Thanks. I know it's a long shot maybe, but let's give 'em an opportunity to take some of the enthusiasts and bright lights here seriously and respectfully. I'm sure some people at Mazda are very aware of the importance of our loyal following. Heck, I'm still maintaining and driving a '93 Miata! Maybe even a PR guy can realize that such a loyal following is based on something other than legal expediency.

+1 expo, i can tell they are trying to help, but when i tell them the 1st time i bring it in it's fuel pump, and they don't look into that until the 3rd time i bring it in it's just annoying.

Sigh… if only some of the "extremely knowledgeable rotary enthusiasts and rebuilders" here had helped designed the Renesis in the first place. (Me? I keep telling the Mets how to solve their hitting problems, but for some strange reason, they never listen. And I am an extremely knowledgeable baseball enthusiast.)

All the "extremely knowledgeable rotary enthusiasts and rebuilders" here have known about the lubrication problems for a LONNNG time.. hence the premix and the heavier oil and the synthetic.

Mazda is apparently catching on now because that is what all the PCM updates are all about.. increased OMP output. Unfortunately these newer PCM updates are too late for some of the older cars and that is why you see many more 04 engine failures then the rest.

~

I would like to thank Mazda for putting their wallet behind the wankel and shooting down all the people that believe the rotary engine won't exist for much longer. You wouldn't build a brand new rotary re-manufacturing plant if you weren't going to be using it a few years from now!

And thank you Jeremy for coming to personally share your words with us. :)

I hope Mazda Australia takes this on board and do the right thing as well.

paul,

i shot cocktail out of my nose.. are you mrs jeremy???? ;)

beers :beer:

as to my big ? i think zoom will cover that.. as i pm him before i found this thread.

but other questions are needed.. with a new fuel pump (replaced in dec it is the 5th version) should i have fuel issues at a hpde? with 3/4 tank?

more than one of us have had the issue.. btw. only in left hand turns..

got a few others, but love the car!!!!

beers :beer:

+1 swoope, +1, and no it can't be caused by premix since i've done in low concentration for only a month.

One more vote
 

One more vote supporting Jeremy's list of questions.

We all have the same goal, we want to take the best care of our cars possible, if Mazda has tips that happen to contradict the user's manual that have grown from experience, or that require a little more maintenance that isn't a bad thing if it can help us maintain our cars and help enjoy a long, fun lifespan with the vehicle.

I love my RX-8, I love it's idiosyncracies and I like spending time with it, it has made me appreciate cars more. Thanks for creating a wonderful car and for supporting the community and customer base that has bought them!

I also want to thank Mazda and Mr. Barnes for supporting us and the RX-8. My has 84K miles and makes me smile every time I drive. No engine problems, a few minor warranty issues (tail light moisture, would not shift into 6th) all fixed. I have to say that the extended warranty eases my mind but I tend to buy my vehicles with the intention of driving them for 10+ years as evidenced by my wife's 96 Miata.

I have to echo Expo's issue regarding Dealer service, I have also had poor experience and have often felt that I knew more about my car than the service writers. I have used three different dealerships for service trying to find a shop that gives me confidence that they listen to my concern and can diagnose properly. I think that a fair amount of the maintenance "problems" with the 8 is due to poor knowledge of the rotary in the service shop. Example, when my 8 would not go into 6th gear, the service writer on the phone told me that they could have me in for service in three weeks....to which I responded that I purchased a 6-speed and did not intend to wait three weeks driving a 5-speed.

My thanks go to Jeremy for planning on spending some time handling our questions. I'm pleased with the warranty extension for the engine and appreciate Mazda standing behind the Renesis.

My +1 to Robrecth's questions, and also to snipersgo's Q about all flashes behind covered regardless of mileage. The constant ECU reprogramming demonstrates Mazda's dedication to continued research into the care & longevity of the Renesis. It is my opinion that Mazda should offer these updates to all owners in order to keep their 8s running with the best programming available.


My first question is similar to one others mentioned: What can be done to improve dealership care when it comes to the RX-8 (or any Mazda) in the future? It certainly seems like it is a 'hit or miss' type game where some dealerships are great and some are terrible, and this is the "face of Mazda" as seen by most owners. I understand some problems can arise w/aftermarket parts, but for those of us that have NOT modified the powertrain at all this can be very frustrating.

