ok so i have done a search through here about this and think i may have found my answer but i wanted to post myself to get feedback....

Back in April I came out of a resturant and my power steering light was on and i had to struggle hard to be able to get the wheel to budge..I took it to my mechanic who took it to mazda (bc of the diagnostic machine only they have)
Mazda reset the sensor and the light went off and the steering worked fine. My mechanic kept it for a few days just incase and sure enough 2 days later the damn light came on and the steering was impossible again.
My mechanic hooked it up to a machine and it was spitting back a code. He called mazda and they said it was the steering sensor.
Apparently this steering sensor means i have to replace the whole unit or something. Mazda says the part is about $1400 or so??!!!!

**From everything im reading im thinking i should try
-contact cleaner
- splicing wires?
- harness( stealthTL wrote: Mine failed at about two years old, they wanted to replace the steering rack but I told them about the harness.
The rad had boiled over, and glycol got all over, a new (modified) harness fixed the problem 100%, two years ago, no longer an issue.)

**If i could get ANY suggestions or ideas on this it would be super helpful! I love and miss driving my baby..its been almost 6months**

 

Since it's an electrically actuated power steering first consider what stealhTL cited and check contacts/connections and possibly a new harness.

 

i forgot to say my rx-8 is a manual , 2004 with roughly 25,500 miles on it. i've only had it since jan of 2008..
Also, before all this happened for about a month before when i would make a left turn i would hear a knocking sound.