Just watched my White 8 leave on the back of a flatbed on it's way to the dealership.
I moved the car out of my garage then back in without a warm up so that I could wash it (this was Sunday).
Came out Monday to go for a drive and she wouldn't start. Strong smell of fuel so I tried the Emergency start procedure in the Owners Manual and still no workie.
Details : 2005 Stock 6 Speed 13,100 kms

Not a good start to my holidays.

On the bright side the dealer said they had the parts in to fix one of the recalls. Something to do with the exhaust and adding another heat shield.

OMG was that orange foam I just saw coming off my car! lol

 

What was the ambient temp like today up there? Do you know what battery is in your car? Battery state of charge is a big culprit. I would think that an 05 would have all the latest computer settings. Thanks for posting this and please share some more info when you can
Paul.

 

I got a question for you guys, When you car is flooded and you tow it to the dealership, are you paying for the plugs out of your own pocket?

 

I believe Mazda is still paying for flooded engine repair under the standard warranty.

As an aside, just remember, Mazda has a step-by-step procedure to fix a flooded vehicle, so you are not guaranteed to get new plugs, new battery, new starter, etc. even though in many cases dealerships do a plug change and oil change as standard operating procedure.

 

The first and last time it happened to me was after leaving the car parked for 4 weeks. When I got back it would not start and it flooded so I called Mazda Assistance and they had my car towed to a dealer. The dealer flashed my PCM and changed plugs but I did not get charged for anything.

The software they put on my car made it very jerky at low revs so when I took it in for the 10k miles service they updated it and it is much better now!

 

About the recalls.... one was to avoid a possible leak from the tank and thus fire (amongst other problems) and the other was for a possible loss of steering due to possible cracks on joint arms... wow... two potentially fatal issues. Luckily the exhaust heat shielding was done on my 10k miles service but they weren't aware of the other recall so I have to take her back in...

 

Where's the TSB for the upgraded starter motor? Is there one? I can't seem to find it mentioned anywhere in the ones Rosenthall has listed. Did I miss it?

 

I don't believe there is a TSB for this. I have seen in this thread (and several other flooding threads) references to where Mazda changed out the starter and put in an even bigger battery (something like 800+ CCA) to address chronic flooding. You would need to do a search for the details.

It is also unclear whether the new starter and "even bigger battery" are standard on current production RX-8s. If someone knows for sure, please chime in.

 

As far as I know also, no TSB, you only need a' history' of one flooding episode, I was told at my dealer. I qualified (a year ago, hauling in from cottage on a flat top, new plugs ..N/C) and had the upgrade installed two weeks ago along with the 'R' flash. It took about three days for the starter to come in from Mazda Canada. There are 2 versions: one for the 6 speed and another for the auto. Same output- different mounting brackets.

 

Rev the engine to 3k, then turn the ignition off right as you left off the throttle. Never had a hard start following this procedure.

 

APAUL,

I'm curious. Did they upgrade the battery at the same time? I have heard that the new starter needs more than the 640 CCA battery specified in the Replacement Battery TSB.

 

Never had a problem until I had 18,000 miles on it. I became confident I would never experience it then it happened, washed and pulled it back in garage like I did at least 20 times before, next day it was flooded.

 

Sorry to hear about your trouble. From what I've seen, PCM flash level, ambient temperature and battery condition can all be factors in a "flood". There are probably a bunch of other variables involved too. Also, while a short trip is "risky behavior" there is no guarantee it will cause a flooded engine any more than one or more successful short trips guarantee that you will never flood. Probably why Mazda still recommends they be avoided.

Still, its a bitch when it happens.

 

I cannot count the number of times I've moved my rx8 into/out of the driveway to the street for various reasons, where I start the car, move it, and turn it off all in a matter of 30 seconds or so.

Never flooded. However, if I do this move I take a little precaution. When I'm done moving, I rev the engine up to about 4-5k and let go of the throttle/take the key out as the revs start to drop. It's a trick that I know 2nd gen rx7 people do when they have low compression and flooding happens easier, and so far it seems to have worked fine for me.

 

Just looking for an update for the flooding issue with the RX-8.

I've read through the thread and it seems like most people claim that the newer ECU flash's minimize the chance of the flooding. Does anyone know what the ECU did to fix it?

Is the automatic somehow less prone to flooding because there are fewer ports, or is it because the automatic is less likely to stall?

