Please Tell me it will be ready by Xmas so I will have something to do ...

WOW ! HOLY SHIT LOL !!!!

I got a call from the dealership, and guess WHAT. here is what I heard

Service Adviser : "Mazda will cover the Clutch Bracket, but they do recommend you to replace the clutch, because its a worn clutch that causes the problem, if you dont replace the clutch now, Mazda will put a notation on that and will not cover the clutch bracket again in the future"

Me : "So if I want to replace the clutch, how much would it cost ?"

Service Adviser : "Including Parts and labor, that would be 1275."

Me : *got a heart attack* "well, I dont have the money right now, so I'll just save it for later"

Service Adviser : "Ok no problem, your car should be ready by tomorrow."

LOL ! What a load of bs, and 1.2 K to replace a clutch only!? WOW that clutch must be made of Gold ! WOOOOO

Yeah, I will replace my clutch, but NOT @ YOUR PLACE. LOL !

CRH? come again ?

I want to work for a dealership. Jeeze

its funny that they're trying to blame it on the clutch for their own failure (weak ass Clutch bracket), I didnt even bother to say anything, I just ask them how much would it cost to replace the clutch (I wanted to replace it anyway), after the numbers(1275) I was like wooo forget it. if its 800-900 I'll think about it.

Im not sure if its really Mazda who said it or what. but I have a feeling that those shit came from the service adviser's ass only.

My stock clutch burned out shortly before my pedal fell off, but I think their rational is backwards. Couldn't a loose clutch pedal possibly cause the clutch to never fully disengage when the pedal was depressed, causing excess heat and premature clutch wear?

That is kinda true. but I aint paying 1257 to replace a clutch.

I mean its only around 300 something for a nice clutch setup. if Its not too cold I'll try to replace it myself. if do it outside its about 400 labor.

This story is a prime example of how Mazda handles this stuff these days, IMO. They have replaced a lot of transmission and clutches and my hunch is that it is all from a crummy pedal. If the pedal fails to transmit all of its motion to the plunger/slave cylinder, there is a chance that the clutch will not fully disengage. The result is all that we have seen; burned clutches and grinding synchros.

that would explain why my clutch is almost dead at 10k, not to mention half my pedal is held on with proxy/silicone glue and stainless steel braces =.=

I was quoted about the same price when I got my clutch replaced. My car was undrivable and at the dealer so I was in a bad situation. I ordered an ACT clutch and flywheel, had them drop-shipped to the dealer and installed for under 1100 all together. IIRC, they were trying to charge ~850 for the OEM clutch alone.

Ray, you should've seen the dealer's face when I blamed my clutch's early demise on the faulty pedal and asked my dealer for a reimbusement on the labor:icon_no2:
I figured it was a long shot.

It wasn't a long-shot at all, it was a solid argument you had presented them. I hear you on the political side, though, and the reason I decided to just rebuild my engine myself was partly based on the nonsense I would have to go through versus the benefits I would have in doing it all myself. My choices were to argue with the dealership and get a questionable reman paid for by Mazda or do it myself and know that it is done as correctly as I wanted or was capable of. Even though I would have to guess the total cost to be near $3K I would say that I fared better on many fronts.

I didnt even bother to ask them *how much is labor, how much are parts?*

I forgot exactly how much it was but I think my dealership charge at least 100 an hour. Im not quite sure, when I was there I saw that *picture* somewhere ... OH YEAH I remember, its 115 per hour.

sheese so lets say it should take them NO more than 5 hours for this work so .... 500 something for new clutch ? wow, no thanks.

Got my car back and .... I'll type what they wrote on the invoice later.

this is gonna be cinteresting

oh oh, this should be good...

Just wait till I get home, its friday, u know, PARTY TIME ! :rock:

Why should it take 5 hours to replace a clutch? RWD car, open driveline. Not like a FWD car where the suspension has to be dismantled, or one of the British sports cars in the 60s where you had to pull the engine.

Last time I changed a clutch (admittedly a long time ago - car was a '53 Chevy) the work itself was just a couple of hours. That was working outdoors, car on blocks, laying on my back. Indoors with a lift - and a real mechanic - it should be pretty straightforward.

