Babo4u

is aftermarket intake/exhaust removal necessary for the recall checkup?

Tirminyl

No.

RotorMotor

Had an interesting morning at the dealership today. I went in to pick up my car which they've had since Monday. I was looking over the service order while I was waiting for the car to come down and noticed that they had flashed the ECU, replaced the cat and replaced the spark plugs.

One line said "inspected catalytic converter and replaced catalytic converter due to ratio of 8.35:1." Could just a bad cat cause the compression to drop that much?

Anyway so I'm waiting for the service guy to pull the car around and it stalls as he's pulling it up. So I walk over and he jumps out of the car and says "oh, the battery is just dead" and starts to try to jump it. The car won't start. 4 mechanics and the service manager converge on my car trying to get it to start, but it's not happening. My service rep says "well, we'll hang onto it for another day or two and get you back in a loaner" (got a CX-7 this time, sweet ride ).

So after 10 mins or so they finally get the car started and the service manager is revving the engine. As soon as he takes his foot off the gas it stalls. Another 2 or 3 minutes to get it started again and as he's revving it a lot of smoke is coming out the back of the car. He comes over to me after they pull it back into the shop and tells me that they left the lights on the day before and the battery was dead and the 8 "needs all the voltage it can get to keep it running". Horseshit.

So I pull my service rep aside and tell him "listen, I don't mind having to come down here this morning and leave without my car, but if it happens again, I'm going to be pissed. I want you to make sure that the car is 100% when I come back next time. I want them to run a full battery of tests to make sure that everything is fine." He said "I totally understand. I'm going to have our master mechanic review everything that's done and take it out for a road test before we get it back to you."

What do you guys think could've been the problem?

canaryrx8

iTrader: (3)

did you ever have the starter/battery tsb done? Mine died at the body shop back in April and was doing kind of the same thing.

Go48

The smoke suggests a flooded condition (assuming it is oil/fuel smoke) and the stalling suggests fouled plugs. Perhaps they shut the car down cold a few times while they were working on it and the plugs became fouled by the excess fuel/oil. It's the dreaded engine flood. You can read about it here on the forum ad nauseum.

But all that is a guess. In any case, that's probably what they'll tell you when you pick it up.

RotorMotor

Ok, that doesn't sound so bad. I feel a little bad coming down on my service rep now. Haha.

I never did have a starter/battery TSB done. It flooded once before and I took it to a local repair shop instead of the dealer (out of warranty) who cleared it and told me about the flooding TSB which I took it to the dealer to get whatever flash it was that fixed that done.

I suppose that it's possible that the battery was really low but he was able to get it to start and then when he stalled it, he flooded it trying to start it back up again....

davefzr

Thankx for the suggestions all. I am taking my car in tomorrow to have the exhaust system checked out.

Will let you know the results as soon as I do.

patrick_andraste

THe Dealer I bought my RX-8 from had been servicing it and I have a RB exhaust and K&N Intake on it for well over a year now. The last trip in, to complain yet again about misfire and cutting out at RPM's above 6500 they told me that they would not work on the car for any warranty related work until I removed the aftermarket parts and returned the car to stock.

I thought this strange so I called another Dealer in the area That I have taken my car to, (but they are more inconvenient) and explained what was going on. They said to bring the car in. After asking about having to pu tthe stock parts back in place they said I did not have to, that the pushback I received from the other dealer was "The way they are choosing to do business"

So I think it is all coming down to the dealer you take it to whether you will get static from them or not.

Babo4u

uh oh.. i usually go to galpins >

RotorMotor

Just got a call from my service rep. They're waiting for a call back from the Mazda Tech Line to give them the go-ahead to replace my engine. Seems like there were bigger problems than they originally thought. I couldn't be happier. Given that I already had 60k miles on the car and had all the symptoms of the issues causing the recall, I figured I'd be getting a new engine in the first place.

I'm glad that I didn't take possesion of the car. What would happen if a dealer simply missed an engine that had been damaged and should've been replaced and somebody had major engine issues 6 months down the road? Would they still be likely to replace it?

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

look at the recommended shift points Mazda provided you in their owners manual and rethink that statement

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

BTW - anyone experience their dealers given them a problem if you already have an aftermarket cat on the car?

i'm not taking the thing off...

davefzr

Well as it turns out there is a faulty cat converter. They were explaining that the temperture difference between the entry and exit points of the cat should be at least 100 degrees different and mine are the same.

I have to buy a new converter.

Thankx for your input everyone.

RotorMotor

You should get a new cat as part of the recall....

Just got the final word back from my dealer. New engine is on order. I specifically asked if it would be a new or a re-man and he said it would be new. They said it'll take a week to get it and another 2-3 days to get it installed and running. In the meantime, I need to go find something to haul while I have the CX-7. :P Any recommendations?

bubbasuwannee

How bout' some groceries? The rx-8 sucks at grocery shopping

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

dropped my car off this morning and waiting for a call from the dealership.

I'm curious to see how the test drive / compression test comes out. (yes, I have had slight power loss espeically in 100+ degree temperature)

BunnyGirl

Especially if you have the spare.

zoom44

i buy my families groceries for the week in my 8. with a stroller in the trunk many times.

fray

iTrader: (1)

Hmm.. I've loaded up the my 8 with over $200 in groceries before.. (thats about 8 bags.) No problem with the trunk.. worse part was that someone in the front seat had to hold the 36 case of bottled water... THAT didn't fit in the trunk.

bubbasuwannee

We always buy lots of soda/gatorade etc... and it takes up lots of space. Mainly it's a pain because the trunk opening is narrow.

zoom44

your packing skillz suck

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

LMAO!!!
Heck, I can fit like 2 midgets in there (at least)....groceries should be NO problem.

6speed8

Brought my car in for an oil change and the dealer checked the engine in my RX-8, Result = no replacement needed. The dealer showed be a computer readout (with really LARGE print) that had Min-Max range ratings. My engine was at or very close to the Min (which the dealer indicated was a very good thing). They did the new flash, and replaced the motor mounts. My car has 41,000 miles on it.

I predict there will be another NEW flash SOON, because now, the car does not start right, (especially when cold ) it cranks much longer than it used to and sounds like it might not catch. (bear in mind, cold is 70 degrees in florida right now).

I had the spark plugs and starter replaced at 37,000 miles. ( the battery was replaced at 30k miles) good thing too, because the ould starter would not have been able to start it now.

Before the new flash my car started REALLY fast. Oh, and my fuel mileage has gone down with the new flash.

Looks like ANOTHER trip to the dealer, and I will probably have to leave it overnight so they can see how badly it starts when cold.

Tirminyl

I really dont do grocery shopping so I wouldn't know, lol.

patrick_andraste

I have stuffed two full size girls in the trunk, even with a rear strut brace.