MEGAREDS

Gocsteve - What were the conditions that caused your flood? AT or MT? How did you get the car started? Do you know what ECU flash you had at the time?

Gocsteve

I had K flash........I had pulled the car out of the garage in the morning, washed the car, pulled it back in the garage and obviously didn't warm the car up enough.... probably only running for 30 sec each time. Temps were in the 60'sF. Next morning, tem around 45F, I went to start the 8, and it never took even the slightest of a hit. I tried several times over the next 4 hrs, followed the manual for flooding, and gave up. I have had the car since Feb, and had done nothing different that day than any other day. It was very sad to see it flatbedded away. I now have new hot plugs and M flash. So far so good, but I will tell you, if it happens again, I will be letting the car go. I don't have the temperment to follow such strict guidelines on operating a sports car......I like to DRIVE!

apaul

Rev the sucker to 4 000 then shut down. Works like a charm.

jgellsworth

apaul, nice pic!

Seriously, does the rev'ing to 4K work? The dealer told me to do that on most drives. But have only done it myself when i felt the engine wan't warm.

Gocsteve

Do you turn the key off while it is at 4K, or after it has returned to idle?

loco4rx8

While it's revving down from 4K. The continued spinning of the rotors while no fuel is being injected gets the remaining fuel out of the chamber.

rx8cited

As in push the accelerator 'til the tach gets to 4k, take your foot completely off the accelerator, then turn off the ignition while tach's going down - but before it gets to idle?

rx8cited

MEGAREDS

That's the theory. I've heard lots of people on this board say to do it, but never anything from Mazda in the materials. I think if it were that simple, they'd recommend it officially. I can't see how it would hurt the car, but its just as easy for me to bring the car up to temperature, so that's what I do.

By the way, Gocsteve, your flood seems classic. That's the way it seems to always happen - in one's own driveway with the car sitting idle a few hours in cool weather after being driven cold only a few feet. I don't recall anyone ever saying they stalled the car at an intersection and couldn't get it started. Many people insist that their 8s won't flood. Personally, I think if you are careless (pre-M flash, anyway), it will only be a matter of time - particularly with the AT. Hopefully, with the M flash and the new plugs, you'll not have it happen again, even if you should happen to forget the "short-trip procedure."

I totally agree about the flatbed - watching your car get put on one of those things is enough to boil the blood. When that gets followed up by bad service, I go into ape mode. I was so pissed off as to how I was treated by my local dealer and Mazda after the flood that I sent a photo of the car on the flatbed along with my letter of complaint and posted the photo here. I also had it on display at my desk at work for a while. For me, the most important issue is whether they cheerfully repair the car and explain that they'll keep covering it should it happen again -- or whether they slide by suggesting that it was your fault and that they might not do it again under the warranty if you show up again. I know others feel that they should not have to be even that patient after having spent so much money on the car, but after Mazda NA explained that they were going to cover the problem cheerfully and completely, I've decided to give them a chance to figure it out. The 2004 is the first model year. The M reflash may be the fix - I'm hoping.

loco4rx8

Yeah, I only do this if I really have to shut the car down cold for some reason -- like if I'm driving co-workers to lunch a mile down the road, and it's winter, and I don't want to sit in the car waiting for it to warm up while they eat.

What I do is rev it to 4k for 3 or 4 seconds, take my foot off the pedal, and then immediately kill the ignition.

I've never flooded it, and it does seem to start quicker the next time after doing this.

rotary-convert

Don't rev it much past 4k!!!!!!!
Once you hit 3750 the #2 primary intake ports open and add in more fuel/air which is the exact opposite of what you are trying to achieve. This applies to both the AT and MT.
See here or search for SDAIS Sequential Dynamic Air Iduction System.

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ighlight=sdais

I only rev mine to about 3k to 3.5k for a few seconds only if the car is cold, other than that you should not have to do it.

CERAMICSEAL

Hopefully the latest flashes take care of all of this nonsense and we can stop talking about all these ridiculous techniques.

Gocsteve

Megareds,

I know now what I did, and won't "intentionally" do it again. But it is hard to spend the $$$$ on this machine, and then have to think about how to drive it. I am with you, I hope M is the fix, and we can put these quirky things we're talking about behind us and DRIVE!!!

As for my experience..... I bought the car from an Internet salesman at a dealership some 120 miles from my home. I called the local dealer (who, by the way, couldn't get within $3000 of the deal I did) they were happy to schedule me 2 days later the car was flatbedded there, and a day later it was fixed at no cost....GREAT service, with no mention of any costs if I did it again. I did get a paper left in my driver seat on how to avoid a flood, nothing new there.

Doctor Bob

Guys-just had M flash done. Is it still advisable and/or necessary to run until warm before shutting down when moving car in and out of garage to prevent flood?

Thank You,

Doc

Doctor Bob

Guys-just had M flash done. Is it still advisable and/or necessary to run until warm before shutting down when moving car in and out of garage to prevent flood?

Thank You,

Doc

RotaryJeff

no

MEGAREDS

Msrecant's post below answers Doctor Bob's question...

msrecant

I believe the TSB states the M flash reduces the possibility of a "crank no start" but does not eliminate it.

Both the original and revised "Crank No Start" TSBs clearly state that after the repair procedure (which includes the M flash) the customer should be provided a copy of the last page which states it is important to warm up the engine before shutting it off.

Doctor Bob

Thanks for the education.

Doctor Bob

350black

buy a Z it dosent flood.

MEGAREDS

But a Z is not an 8...

350black

Your right the Z is not an 8.

And the 8 is not a Z.

But they are both awesome cars.

stasis1

Hei guys,
my car is in Jakarta, indonesia is a type S with dual coolers, sunroof, xenon as std. usually i just start my engine for abt a few after the rpm comes down on the A/C no problem. you just have to go slow like 1st gr 2000rpm then change to 2nd gear. as the engine heats up easy on the pedal still until u have gone 3-4k then . No problem. for those during winter i think u have to start the engine idle to ard 1/4 temp gauge then u will be able to go but still easy on the gas pedal thats my rule. cos i have stayed in the US for 4.5 yrs i know wats like and currently im in melbourne in AUstralia working.

Gheist

I've never flooded the engine, and I've let a couple of friends drive the car a few times... each time, telling them that the clutch releases low off the floor... One stalled it 3 times within 2 minutes without flooding. But I WAS cringing, hoping it wouldn't flood.

sti_eric

I know it has probably been beaten to death on this site, but I have a question that I hope someone can answer quickly. Tried the search and couldn't really find what I was looking for. I just picked up an RX-8 today. Asked the salesman if it had the M flash done to it, and he didn't have any idea what I was talking about. So, my question is, if I picked up my RX-8 today, should it have the M flash on it already? Is there a way I can find out what software it is currently running? Thanks for any help.

robertdot

The M flash should be on it. If you take it to one of the service people and ask them to check what software version the PCM has, they can tell you in a few minutes. That is the sure-fire way, and it should be covered under warranty.