Could you please discuss what you recommend as the best course of action an owner can take if they feel a dealership is putting up a fight over an issue that should be covered under warranty?

My second question: There appears to be a growing number of owners experiencing transmission problems, with some getting tranny replacements before hitting 40k miles. A few members here have reported dealerships that deny warranty work on the transmission regardless of mileage! This question is tied to the first somewhat, but here goes:

Has Mazda's official position changed regarding the warranty status pertaining to transmission problems? Specifically, should all transmission problems be covered under the 5/60 powertrain warranty - synchros and all? Also, was there any consideration of extending the full powertrain warranty to 100k, rather than just the 'short block', and why wasn't this done?


Thanks again!

dmc27

^^^ +1 does anyone have an idea when this(Q&A) is going to happen, I realize being on the east coast there will be a delay. I would love to sit in on this but I cant afford to sit here all day, if anyone has any time frame that would be great.

guys Please understand that when Jeremy does sign on- still probably this morning but that could change- there will be limits on what he can answer . Many of the technical questions will probably not be covered.

When time allows him Rotr8. Its his idea and his time afterall. He's kind of a busy guy- He'll be posting from work too;)

Hey thats an idea-posting on this forum as part of a job. actually getting paid to do it. Hey Jeremy my position at the Sharper Image is ending soon- Any openings at Mazda that involve getting paid to post on forums? :)

i second you getting paid for this.. a dollar a post, it would be nice to see you post more good stuff. :)

thx!

beers :beer:

Is Jeremy going to post in this thread or some other thread?

thanks, I'll stay tuned....

Understood. Actually, that's why I was hoping that some of the more technical questions could eventualy be addressed by some of Mazda's best rotary engineers, both for our sake as well as for the benefit of the technical aftermarket domain ... and ultimately for even for Mazda's benefit. Thanks again for hosting this and thanks to Jeremy and to Mazda for participating.

I think my question might not be in the right place, but I am going to ask it regardless since I feel this issue is very important.

As an IT worker, Technology issues are very near and dear to me. Why is it that Mazda car always seem to be behind in regards to the tech options they offer on their cars? The tech craze isnt exactly new and frankily the tech options are very disappointing. I have seen cars built in 2000 (jeeps mind you) that had digital radios that would display the radio station title and song name and that feature has yet to be offered on any mazda I have seen. (Granted a small one) This example just illustrates my point. Is there no way Mazda can partner with Ford (since you are partly owned be ford) to get some of the new and exciting tech on Mazdas such as The Sync????? Why hasnt been Mazda developing more tech options for all the cars in a range instead of just the luxury packages? Its not as if this tech is expensive. The Sync was deconstructed and it costs 40$ ! and yet ford sells it for 400! Surely offering options like this would be profitable for Mazda!

Jeremy:

The only issues I see:

1. oil distribution
2. oil viscosity
3. oil filtering
4. oil pumping

I understand all of these issues have been addressed in the new engine which means Mazda understands there is a serious issue which has not been admitted but warranties extended to 8y/100k. In a sense, I guess that is an admission.

My questions are:
1. Why did Mazda not offer a recall?
2. Why couldn't Mazda offer a buyback plan where they give owners that want to trade in their existing RX-8 on a new 09 model a REALLY good deal?

Thanks, for taking a little time to listen to our questions and statements.
Don

i asked him to post in here.

Yikes! Admission, hmmm, recall?:banghead: They've really gone beyond what we should ask for making this thing retroactive. I guess you can't please everyone.

Seal.

One question( well 3 actually) sent to me in private message-

Does the timing of this announcement have anything to do with the opening of the new re-manufacturing site in Virginia?

Is it that having this re-manufacturing operation under Mazda's control give Mazda more confidence in the product than the previous "out-sourced" situation?

And is that the same as saying Mazda has some concerns for the reliability of the previously re-built motors?

^^ Agreed.

Jeremy

1 - can answer definitively, yes or no, will use of synthetic oil void the RX-8 warranty?

2 - What, if anything, is Mazda doing to improve the quality of customer service provided by dealership service departments, particularly as regards RX-8?

3 - Owners sometime seem to get stuck in between their local dealership's service department and Mazda corporate regarding warranty service. The dealer claims corporate won't cover, corporate claims the decision is up to the dealer. Customer then has nobody to help them. What would you recommend for a customer who gets stuck here?