The main concerns I have are valet parking or parking lots with an attendant in San Francisco -- they'll start/stop the engine frequently and the weather can be very cool.

Thanks.

 

I can't help you since I never flooded mine. I never let it shut down cold either though.
My bet - if you let your car start/stop cold frequently, it will flood - just a matter of "when", not "if".
Didn't the cause of flooding get discussed in this thread?

 

According to a survey of users I did more than a year ago, the automatic is more likely to stall, and this was apparently confirmed by Mazda NA to another member at one point in time. The reasons are unclear.

It is possible that the automatic, like mine, is more likely to be driven by a secondary driver, who is less likely to understand the importance of allowing the RX8 to warm up before shutting it down. (My wife stalled mine when our garage door opener was being installed, for example -- personally, I've never shut mine down cold).

I doubt that any new firmware is going to fix the issue, as this would have been done long ago if it were that simple to fix. Recall that the RX7 also had this issue, and that it was never really fixed. That being said, with the stronger battery, the hotter spark plugs and user care, it shouldn't be a problem for most of us, and I think Mazda is still treating the problem as a "warranty" issue, so that means that they are motivated to do the best they can for us. I also think the car is not likely to stall in drier, warmer weather (Mine stalled in December, when it was raining). SF gets cool, I know, so you might want to be sure to explain the problem to the garage attendant before turning over the keys. Mazda will send the flatbed in the unlikely event that it stalls when someone else is driving the car.

 

The firmware does reduce the chance of flooding. This is one of the things that frustrate me: Why did Mazda not address the batteries, starters and start-up mapping from the start. It would appear that some of their present engineers haven't been aroung long enough to recognise the problem or they got out-voted by those who wanted lower weight for batteries and starters or bean counters cutting corners or a combination of some of the above.

 

I think weight was a big problem. In the U.S., the 8 barely escaped the gas guzzler tax (you know, the one that doesn't ever get applied to SUVs and Minivans!).

 

Absolutely. I sure wish the car had achieved the weight they were aiming for. It would have reduced the compromises on a car that I consider the 'great compromise', improving fuel economy through allowing taller gearing etc.

 

I fell victim to flooding recently. The car had sat for a little over a week. I went to start it and nothing (there was no option to let it warm up). I waited for about three days and still nothing. The dealer had it towed in and replaced the plugs. They advised me to rev it up to about 4,000 to 5,000 rpm prior to shutting it off. Anyone heard this before (sorry, I didn't read through the whole thread)?

 

What year is yours? Had it ever had a re-flash done to the computer? How many miles are on it and what were the circumstances of the last shutdown prior to the flood? Was it parked for several days or weeks? Is it cold where you are? I would really appreciate if you would attempt to answer as many of these questions as you can.

 

Read the driver guide that came with your manual. Here's what it says about that:

 

I have one of the first RX-8s ( purchased in Aug 03). I never had a flood problem. Then I went in for the latest recall (ball joints and heat blanket this time) and they re-flashed my ecu again. My gas mileage has gone down! I was getting about 17 in mixed driving and I was happy and now I am getting 15 at best. Then yesterday I had cleaned my car but forgot to put it back into the garage. I later remembered it was still out and made a quick move to place the car in the garage. Well the next morning the car would not start. Thank god the dealer replaced my weak original battery with the newer higher capacity one. After many attempts to start the car I pulled the fuel pump fuse and placed the car in the sun to get warm. I then cranked the car several times to attempt to unfoul the plugs. After several hours I had someone crank the car while I inserted the fuse back into the car once I thought the engine needed gas. The engine finally caught and TONS and CLOUDS of smoke (Oil) came out the exhaust pipe for several minutes before everything burned off and the car was purring again. I WILL NEVER start and stop this car when it is cold again! To Date I had the following work done:
1. Running board Rx-8 sign re-glued down
2. Both control ***** for fan and heater replaced
3. A/C Amp replaced
4. Both rear tail lights replaced due to moister inside
5. Both sun shades broke and had to be replaced
6. Front brake rotors replaced due to warpage
7. Replaced weak and defective battery
8. Air conditioning compressor replaced

I am ready to call it quits, it is a fun car to drive but there are too many problems with it!

 

Where are you? How cold is it where you are? How many miles are on this car? Is it an auto or a manual trans. Have your plugs ever been replaced?