I took my car in for the recall last Monday and did not need an engine replacement. Car was flashed and spark plugs were replaced. But something seems to be screwed up now with my car.

Ever since I got my car back from the recall on Monday, my 8 has been acting weird as hell. The engine sounds funky especially during WOT. I think it's actually louder/throatier but something doesn't sound right. Right now the powerband doesn't seem to feel as smooth as it did before. The car feels slower from low to mid range now. When I start up the car it feels really rough too and makes a bunch of noises I don't recall it doing before Monday. Also on Friday morning after I parked my car when I got to work, I was letting the car idle for a minute instead of turning it off right away like I usually do, and for several seconds the car felt like it was bogging and I noticed the RPMs were dropping lower than the usual idle and going back up. This lasted for about 15 or 20 seconds.

None of the other flashes in the past have ever caused so many changes in my car's behavior. Does any of this have something to do with the plugs being replaced? I don't know what is going on, but I am regretting this friggin recall. Car was running perfect before Monday, and I figured I would just get the recall done to be on the safe side to prevent any possible consequences from low RPM driving.

Did any of you have similiar issues after performing this recall? I am taking my car back in on Wednesday.

 

nope

 

haven't noticed anything in relation to it runnin hard, but I've dropped considerably in MPG. But we're not even gonna start another one of those threads...

 

runs ok after recall. increase in mpg. although powerband not as linear as before.

 

Yeah i notice that too, the powerband is not as smooth ......

 

I noticed it ran funny after the recall too, but its because when they reflashed the PCM it basically resets it so it has to "relearn" the way you drive. Best suggestion I have to you is take it out one night and just beat the living crap out of it for about an hour, I did that last night, and my car feels badass right now.

 

I don't know what's going on with your car, but everything you're saying sounds like you're describing what my car does when one or more of the coils have been burnt... it sounds louder and rougher - almost like it needs an oil change. The power band is different, especially if the leading coils are gone and you're moving from a dead stop. The dealer should be able to check them pretty easily.

 

Wrong. My car has been flashed 2 or 3 times before this when they released the older flashes, and nothing this drastic has ever occurred before.

They obviously screwed something up when they installed the plugs cause my coils were just dandy before the recall.

 

Might not be the coils. But it's something I struggled with for about a month before it was properly diagnosed. And it's not a static thing, the car kept driving worse and worse. If you run out of ideas, that's what I'd check at least.

Far as why - why not? I don't know why 3 of mine burned up.

 

Well, what little I drove it after the recall (a tank of gas worth) it felt more peppy and ran great no real change in mileage beyond the usual slight variant. Then I took it in for an oil change and my car hasn't been running for **** and my mileage dropped from 23 to below 16 and still dropping (along with several other new problems). It's now in the shop for at least a week while they try to figure it out and fix it.

 

Mine seemed to pick up power below 5k rpms, above that felt a little anemic. And the idle was rougher. Would bounce around 5-600 rpm. Took it back to dealer to have the tailight replaced and talked with them about it, and they said there was nothing they could check. I expected that, but at least I have it on record in case something does come up. It does however seem to be clearing up. ECM "settling" in?

 

Mine ran smooth prior to the recall, and now that the recall has been completed, it runs rough when I first start out after letting it sit for awhile. It also vibrates while in drive at a stop light and has a dip in RPMs at random intervals. My CEL came on again, which it does every 800 miles after a flash. I have to get it back in the shop yet again. If I find anything out (doubtful with my crappy dealer), I'll pass it along.

 

I believe my MPG has dropped.

 

Perhaps they left one of your new spark plugs loose, or exchanged a trailing for a leading, or left a wire loose? I would check around down there to make sure they didn't mess up.

 

Mine feels exactly the same, except a 2 mpg drop (17 right now, 19 over the summer). But that's probably due to spending a lot of time everyday looking for decent parking on campus, warming up the car more often, driving 90% city and listening to more hard rock CDs lately.

 

Runs just fine. A little quieter, perhaps, in the lower RPM band. I find that the power comes on more smoothly throughout the port transitions - less boot-in-the-back at 6200 RPM, and more like a pleasant 'pull' from 5000-7000 RPM. Still sounds lovely at 9400 RPM, though.

 

It turned out to be the coils, just like mysql and others have mentioned on here. Well, now I'm just stuck in the same boat as the rest of you with the **** gas mileage. Not a big deal though, it's to be expected with all the stinkin flashes Mazda has to keep releasing. And I also don't like how they sucked power from down low and moved it up top. Just ridiculous, cause the powerband was perfect last flash.

 

I dont know, I got an improvement in the 2.5-4k range. Car really pinned me (and a passeneger!) into our seats without even dropping the clutch. This was the first couple nights, lastely it seems to feel like it bogs a lot easier on casual launches and lack of power (I'll atrribute that to heat soak though, the past couple of days I'm guilty of running the a/c)

I am veryyyyy tempted to get the rb street flash and see how that works out...

 

Anytime I have ever taken my car, regardless of it's make or model, back to the dealer service department, I left with more problems then I went in with. I'm tired of these self-proclaimed glorified experts always screwing up my car.

I have had my 8 for 4 years now with only 7K on it. I'm sitting on 3 recalls and very concerned whether I should take it in because it my never run as great as it does now.

 

O Rly? You had yours in 2002? I'd like to know what your build date is

 

Bump...I meant 3 years, I purchased in the summer of 03. It just sits and takes up space in my garage, that it seems longer. However, when I do drive it , it seems like the first time.

 

I know my car ran great before the recall. It ran great the first tank of gas after the recall and felt a little more peppy. Then I got my oil changed and it started running bad. I'm picking it up today since they said they're done with it. Hopefully things start getting back to normal.

I don't think the "warming it up extra long" would have that huge of an effect on the mileage. I did that on the free tank they gave me after the recall because when I had to go to job training it was in the 20s outside and my car was covered in ice. My mileage only dropped to high 21s from the usual mid 22s to mid 23s, so it wasn't really much difference.

It was only after I got the next tank (on my way to get my oil changed) that I started having all the problems that I was. The next tanks I also got at the same station and my "issues" were getting worse. The last tank I got at a different station on my way home from work the night before I took it in. It stopped smoking out the exhaust after a few miles and started running smoother (got 15.3 gallons on fillup, so was running on fumes) but still had the burning smells and the mileage was still dropping like crazy. I checked and tightened a loose plug (on advice from here) and mopped up the "oily stuff" under there and the burning smells much decreased and the gas needle stopped dropping so fast.

Hopefully my problem actually was from something loose and shitty gas instead of the recall, especially since the shop said that basically there was nothing wrong "now."

 

Me too Bunny!

Let us know how it runs after you get it back and drive about 200 miles.

 

It's been about 3 weeks since I had the recall work done. Previously reported peaky power delivery has smoothed out. Some of the pre-recall linearity of the powerband has returned. I try to get to redline at least once a day and I think it's just about time to check the oil level. Overall, I'm glad the recall was done.

 

seems like mentioning mpg after recall is taboo on this site but I don't care. Pre recall I was averaging 20mpg, post recall 16mpg....happy days