Ken

Well, I was just *saying*, its a really really *rough estimate*, so rough that its actually the time it takes for a newbie tech to do this job.

I have yet to try to replace a clutch(or FW, whatever) myself, I probably gonna take MORE than 5 hours, but hey, Im just some newbie u know.

and if I put it 5 hours it makes me feel better .... cuz seriously I have no idea how much he was planning to charge me for the parts alone, cuz he told me parts and labor = 1257.

nothing really *that* interesting really, but I just have a question about the stuff that the Mazda tech line told the dealership. Is it even legal to do so. (Yeah I know all those Mag. Act thing, just wait a bit, I need to shower)

Here you go :

Customer states Clutch Bracket broke away $115.00 Diagnostic Charge If not warranty concern
Found Clutch Bracket Broken
Clutch Application is Hard // Possible Aftermarket Clutch
Advise Customer of clutch issue // contacted Mazda tech line ref ##### //
Tech line authorised replacement of pedal assy
Replaced Clutch Pedal Assembly
As per shop Foreman Contacted Mazda tech line Ref ###### Advised tech line clutch operation was hard // cannot verify if clutch is aftermarket // advised customer to replace clutch assy // Customer declined work // tech line updated ref file //
Clutch pedal assy is a one time repair (!!!!!!!)

Clutch Pedal is a one time repair because of WHAT ? Because Mazda being a cheap ass about it ? I mean seriously this sound like they gave me a very generous offer or something. when I saw this I was about to curse. The service adviser was a pretty nice guy, he just told me lilke you should replace your Clutch ASAP, then I said I prefer to do it in my garage, then he go on and say well if thats the case just keep your receipt for the clutch. he is a nice dude. which is why I keep my clam down.

Come on, the clutch bracket itself cost less than 200 bux, I can get one from Jason no more than 170 shipped. Is it such a costly item for Mazda to *repair* ? maybe Labor? but I will give this replacement 1 hour of labor MAX. if they're so concern about warranty repair cost, how many times that I have to go back and get my rear lights replace cuz of the stupid condensation ? EACH of those light assy cost MORE than the clutch bracket.

Mazda, if you're reading this, trust me, I have ALOT of friends in the market for a Brand new car. I trust your brand before this has happen. thats why my father got a BRAND NEW 2008 CX-7 Fully loaded. but unless you change the way you treat your customer, you, Mazda, or MNAO to be exact, will NEVER,EVER get a single business from me and my friends and my family member EVER again.

Do you have an aftermarket clutch?

The bracket should have been designed with enough of a safety factor so a stronger aftermarket clutch would not matter, but a non-OEM clutch does give them an edge to wriggle out of the warranty.

The writeup does not say there's anything wrong with your clutch. The way it reads to me, they want to replace it because they don't know if it's OEM. Now that your bracket is fixed, you should be able to test whether the clutch is OK.

FWIW, an OEM clutch is $420:

http://www.finishlineperformance.com...n&key=RX8M1015

Ken

I have the same question as ken-x8, is your clutch stock? A stiffer pedal could be enough wiggle as it might violate the FOS of the bracket design.

I find it funny that they wrote a $115 diagnostic charge on the sheet. If anything, it feels like they're trying to charge Mazda the $115 for the few seconds it took a tech to look at the bracket and see that it's broken. I've been to dealerships that have signs saying they charge diagnostic, and really I've never had a situation where they actually did. It seems as long as you give them the repair business they don't.

somewhere selling it for a bit less than 400 :)

my clutch is still fine, but I just dont like the way it feels. maybe I got bored I dont know. and Im already in market to do a 2nd clutch replacement.

most people who've read my post should know that yes I do have aftermarket clutch.

but my point is that, I mean, is clutch bracket suppose to break ? Is the clutch Bracket even a *wear* item ???????? this is *clearly* a design defect (cut corners to lower cost?) more than user error.

