eviltwinkie

MS Suspension + RP-F1 w/ 265/35/18 Toyo R888's go into car.

Car gets oil, alignment, and rotation/balance.

Later on after leaving headlamp auto level light is now on...

Most probable causes, someone snagged the sensor cable by accident while doing the alignment.

So after inspecting it...everything appears to be in working order. It's the new plug so the TSB has been performed, and it looks fine. All the lines pass visual, nothing suspicious anywhere.

The shop gave me crap about the alignment however. They used a hunter and said they could not perform an alignment because I have modified the suspension/wheels/tires of the car and they did not have a profile. If I were to bring them the alignment settings for my setup that they could use that.

What started off as a simple thing has resulted in...the car feels funny and I can't really put my finger on it...but its definitely NOT right...

Is it a sensor calibration issue with a fix?

I'm guessing its probably not going to be that easy...WTF thought this auto level light BS was a good idea anyway? Gimme an x-axis screw and a y-axis screw and just be done with it...

The hell ever happened to the KISS principle?!?!

DarkBrew

Sounds about right... but I'd say find another alignment shop for next time..
You did check both sensors , right? (front and rear)
I recall that someone cracked open and rebuilt one of the sensors.
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...sensor+rebuild

eviltwinkie

Yep checked front and rear...I might go for another alignment here pretty soon...guess it might be time to finally stop by Mazda....

DarkBrew

Nooooooooooooo!!!

eviltwinkie

Found the problem...some idiot apparently disconnected and reconnected the rear sensor arm upside down. I don't know why they were messing with it during the alignment...

10mm socket and 5 minutes later...the arm was reinstalled the right way, and the light is now gone.

DarkBrew

I'm not sure that I understand. Can you illustrate how you connect the arm upside down...

eviltwinkie

If you look at the red area...that "arm" was inverted...

Instead of being in a "7" it was instead a "L"...

DarkBrew

Do you think it got flipped over when your suspension extended during the change out? Or was the sensor unbolted during the change and reinstalled wrong?
Does the sensor need to be unbolted during a suspension change? I'm asking because I'll be installing mine soon.

eviltwinkie

I'm not 100% sure...I did the swap and it was fine until after I took it in for the alignment...

Not only did they screw up an alignment (and now I'm out ~$100 bucks for a craptacular job) but they also somehow must have messed with the sensor.

Meh...I'm just glad it wasnt permanently damaged...

I'm taking the car up to soulspeed to get the alignment redone tomorrow...

FL Camber -1.5
FL Caster 6.5
FR Camber -1.5
FR Caster 6.5
FL Toe -0.1 mm
FR Toe -0.1 mm
Front Toe -0.2 mm
RL Camber -2.0
RL Toe -0.04 mm
RR Camber -2.0
RR Toe -0.04 mm
Rear Toe -0.08 mm
Thrust Angle 0.0

swoope

iTrader: (5)

twink.

lots of good info here... i got a couple of rides with ta on the track.. great driver, great setup..


beers

eviltwinkie

Heh...who's ta?

Or did you mean you got picked up by a hottie cause there was T and A on the track...

swoope

iTrader: (5)

odd,

and for the first time in 8 years i was late to work... tard out.

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-racing-25/alignment-settings-street-track-use-43308/

ta is track addict..

beers

eviltwinkie

UPDATE: So the conclusion to this tale...

The first shop that messed up my alignment...refunded my money after I called into the main office and asked to speak to someone...They apologized, and that was that...I'll chalk it up to a singular bad experience...

I then made an appointment at soulspeed...which I got bumped from because my friend going to the same DE has a messed up alignment after installing coilovers as well. Long story short...I FINALLY got in, handed them my specs, reviewed it with them...and they got it done.

EXACTLY to spec...

The car finally feels perfect...its a thing of beauty...I can't wait to get it out on the track...

Good thing karts is next week...I need something to hold me over...urges to pwn twisties becoming difficult to ignore...

She's out there right now calling me to take a quick drive...just a little taste...go get some gas...pick up some royal purple...take the long way thru the hill country...

swoope

iTrader: (5)

great to hear!! did that link help? what specs did you go with?

beers

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

Wow - that first alignment was craaaaaaap!
I don't think I could drive that way without puking.

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

Undo them.....they are quite fragile....and the price is crazy. Also undo the brackets for the ABS/wheel sensor wires as well...will give you a bit more slack.

Good luck on the install....watch the spring/upper perch alignment on the front..if your doing springs/shocks.....coilovers are easier..you can turn the perch if you need too

Razz1

It must have been a three Martini lunch.

eviltwinkie

Yep, good stuff in there...helped to reaffirm that I was on the right path...

Before:

FL Camber -1.5
FL Caster 6.0
FR Camber -2.0
FR Caster 5.5
FL Toe 2.9 mm
FR Toe 2.8 mm
Front Toe 5.7 mm
RL Camber -1.3
RL Toe -0.2 mm
RR Camber -1.3
RR Toe 3.9 mm
Rear Toe 4.2 mm
Thrust Angle -0.15

After:

FL Camber -1.5
FL Caster 7.0
FR Camber -1.5
FR Caster 7.0
FL Toe -0.1 mm
FR Toe -0.1 mm
Front Toe -0.2 mm
RL Camber -2.0
RL Toe 0.0 mm
RR Camber -2.0
RR Toe 0.0 mm
Rear Toe 0.0 mm
Thrust Angle 0.0