So, is this a new, new flash or is it an old new flash? I’ll try to hold my tongue on the dozen’s versions of “M” flashes but it is hard. I had mine done the first of December or so, got a CEL for a converter code and subsequently a new cat. I haven’t really driven the car since then because of the snow.

Any more information on which version of M is bad would be appreciated.

 

You would think with all the crap about busted M & 1/2 flashes they would be working the N flash..

 

Heck Mazda should be giving something to all board members for provide such valuable marketing feedback to their product. Not to mention all the technical insight on FI that I'm sure the R&D engineer will find enlightening.

 

here's one of my recent explanations of the flashes

if you got a flash in december you more than likely have a buggy flash. the only "good" M is the original HM as far as i can tell since they have halted all flashing now. im suprised you got a new cat since the cat code was a symptom of the bad software. did you get a look at the old cat?

 

they are most certainly working on correcting these issues. try to remember that the issue really is that the pcm throws false codes. having a cel lit is annoying but it will be rectified.

 

I wonder what flash they use when they roll a new RX-8 off the lot. Do they have one that works? Did they stop making new cars or do they sell them with engine lights on?

We should call them Microsoft I guess. Each time you get in your car preform an RX-8 update. Select all critical updates. Your car will need to be re-booted for the updaet to take effect. . . .

 

You know all this complaining, and I'm just happy that Mazda is doing SOMETHING to address the issue. They keep working on new flashes which in my book is a great thing. They don't have to do any updates, but they do it for us. I'm glad. I just wish the dealers were on the ball with this. I'm happy they keep fine tuning the car. They coulda just left us in the cold if they wanted to.

 

hahah Zoom44 may know more about the current flash sitiuation since I've tried to keep away best I can from these threads, but comon I would be a way better poster child for mazda. I could top the "zoom-zoom" kid in for love to hate value.

Beside "when you look this good, you don't have to know anything" :p

HIRE ME!

 

Tell me youre kidding

 

he put that tongue wagging smiley there to make you think he was kidding ..... but he's serious:D

 

o comon i know a fair bit more then people twice as ugly :D

___________end hijack.

 

It's a double-edged sword. The GREAT part is that they can make fixes just by twiddling bytes. Witness how they fixed the flooding issue. A generation ago it may have taken significant hardware to fix it, or they may have just given up. The BAD part is that complexity tends to grow to fill the capacity of the system. Sounds like a real pain in the *** for the dealers to keep up with their versions and naming schemes and updates so that they actually can get the right version into the car.

 

Mazda DOES have to do all of these updates. they bring a car to the US that doesn't meet the emissions requirements. Yes, they have to flash to make it sellable. Cars flood, misfire, and other misc problems whic means the owners bring them to the dealer under warranty. If they don't want to lose their shirts on 100,000 lemon law cars, they HAVE to reflash to fix the problems. Only trouble is, their re-flashes are buggy, too. Now they have more cars coming back for glitches than before becuase they reflashed them all. I can't believe you think they are doing this out of the kindness of their hearts.

Anybody else find it absolutely retarded that a car this nice makes it to the market with this many computer problems????? I love my 8, but why can't they just make it work??? I have NEVER heard of any other car having this many "updates" to the software. Most cars you just buy them, drive them, and take them in only when something fails. I truly feel like I'm driving the windows 98 version of the automobile.

 

I got the next flash after "M" right after it came out (after running "M" for months with no problems) and have not yet had any issues with the new flash... knock on wood...

 

I'd be ecstatic to get Win98. From the sound of the on-again-off-again flashes, this is more like Windows 3.1.

 

I've got a question. I've only had my car for a little over two months but since I have the cold start problem I have gotten 3 flashes done on my car. Right after the first one which was done Nov 3rd, I started getting CEL's randomly when I drive the car over 7500rpm (They flash for 10-15 seconds and go away). The CEL has only stayed on once and hard coded into the computer as a PO302 which they said was a misfire at over 7500 rpm. Because this happened on a Saturday all they did was reset the light and send me on my way.

The dealership just made it sound like it was no big deal and told me I shouldn't be reving the car that high. This I am not buying, but I didn't argure the point at the time because I thought the CEL's were coming for buggy flashes. I haven't seen any mention about misfiring and flashes combined, until this post. Is that a result of the bad flash or do I have another problem I should be concerned about too?

 

Dammitanyway! I took my car into the dealer for a problem with high start RPM when very cold, (see https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=48056 ) and just got it back today. And what did they do to fix the problem? Re-flash the PCM!