So does that mean, if I use a aftermarket brake pad (which MOST people would/will do), one day Im driving and the brake bracket breaks off and I got seriously injured(or die on scene), Mazda does not have to responsible for their design ? or one day my wheel just flies off because Im using aftermarket tires. or one day my engine overheats and blew up because I use aftermarket coolant ?

of course they cant tell if its aftermarket or whatever. they have to open it up to be able to tell. but what does a clutch have to do with a *weak* design in the first place? these bracket breaks even with stock clutch setups. so whats Mazda's tech line point ?

so what exactly are you making? A stronger clutch bracket? Will that prevent issues such as the clutch not disengaging fully?

damn right you haven't.... or maybe I haven't been reading enough and am interested because I'm getting a new transmission shortly due to syncro grinding.

I'll try to take a look at the clutch and flywheel when they pull it from my car. If my clutch bracket is causing issues leading to the transmission issue - is it a given that the hardware will show signs of abuse (from heat), or is that taking place for just a few people?

Your credibility is bought at $1 per day. That is, for every day you don't deliver we get a $1 discount on the part. Now get cracking, you don't want to pay us to get your bracket!

Ya...I've been secretly in the shadows waiting to take in my car...I know they are going to want to replace the trans...after they get done, I'll be slapping the bracket on...

So hurry it up already...

So for those of us not paying attention, what's the ETA and price estimate?

I understand Mazda should NOT be responsible for aftermarket stuff. but this is *clearly* a design defect, like u said, many people got broken bracket EVEN on stock clutch, the bracket itself its weak, simply said.

another thing is that I dont like that Mazda Tech Line's tone, One time fix only for what ? they grant me a Xmas wish or something? Too bad I have no way to contact Mazda Japan directly ... The design came from Japan, so its useless to talk to MNAO.

I wish you have a merry xmas and a ......... NEW BRACKET SUPPORT FOR US POOR FOLKS FOR THE HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!! :beer05: :rock:

The bracket should not break. If these things are coming apart at spot welds, as everyone reports, they're not welding enough spots or there's a defect in the welding process.

Mazda has to publish specs for clutches. For fun, you might check with whoever makes your clutch to see if it satisfies Mazda's specs. If it does, then Mazda can't wriggle out of the warranty. No more than they could it if you used a Fram oil filter or a NAPA fuse.

Ken

The politics of this may follow the same as they did with the '04 models engine failures wherein Mazda wouldn't admit to a problem and just addressed the issue begrudgingly on an individual basis. Even though we could easily throw together a list of 50+ people who have had this problem they wouldn't admit anything. That's my view, anyway.

This is the problem, if Mazda want to be a **** about it, they can, because MOST people simply dont have the money to fight them in court. Welcome to America.

next thing you know it will be you're not using Mazda Coolant, not using Mazda Engine Oil, Not using Mazda blah blah blah .... I know about the Mos. Act, but still, no one has the money to fight them in court, even they're wrong.

still need a *good* amount of people, and lots of money for other stuff, like research, lab results, etc.

I am thinking about this,

should I come to work for you. LOL

Gotcha :)

*checking around the net for lowest price on the disc*

bumpety bump

My Jedi Powers sensed a disturbance in the Force...

I haven't had a chance to read the rest of this thread yet, but i did want to stop at this point to respond to this, given my experience now...with the car sitting at 78k miles.

Back story. I have two RX8's...an 04 and an 05. The 04 has always been a bit different on the clutch/driving side. Everyone who has ever driven my car has always commented on my clutch. The engagement has always been very low, almost completely bottomed out to get the clutch to disengage. People at 10-20k miles would ask me what aftermarket clutch I had. Shortly after 20k miles I had no clutch. It was so bad I couldn't get the car to drive up a shallow drive way with a slight incline. Replaced the clutch with an ACT clutch and HD pressure plate (also put in a ACT flywheel while I was in there). Things never got any better with the system...still had the weird clutch engagement point and started shortly after to have problems with 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears at high RPMs...lots of grinding even with very deliberate clutch pedal/shifting.

Transmission was shot at 60k miles and replaced after Mazda unsuccessfuly reinstalled my torn apart transmission (when they came back with a 3800 bill just for a new transmission, and who knows how much more for labor...I just told them to put the ruined transmission back in...but they weren't able to put it back together.....they ended up giving me a transmission as a good will gesture....of course, with no implied warranty or fault).

