with my car is "tests". He quickly gave me some of theses "tests" Mazda told him to run, Voltage test, bolt test (?), compression test (which they did earlier and supposedly came back okay), and then some more jargin I can't remember. Then he said they're talking about flying someone down to take a look at it, etc. But he assures me he'll know something tomorrow before lunch time (I was promised the same thing for today mid-afternoon). At one point, I'm glad they're actually taking care of the car and sending out a tech to take a look at it, although I can't be for certain their motivation is for the right reason. I have a feeling they're only hustling and bustling over my car this time because if I do get it back in the same condition it'll be lemon law time baby! Which means they'll have to take it back off my hands and give me something else. Whichever it comes down to I don't really care, I just want an RX-8 back, one that runs well. If it's mine or a new one I'll get using the lemon law on them I don't really care. The only thing that peeves me off at this point is how vague they are with everything and how I'm being strung along about hearing something valid about the car other than we ran tests and need to run more.

YAY! I LOVE THIS! I mean...wait wait wait. Why am I excited about this.

Sidenote: Ranting because I have to take my car to the dealership AGAIN for the second time for the same problem. First time, they had it for 4 days, said they couldn't "find" the problem. Second time, I spoke to a guy over the phone and after describing the problems I was having in the same way I described them the first time he tells me he thinks he knows what the problem is.

Background story: Took my car in. With the SAME problems I'm having now. Tech scratches head like monkey. Picks the back of another techs hair for bugs to eat. Turns to me and says "We don't know what the problem is, but make sure you start using premium gas and the problem should go away."

Welllllll The "problem" was okay for awhile, as it normally is when they flash the ECU. Then it started doing it again. At idle it would idle hard, the RPM would fluctuate, and whenever I let off the brake in first gear to start going, it car would feel like it's going to stall. And there would be a loud banging/knocking sound at idle as well, and a noticable sound that KIND OF sounds like the intake whenever I'm in the higher-rpm's, but I have a stock intake and that noise wasn't there when I bought the car, and it comes back around the same time the other problems do.

So finally I just told myself, maybe this IS normal. Well one night at the drive-thru, I'm sitting there getting my food, pull up to the window and just before I had the guy my money my car dies. My Automatic Transmission stalls. W.T.F.!!!!!

So I try to turn it back on, and thought the battery might have died (but how? The cars been on for atleast 10 minutes now, how could the battery just die like that?) then I realized the car wouldn't start again until it was back in park, derrr Shini der! So I put it back in park, start it up, and it ALMOST dies again while I'm sitting there while waiting to get my food.

So I pull off and I'm thinking at this point "Blankety blank blank mazda piece of blank I can't believe this stupid blanking blank! This is just ridiculous I can't believe they blanked me the last time I was in there like this! "

So I call them up the next day and I'm like "HEY! Still having the same problems as before here, whats going on!!!!! " - The guy I was speaking to at the dealership asked for the year and if it was auto, I said 04 Auto. He said "Okay, I think I know what the problem is, it sounds like your cars compression isn't working well right now, I'm pretty sure thats what the problem is." So I say "Wonderful, I'm glad that it only took me the second time around for someone to find out what the problem was" then I asked for his name because I've never talked to this guy before and I wanted to know who he was, where he lived, and where he hung out at on his breaks because there was no way I'm going to talk to anyone else. So then he says "Yeah we're really busy this week, would it be okay if you bring it in next week?" My initial reaction is WTF MY CAR JUST DIED ON ME AND YOU'RE TELLING ME TO WAIT A WEEK?! (This call happend on Monday). Then he said "Yeah if you don't mind just bring it in on Monday, sometime mid-morning and we'll get everything setup and get you into a rental car." Well, I've never had a rental car form this dealership before, even when they had my car for 4 days one time I wasn't given one.

So this means 1. This guy is a cool guy, 2. He's just trying to be nice to me since I've been through so much **** before with this place, for 3. My car is going to be in there for longer than 4 days and if it's longer than that THEN they give you a rental car.

So since I felt like I was actually getting pretty good service I said "Sure that's fine I'll take it in on Monday morning I guess..." He said "Okay then we'll be waiting for you!"



Just thought I'd post this to see if anyone, at all, can give me any idea whats going on with my car so I can go in on there Monday and tell them what I think is wrong with it so maybe they can actually fix it this time, and that way I can't be shooed out of the door after returning my rental car to come up to them and they say "Oh yeah sorry, couldn't find anything wrong this time around either lolz!"

So yeeeeeah. If it doesn't get fixed this time I guess I'll have to drive out of town to go to another Dealership, because this is just ridiculous. I don't care how many times I need to take the car in, as long as when I take it in the problem is fixed. I don't mind having to take it in every 2 days for a new problem that happens, but taking it in twice in a row, that pisses me off, especially since the first time I had it in they didn't know what the problem was, but after speaking to a guy over the phone this time, he knows what it could be? That makes no sense.

Rems31

short version?

Shini

Sure.

1. Took my car in
2. They had it for 4 days
3. They said nothing was wrong with it
4. Problems went away for a day or two
5. They're back and worse than ever
6. Car stalled while it was in drive and I was at a dead stop (AT)
7. Spoke to person on phone
8. He says that he probably knows that the problem is
9. I'm mad because some guy over the phone knows that the problem is and when they had it for 4 days they couldn't figure it out
10. My Mazda Dealership sucks
11. They're trying to make it up to me by giving me a rental car this time
12. I hope it gets fixed.

motorups

Now that, the 'short verison', I can read and relate to...

Rems31

^^ Yea I was wondering the same thing...if they keep your car you should get a rental...or at least drive you around haha

Shini

I'll be sure to keep that in mind the next time I go up there.

