msrecant

You can read the service bulletin http://www.finishlineperformance.com...4-05-1448e.pdf for the tech details on how to deflood an RX-8. However, if you car is under 50K miles the dealer should do this for free including the tow to the dealership.

If you are over 50K miles, it is unclear if the recent drivetrain warranty extension for RX-8s also covers flooding, but my take is that it never hurts to ask. Also if the dealer says no, then call the Mazda 800 number and see if they will authorize the work under warranty.

Good luck!

VBprogrammer666

My 2005 finally flooded on the morning of Jan 2. Happy New Year to me! I have 63,000 miles on it. I'm out of warranty.

Had it towed to Mazda, they did the work outlined in the TSB (Starter, battery, ignition wires and coils). No sparks since I changed them out last summer myself.

Couldn't get Mazda USA to authorize the repair at their cost, so it ended up coming out of my pocket.

Ramsey Mazda did the repair. They were nice about it and gave me a 10% discount on parts and labor and they picked up the cost of my car rental. But it was still out of pocket for me. I had front brakes done as well (63,000 on the originals!). Total cost including tax: $ 1347

My recommendation: If you haven't flooded the car and are still in warranty and don't have the upgraded components yet then flood your car on purpose so you get the work done under warranty.

This really should have been a recall not a TSB.

C_RX8

Gentlemen,

My 8 did not start on a cold morning so I quickly replaced the battery with an optima battery since it has like 700 plus cranking amps. It still did not work and as a matter of fact I actually flooded it. So I went to the engine bay and pulled out the fuel pump fuse and crank the motor for a minute to burn the excess fuel without dumping more. Then I waited for about 2 hours and then went back to it and the car immediately cranked over.

I went to mazda of olympia and they told me if you told the dealership that you had problems with starting your car that Mazda will routinely replace your plugs, battery, and upgrade your starter, which they did minus the battery cause I already had an optima. Since then, it cranks over really really easy. I recommend everyone gets this done ASAP...you will notice a big difference.

RedSheDevil

yea, that's the TSB everyone has been talking about

Matkisr

I guess its time to join the flood club.

eHart

haha people were questioning if its even an issue, when i bought mine, the dealer prompted me on the whole issue...

yeah it kinda sucks in the cold when you have to move your car for someone else in the driveway but oh well. gotta sacrifice somethin to experience the pleasure that is rotary

just listen to 2 of ur favorite songs.

i've had mine for about 7 months and still never turned it off cold, i know the first time i forget it's gonna get me

slowrx8

Hey guys has anyone experienced flooding in the new 07 models because my sister just bought one and I don't know if itss gonna flood on her , it would suck if it did

msrecant

Like the 06 Models, the 07s have all the latest anti-flood and flood-recovery improvements. However, I would check the Mazda "quick tips" guide that came with her car. If they still recommend against avoiding short trips (ie cutting the engine off cold) I would still suggest your sister make an effort to avoid cold shutdowns.

tlljr

It was a chilly Saturday afternoon....I guess it was the coldest that I had planned to wash the RX-8 since I have had it. I backed it out of the garage into the drive way and cut it off. I washed, dried and dressed the tires, etc. as I normally do. Usually I put it right back in the garage when I'm finished but this time I left it out for a few hours. I cleaned up and got dressed to go to the mall for a few. When I tried to start it....it would not start and then the battery went dead. I have one one new portable charger units so I tried that but it still would not start. The next morning I went and got another battery but still the same results. So I went to the dealership on Monday morning...told them what had happend. They told me to call Mazda roadservice which I did but they said they didn't have my car listed...what a morning. Anyway I told the dealership to pick up the car. They called me at work later to say that they had made some adjustments with the computer but they would be checking the engine until the next day. Around nine the next morning they called to say the car was ready...it was flooded which I already knew. They also told me that I needed a battery because the one I had from AutoZone was not right for the car. I told them to go ahead. They also told me when I got there that they put another starter in too. And the great thing is they didn't charge me for the battery, the tow or the starter. It has not started good since they did the recall so I'm not sure why I needed a starter but it does start like it used to now. I still don't know what to say or feel about not being able to move the car with it having to warm up. It already uses enough gas and now this..... My RX8 has been in the shop more then any other car that I have owned. Its been in the shop so much that I have become friends with the shuttle driver at the dealership. When he sees me the first thing he says is...whats wrong with it now.....

Racer X-8

Don't blame your car. It has a rotary engine, you know. Rotary engines flood when you turn them off cold. If you hear different, don't believe it - they DO. Somebody should have told you that before you even bought it. Blame them.

The improved starter and battery will help, but don't think you can now shut it down cold. DON'T! That's just a bit of friendly advice. Now, if that's too hard to swallow, you really need to trade it in on a piston popper.

RotorManiac

dont know about the US models but my opinion is if the car uses stock spark plugs, then it will flood sometime. I never flooded my 8, because I realized that the stock spark plugs can't cope...
I have a '04 model 3 years now and never had an issue since I used aftermarket iridium plugs... greddy, denso whatever...

tlljr

Blame? I would not say I'm blaming the car or the engine. All I know is that this car has been in the shop more in the last two years I have had it then anything else I have owned. And I purchased it new. I thought that my Jeep Grand had issues...