At about 70k miles I began to have problems with the new transmission. I was having a difficult time getting into 1st and Reverse at start up. It seemed that once the engine got warm, I didn't have to force the car into 1st or reverse....but eventually, I was completely unable to get the car into first at start up.

I called a friend who advise me to try and put the car into first gear prior to starting the car to see if I could. Sure enough, it was easy to get the car into first without any problems. Started the car and drove away without any problems. Same process had to be done with reverse, the car needed to be put into Reverse and then started. Even more fun when pulling out of a parking space. Reverse, start the car, back up...shut the car off, put in first, trun car on and drive away.

Reason for this....clutch was not disengaging.

I began to have squeeky pedal at this time as well (which from reading this and some other posts, is a precursor to pedal snappage).

At the time my friend and I diagnosed the clutch disengagement problem...I read some posts talking about clutch pedal adjustment. Not wanting to do this on my own...even after reading the DIY, I took the car down to the dealer. This was at 77k miles and was about two weeks ago.

The tech adjusted the pedal to "best opporating level"...but also told me that he had adjusted it "beyond spec" and that the problem I was experiencing was not a fault of the hydraulic system. He said that both the master and slave cylinders were operating fine, and that there was no concern with air in the system. He suggested that it may be due to a broken pressure plate or bent shift fork.

Driven the car about 1k miles since the adjustment, and last night, on a shift from 1st to 2nd...at normal gramma driving speeds......"SNAP"....clutch pedal is now attached at the hip to the brake pedal and I now have the same problem in shifting into 1st and reverse....and at high RPMs...can't pull the car out of the gear it is in. Example...revving up to 8k rpms in 2nd....I cant move the shifter to take it out of 2nd to move to 3rd...or even nuetral.

Took the car down today and they confirmed that it was a "bad weld" on the clutch bracket. I asked them when does a safety issue become a Mazda safety recall. I informed the service writer that there were plenty of people on the forum that had the same failure, and that this is a serious safety issue. He advised that I come back after the holidays so that the issue could be addressed properly. I guess Mazda is on vacation.

He, nor was I, aware of Version B bracket assembly, or that Mazda had already acknowledged a design flaw with a revised bracket.

I assume, that since this is a saftey issue, that mazda will cover the replacement regardless of warranty status or car mileage..?


Pics of my clutch pedal, with a stock/brand new one as reference.

Can someone identify the failure in the third pic...I'm having a hard time finding it...does someone have another pic of a failure to compare with mine?

shit, u made me spit some water out on my screen

here's mine.

i have 4th gear syncros that grind.

getting a tranny replacement in jan.

great! now i'm definitely gonna check mine tomorrow morning...

Has any one tried this route to get Mazda's attention?

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

so when does this come out? crh, cant give you give us a christmas present? and let us give you some profits?

i'm all about preventive maintenance.

I wish Mazda can think like you ...

abbid, thanks for the work you did on the pic I posted above. It is still hard for me to see the problem, but like charles said, the issue may be more evident when the peddle is depressed. I should do that tomorrow. The pic you posted of your own, repaired bracket does highlight the area in question.

In reading the rest of the thread this evening....looks like I may have a failure down the road to the rod given that I have the ACT HD pressure plate.

+1.

I know you're probably happy to be done with it, but it sounds like there really needs to be a recall here. NHTSA needs the info in order to act. Anyone who has had this problem should file a complaint.

I have the Bracket Squeak even before I swap my clutch out. thats what about 10K miles ago.

Im going to file one myself too, cuz no matter what happens, a Clutch Bracket should NOT break under any circumstances.

EVERYONE THAT HAS HAD THEIR CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET BROKEN, PLEASE FILE A COMPLAINT THROUGH THE LINK ABOVE

I wonder what I should pick up to eat today???

*clutch*...*SQUEEEAK*

wtf? did something just squeak??

*clutch*...*SQUEEAAK*

WTF...Something DID squeak...awwwww...son of a limp biscuit...Charles where art thou?!?!?

http://www.catwack.com/pics/6.jpg

I HATE YOU !!!!!!! :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: