You can always pick up a radiator fin comb and 'rake' them back into alignment...

Was at the Mazda dealership this weekend and noticed the 3 has this plastic "screen" protecting their goods. :confused: Oh well.

Well this crap design costs about $600 to fix as I found out today. I called Mazda as well as emailed them, they are going to have district sales rep talk to my service manager and see if there is anything they can do. I don't expect to get it fixed for free, but picking up some part of the cost would be nice.

To be honest, even if I had the screens, I doubt they would have stoped the rock, but I bet they would have slowed it down. I'm looking into ways to build this myself rather than spend $80 from Racing Beat.

I don't know what the racing beat ones look like, but the ones I got from Dennis would easily stop or divert a golf ball-sized rock. The materials I bought to build my own weren't nearly as strong though- his are stamped out of aluminum- very strong and lightweight, which is why I kept my homemade ones in the garage.

I went with some hefty stainless steel mesh. If a rock makes it past this stuff you got more problems than AC coils...

https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...chmentid=16956

There is an exhaustive thread with a host of grille options discussed and presented in the DIY section

https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...chmentid=16956

Racing Beat screens installed on my 8 for those of you who haven't seen what RB's product looks like. I painted the oil cooler screens black.

-Gary

Both ways are good i like Em :-D but am still with NO DAMN AC !!!! i think they want almost $800 FOr that AC Condencer !!! bunch OF CrAP !!!

Can you see where the hole is? A good radiator shop should be able to repair it for a fraction of $800.

Did you order them direct?
Were they hard to install?

RX8fanatic,

I ordered them direct from Racing Beat and they were really easy to install. The included instructions were very good. I recommend using the steps in this thread to remove the front bumper.

https://www.rx8club.com/dls-customs-closed-89/front-bumper-removal-39738/

-Gary

Thanks Gary.

Arggh. Something I know I should do, but haven't done.

So RX8 XTC,
Did you ever get a condenser? I believe I told you I have one.
Paul.

no Paul i did not yet i am having lil proplems right now am living my life with no AC LoL soon i hop i will get one.

yeah, I was going to suggest Mazmart over a new one from the dealer

Your story got me motivated yesterday to get my a/c checked it has been down for a couple of weeks. I dropped it off this morning, they looked at it said i had the same problem as you got a hole in the condenser. But they called mazda and got a goodwill credit for mazda for the condenser and did the enitre thing parts and labor for free. Plus the replaced my pads for 2nd time since owning the car. I love Freeman mazda.

Looking at your pictures there doesn't seem to be enough damage to prove it was a rock (it could just ge the pictures). A condensor can form leaks without damage, espescially at the botoom and the sides. It wouldn't hurt anything to take it in and have it looked at. By the way Mazda can't deny any warr. unless they can prove without a doubt it was not a manf. deffect.

here again look at the Pix FOLLOW the Red Line i mad and then look under the ARROW i made too you can see that the Ac condencer has a Hole if you look closely you will see that the metel is bent in and seems like its broken.

[8 is enough] How many Miels u have on ur car ?? I mean i trayd to make them Replace them but they wont i got a Proplem with the Front right ROTAR i think its WARped and they Wont DO nothing about IT 150 to fix 1 of them i think and all is going to be AloT it sux man :mad:

go to another dealer... run your AC the whole time and hope it blows the compressor. bitch and moan drive the laoner car into the ground and if they still give you shit try to lemon law the car.

lemon law has nothing to do with a hole in the condensor especially if you have never complained about a A/C problem before. I you go in demanding stuff to be done your not going to get anywhere.

Oh yeah and the A/C sytem has a low pressure switch that won't allow the compressor to kick on if pressure are below a certain psi ( a.k.a a leak) for the purpose off protecting the compressor. although you could bypass the sensor hmmmmmmmmm.......
I wouldn't do that though because if they don't warranty it you would then have to buy a compressor also.

Same issue with me today. Condenser has a hole in it due to a rock. Of course this item is not covered by warranty. Called Mazda USA to have a quick discussion about the purpose to the warranty and the piss-poor placement design of the condenser.

After that fun conversation I called my insurance company (love ya USAA)and found it was covered with a $0 deductible. Will needto fax over the work order information tomorrow and will receive a check. Only bad part was I had to pre-pay for the part and it won't be here until next week, first time I've ever heard of that.

-Tim

i had the same problem with my AC condensor, but the dealship covered it for me...soon after i installed the racing beat protector...

I believe they probably meant "piss poor design".


rock......................hole............condense r.................sad

--*------------------->O-------------------//--------------- :(


vs.

rock...................grille..hole............con denser.............happy

--*------------------->#O-------------------//--------------- :)