Of course, I have no way of verifying the program level as it wasn't written on the receipt. I won't be able to know if it will take care of the problem until it becomes very cold here again. (and I wouldn't mind if it didn't become very cold here again this winter!) The car didn't run any differently on the way home, and I hope I don't start getting CELs, since I haven't had one yet.

Oh how I dream of that archaic Nikki four-barrel carb...

 

I bought my car.....I had the dealership update the any outstanding TSB's = "M" flash.

I drive the car...I do not flood...I do not throw CEL's...I get 17-23 mpg...my car 'freakin flies after 5000 rpm's without hesitation...I don't stall, sputter, puke, lurch, rumble, mumble, vibrate, or rattle (except for the stupid r.v. mirror which is on order for replacement).

I'm not saying people don't have problems...I'm just saying that not all is bad

 

As of now Mazda wants to get all the cars with P0126 codes back to the original "M" flash. The dealer has two choices.

1) Re-ghost the WDS back to 34.0 (pre M-L-M) and reset the PCM in the car back as well.
This solution does not set well with most dealers because it takes many hours of WDS
downtime to go backwards...Remember...there are other vehicles (6,3 etc) with valid
files you will lose.

2) Send the PCM to the National Tech center to have them take the level back to the flash.


They will fix this issue. The CEL the faulty flash sets is a P0126.

Flame away...I can take it.

 

so they send it back to the original M flash. that would be great. They told me they will have my car for a couple of days while they have to send it back in to get redone.
Why are they even messing with it if the M flash was working?????? If it ain't broke....

And, I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but how hard is it to get the car's computer to function consistently and predictably? Is this an impossible task?? Why didn't Mazda have this done months before they ever shipped a car over here?

I tried calling today, but they must be closed this week or something. probably working on that plant rebuild right now.

 

Your dealer if feeding you BS, most likely. There is no way to flash the car back to a pervious "older" version using the standard machine they use at the dealers. Unless, they are doing something special its not possible.

Zoom44 confirm? I know this because I've seen them use the tool on my car it simply, "searching for update" checks the version number and if the flash currently on the car is newer then it says "update not found". They can't select from a list a set certain flash which kinda sux.

 

Polak,
yes the dealer can un-flash a flash. Read Snap-On's post, he is correct. The dealer must clear the hard-disk on a WDS and re-load it with an older version CD. I takes a couple of hours, but if the dealer wants happy customers then it should be of little inconvenience to them. I cannot comment on the sending the PCM in to a technical center procedure, since I am in Europe and not familiar with US procedures.

Tbone,
I don't condone Mazda for repeatedly inconveniencing customers with software updates, and to top it off updates that are supposed to solve problems but actually cause new ones! You have a right to complain, I would.

But just to try and make you feel better, when I worked for Chrysler it took 6 to 7 months, sometimes a year to get a software update to overseas markets! Mazda Japan has to go through the EPA and all other sorts of red tape first, so I think their reaction time is pretty good, if not a little misguided sometimes :o

Also, think about Windows. How many times have you downloaded a Security Update, and something else stops functioning!! That is the reason I got a Mac! I am not saying it is OK for Mazda to do the same, but there are so many programs running at the same time in a PCM, sometimes when you tweak one it affects another in a way you didn't (or couldn't) anticipate. There could also be a hardware issue there too, I don't know.

I do believe though, that if you stick with Mazda, they will look after you in the long run. Mazda customers are very, very loyal, because the company really values each and every one of them. I hope everything works out, soon!!

 

According to my dealer the "un-flash" procedure is not possible because they are "required" to return each previous CD to Mazda whenever they receive a software update. Can't say whether this is BS, or not. However, I was given the same story by two different dealers.

In my case, I had encountered no problems. I had purchased the car during the November 2004 "hiatus" in providing the M Flash. Being somewhat familiar with software update procedures (and wanting the car to to be "up to date" when I took delivery of it), I simply asked that my PCM be updated to fhe last "non-buggy" version of the "M Flash" and was told that it was impossible.

In my case, a couple of weeks after purchasing the car I took it in for the re-flash that now appears to have been "buggy" as well.

Frankly, I am less frustrated by the on-again-off-again M Flash issue than the complete absence of communication from my dealer with regard to what is going on. I would have expected my dealer to contact me once the version of the software I was running had been withdrawn with a heads up. Instead, I have to rely on discussions on this board to even be aware that there is an issue.

 

Oh no the new flash turned the 8 into scooby-doos' mystery machine! :D

 

I have every CD ever sent for the WDS in the past 4 yrs so I have to raise the BS flag on that.