I like playing guinea pig, but not with this. How much is a new ECU ballpark? $500, $1000? Reflashing the keys sounds like a 007 task in itself. What the hell spy shop is gonna do that!!! I am just sick of waiting for something VERY EASY to come out. I really mean easier than what is already out. If thats possible. I guess I just dread fine tuning.

By the way I live in South Florida, so no emissions worries. I would actually love to mod my car with ignorance to the emissions equipment, but I am worried about the following, which maybe someone can help me with: I know the warranty of certain items on the the car is only void if that part is changed or if a part that was changed caused the problem (i.e. CAI sucking in water, locking engine, intake caused engine problem, thus engine problem not covered). However, I am also under lease. At first I thought this meant NO AFTERMARKET stuff because I am not allowed OUT OF THE WARRANTY. But I asked a couple mazda shops about installing MS flywheel, and then asked about how the warranty only lasts something like a year. I asked how it would affect my lease, and they told me it would not at all. They said I can do things to throw the car out of warranty, but they won't hassle me about my lease. I asked a couple dealers, but somehow dealers always find a way of making me feel like they don't know 99% of what they are talking about. HELLO, dealer, i already bought the car, STOP LYING to me.

Anyhoo, enuf of my rambling, and sorry to go SORT OF off topic, but my question pertains to the ramifications of modding my car, and I really want more out my air/fuel maps!

 

there isnt one yet.

 

from the materials i have read the japanese mazdaspeed rx-8 also had some tuning done to the s-dais which included changing the size and/or shape of the airbox and perhaps runner lengths and even port/vfad opening times have changed. so how would these mazdaspeed maps work in conjuntion with the standard rx-8's sdais system?

 

Port/vfad opening/closing times wouldn't matter because they are controlled by the ECU anyway.

As far as the airbox and runner length do you know how significant? Like 10cm or 10inches you would have some leniency due to the ECU being a learning/adaptive unit. But i don't care how much AI it has if they changed it by 10inches isn’t any way it will work right.

 

Read your lease fine print. Most leases will stipulate that anything that gets added to the car has to stay with the car at the time of the return. So if you make any changes, and you don't want to give your stuff to the leasing company, you're going to have to keep the stuff you removed and put it back into the car when you return it i.e. if you change the exhaust and you want to sell it and recoup your money, you have to put the original exhaust back on.

Also, don't drill any holes in the body or interior that will be visible after the option is removed. Leasing companies have a way of making you sorry you ever leased for that kind of damage.

 

That is what I was told also. I am OK with that. Different parts may be a hassle. Don't know where to start, but I definately want to kick this ECU thing in the booty. Thanks beachdog!

 

ok so the airbox was enlarged at the opening to allow more air in. the the airbox intake pipe is longer to tune for the larger amount of air. to me this means the mazdaspeed pcm will have maps optimized for this increased airflow. so will it work on the standard rx8 and increase power? maybe. if the maps are made with leaner a/f then you would see power increases. however without more airflow(and the tuned pipe length) you wouldn't get the increases that they have on the mazdaspeed rx8. then it comes down to price. how much is the pcm vs one of the piggybacks available which also provide you with the flexability to tune for your specific car?

 

www.canzoomer.com lists a J Spec PCM on the website http://www.canzoomer.com/MS-Mechanical.html, but it is not listed on the pricelist.

 

I just had my 8 in for its 1st oil change and check up. When I was driving home, the car seemed to have a little more pep and idled smoother. I looked under the hood when I got home and found 3 litlle blue stickers...???? I called Mazda service and asked them what they did to my car.... M Flash was done without even my asking!!! Good service!!!

 

Nice to hear that for a change!

 

So what does the sticker that says you go the M-flash say? It would save people who do the brake test a lot of effort.

 

I'm new to the site...about an hour. This site is fantastic. I've had my RX for about 5 weeks. I started getting the problem where my car would'nt start after short trips. At first the dealer wouldn't beleive me saying that these cars sometimes flood and require a bit more cranking time. I explained to him that 15 mins of cranking time was a bit excessive. The only way I could get him to believe me was to go take the car for a 20 min drive and then park it in his service bay. Wow, I actually had a problem.

We, the problem has just started because they said they couldn't find the problem. I had to leave the car there this weekend and see if they can figure it out. They said that they are calling a district service manager on Monday to discuss the problems. What boneheads. I think I'm just going to give them the web address to this site. Anyway, now I'm armed with some good info...thanks

p.s. I haven't even started into them yet about the oil light issue.

 

You may just want to go to the following Web site for Mazda TSBs.

http://www.finishlineperformance.com...ocs/index.html

Simply print out the relevent TSB and hand it to the service writer when you drop the car off. It saves time and effort on both sides.

 

I've not seen any of the symptoms (oil pressure light, flooding, etc.) that would indicate that I need the "M" flash. And, it appears that I at least have the "L", given the results of the brake test. However, I could not find any decal showing that 1704B (MT Dynamic Damper Recall) was ever performed on my RX8 - so I called my local Mazda dealer.

I asked about bringing it in for service, even though I did not buy the car from this dealer. He pulled the service records and said that the 1704B work had been done, but that I had not yet received the "M" flash. He told me to bring it in tomorrow and he would reflash the ECU for me. He also said that he wanted to check out the A/C compressor. Talk about service!

Zoom-zoom.

-Neal

 

my 8 was built in april 04, does that mean i have the M flash by default?

 

yes it does. any car built after @ march 12th is on the current pcm flash level

 

Good breakdown, helps one understand the situation. Were these all voluntary flashes as with the "M"? How do I know my RX-8 Build date 9/03, vin 16969 has had J, K, & L?

 

the next time you go in for service the system will tell them to check to see if you are on the Mflash and if not to update your pcm. M includes all changes prior to it.

 

I should be good then, I failed to mention that I went in for "M" on 8/25 after learning about it here. Can't find the sticker they are supposed to install. Thanks for the input!

 

hrm so the only to make it usable is if someone modified the vfad and sdais? Can't this be done?

 

I am rather stumped as to how the pcm knows what gear you are in. I mean, yeah, there's a switch on reverse for the back-up lights, but not on any of the other gears -- right?

 

My guess: 3 variables in the equation - GEAR, speed, and rpms. PCM knows speed and rpms, so it can calculate GEAR.

rx8cited

 

Yep, that'd work.
Thanks for thinking of it for me.

 

OK, I just got real freaked out after reading this thread.

I have one of the original RX8s built in July/August of 2003. I therefore think it had a J flash. The car ran perfectly well. Then today, I went in for the A/C problem and my dealer mentioned some recalls to do - one being the PCM-lack of power reflash - I figured this was a good thing but didn't think twice. Now after reading this thread, I'm scared that now my car will have 10 less HP.

Am I reading this correctly? Does the J Flash have the most HP and now I just screwed myself by ignorantly upgrading to the M flash? I really hope there's some way I can reverse this...

 

Polak:

Also what do you mean about reprogramming the keys:

"Far as what will happen you'll need to do is reprogram your keys i suggest doing one key for the J-Spec ECU and the valet Key as well.
But leave one key programmed for your old ECU so that you can swap to it quickly for when you have to have emissions done or dealer service."


My keys do not look like they have any circuitry in them. Just standard metal/plastic keys. Did this change?

I'm gonna raise hell at my dealer if I find I have less power with the M flash... I pick the car up tomorrow but I think they already did the flash today. Does anyone know if they would still have the old J flash programming file available to flash it back?