I don't really know about all that stuff since I've never bought a car on my own yet...(Parents for the win...or for the lose I suppose since I know very little about buying cars)

I did read up on the Confessions of a Car Salesman in the Lounge though. It was a good read and the next time when I buy a car, I think I won't need my parents to help me out =O

But anyway, yeaaaaah. This stealership really is bad.

machfive

No advice, but good luck.

supergoat

Faulkner Mazda in Harrisburg, PA refused to give me a rental car once for warranty work, I took my keys back and will never return.

AlcoaRX-8

At my dealer we give loaner car for all major services. If it is warranty and we do not have any loaners we will get you a rental (covered under warranty).

I hate to say it, but it sounds like they may want to get you a new engine.

Good/Bad?

Good luck. I hope your dealership takes care of you and your problem.

Working at a dealership, I hate to hear about crappy service. There is no reason for it.

Raptor75

It seems like a new engine is always a game of Russian Roulette with Mazda. Hope it works out.

Shini

Well aslong as I have a rental while they're doing the work I don't really mind.

Question: Is there any difference between the 13b's put in the 04's and the ones in the newer models? Because if so then will they put an 04 type in my car or one of the newer ones?

Or is it there is no difference at all between the motors but the way they were put into the car and tuned from the factory and the 04's just got the unlucky "Hey uh..we might have put some of the wires in some of these wrong...OH WELL!"

AlcoaRX-8

If they do put a new motor in there will be differences. The specifics I could not tell you. The new one should provide you with very few problems.

Shini

Sounds like I need to try to get the new motor then =/

puch96

It also sounds to me that the dealership needs to fix the problem in the first place. Dealerships that don't know what 'da hell is going on are the ones that contribute to the higher percentages of "New Engine Club"..

Shini

Oh sweet, does that mean if I get a new engine I'll have to start typing "www.rx8newengineclub.com" when I get to work in the mornings?

On a serious note, I do wish that Mazda would get their act together. But then again it really isn't just Mazda, they're just the leading contributors to the horror stories you hear about Service Departments. My mom has some really nasty ones with Chrysler.

Oh well, maybe after the new engine (If I do end up needing one), I won't have to take it in for anything but scheduled maintence.

krock1030

Oh geez, back to the dealership again huh? Same here man. They replaced the old intake manifold out last time, for what? the car still feels the same. It sucks because i'm not going to get a rental at all because i'm 19 and they can't rent out cars to people under 21 I believe.

Let's see what they'll tell me this time... I have a feeling though they're too lazy to swap out the engine so they're just going to pick at it piece by piece until I practiaclly have a new engine, just made up of new parts intalled at different times.

we'll see.

Shini

Oh man that most def sucks.

I can't believe you're getting same treatment...oh wait, yes I can, it's Mazda!

Hope they give you a new engine, it sounds like we both could use one.

krock1030

haha yeah, and maybe drop in a new tranny.. it feels like mine is constantly slipping...

Shini

Mine doesn't do that...
































































yet.

krock1030

hahaha yeah yet... if Mazda gives me the "this is all normal" speech, i'm going to flip ****. Since when was it normal for the car to run improperly?

Shini

Since Mazda made the RX-8 a year too early

Shini

Update!

Well, I took the car in and got me a rental car. Nissan Sentra 2.0, have to say it pales in comparison to my car.

I was driving it around enjoying it, until I started doing my normal driving routine and found I'd have to slow down more, make a wider turn, etc etc. Ugh.

Took the car in and the guys didn't even know I was bringing it in today apparently even though I made a reservation for it to be brought in like a week ago and they told me to bring it in on Monday. So yeah, anyway I bring it in and tell them whats wrong with it, It idles weird, RPM goes up and down up and down up and down. When I'm at a dead stop at a light, when it turns green and I start going, it'll bog down and the car will feel like it's going to die. Now one time I was at a drive-thru, and the car just BOOM. died on me. So I told them that and said one of the tech's said there might be something wrong with the compression, etc etc and I'd be getting a rental car.

They said sure sure, then they chit-chatted about the car asking me where I bought it, I said....Here. Then they said it was used and I said yeah. Then they whispered to eachother for a minute or two and said they'd bring it back around to look at it. I have a feeling they're just going to turf it back to me and say nothing is wrong with it (since the car was running fine when I brought it there...I knew I should have drove it around for awhile til it start acting up, but meh...I'll be sure I don't get the car back til they do something real with it, and not just flash the ECU and tell me to start using premium).

Another thing that bugs me, I have an after market keyless entry system, and everytime they flash the ECU it ***** my keyless entry up. Ugh ._.

After that I waited for my rental car and came to work where I thought I'd update this.

Story in a nutshell, I brought it to the dealer, they had no idea I was coming. I had to repeat to them the problems I was having, and they muttered to eachother for a while making it seem like they didn't know what to do, as if they were just going to turn me around and walk me out the door saying nothing is wrong with the car (since that's what they did with it last time, they said they had no idea why it was doing that.)....So I don't know what to do with these guys.

ninjarama

Sounds like you're just having loads of fun! Sucks what you've gone through already man... I just took my car in today to have them look at my notchy 2nd & 5th gears & squeeky clutch pedal. Hope it's nothing major.

Anyway, the head tech guy was out to lunch so instead of have me wait around for him to get back, they gave me a rental car. So far, service dept. has treated me like a human which I appreciate greatly.

Well, good luck to you and your car! hope you get it situated.

Shini

Yeah I hope they actually do something this time around...

On the bright side my rental car is pretty fun to drive.

Rootski

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There's your problem.