This flooding never happened when I had a 1988 RX-7 turbo. Never. I had it over six years.

Please don't take it that I don't love the car because I do but I don't love being at the dealearship every other month for something. I don't think thats cool for the money that I paid for it or for us being in the year 2007. Its hard to believe that a later model car would have more problems then a earlier model....where is the advancement. Is it just in the body and not the engine?

Racer X-8

I know what I was told way back in '03 when I asked... https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/tips-previous-rx-owners-needed-6160/
I never shut mine down cold and I never flooded.

I am just like you about how much mine has been back for work, but I have yet to spend a dime on any of it. It's been all routine maintenance and recalls. With my free routine maintenance, it's all been $0.00. Everything. My car has all the updates, free of charge. A 3-1/2 year old car with just about all the newness of a brand new car. For free. Find another car that will do that for you.

My car has never ever performed below the level of outstanding.

I really do feel badly for those whose car has let them down. I don't know and I really don't understand why and I'm not going to say that it's due to the owner. I just hope that my honeymoon with mine will never end.

swiftnet

My 8 wouldn't start about three months ago. had it towed into dealer, they said it was flooded!?!?

I knew I didn't turn it off cold, but I thought maybe my son may have started it (without permission).

.
The other day it happened again, I came back from a 60 mile trip, parked the car, went in for the night, next morning - no start. Had it towed, dealer says it is flooded and Mazda won't cover it under warranty since I flooded it like two months ago. I tell the jerk at the dealership that the flooding is happening with a thoroughly warmed up engine. Dealership still won't cover it under warranty. I called Mazda and they covered it as a courtesy.


I asked Mazda if there are any competent dealerships in my area and I was told to go to St. Pete, Florida (a 75 mile drive). I took it there today so we'll see if they can figure it out. Btw, I've had a cel for about the past year and the morons at the last two dealerships cannot seem to figure it out (an ecu reset clears it for 1 to 3 days). Hopefully the st. pete dealer can....
Currently, my car is deemed unreliable, I won't let my wife use it because she may get stranded and I don't want to use it because I may get stranded.... Luckily I have motorcycles to get me around.

Has anyone else experienced flooding the 8 without shutting it off cold previously? I use 90~93 octane, have the car serviced regularly and am into "spirited" driving. The car has 47K and was pretty decent 'reliability wise' until recently.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

where are you in fla... what dealership are you dealing with.. if they cant figure out a cel.

well enough said..

also what ecu flash are you on, and have you had the last reacall done???

if you dont know you can call mazda and ask them, they would have records...

i have 65k miles on mine, with the old slow starter, and have never managed to flood it... and i do turn my car off cold...

beers

swiftnet

Palm Mazda in Punta Gorda and Ed Howard Mazda in Sarasota are the two dealerships that just couldn't seem to get my 8 right.

I first got a cel back in late 2003. Palm Mazda tried to fix it three times and failed. I took it to Ed Howard and was looking to lemon law it if they couldn't solve it, it turned out to be the sensor for the gas cap.
I used Ed Howard for service after that. In late 2005 or early 2006 I started getting a cel that was always 'fixed' by resetting the ecu - within a few days it would come back on. In that time I had Ed Howard put my rear tires on backwards, and not readily admit that they did (service rep "I don't know how that could happen, are you sure you didn't change tires afterwards?"), which totally pissed me off. They did swap 'em after I drove the car back, an 80+ mile round trip. When my tranny felt crunchy (5th gear synchro), Ed Howard rebuilt it, but didn't tighten a crush washer so I had a leak. Again, I returned to them to have them fix that mistake.

Fed up, I figured I'd try Palm Mazda again, it has been three years and maybe they got better... No such luck, they didn't solve my cell and they are the ones who wanted to charge me for flooding the car.

I love the car, but the techs suck, they remind me of Windows only IT people, they have 2/3's of a clue. Enough to seem like they know what they are doing until a real problem comes up.

Oyyyyy

swoope

iTrader: (5)

post your issue in the se forum or you might have some luck on flrx8club.net...

i would pull the code for you and try to help. but i will not be in the naples area again till mid march...

beers

swiftnet

Thanks Swoope, what equipment does someone need to pull codes from the ecu?
I should be hearing from St. Pete's Mazda dealer by tomorrow. I'll post the results soon.

A

jaydubss

Again, my 2004 RX-8 is in the shop the same place where it was just two weeks ago. Cook Mazda of Aberdeen, MD performed some sort of recall and that is really when the problems started. They say that I am flooding it when all I do is turn the key. This should not be happening. The dealership acts like I am an inconvenience to them. They have not even called me to give me a prognosis or offer a rental car....the car is still under warranty. As soon as I get it back I will drive straight to the Toyota dealership. No more Mazdas for me!

swiftnet

Tyrone square Mazda of St. Pete Florida has diagnosed my cel problem. The gas cap and pump needed replacement. They don't think my tranny feels bad, they are putting in synthetic tranny fluid per my request. The flooding issue is not resolved. The tech suggested that I rev it to 4~6k and shut it off while the rpms are high, to make sure all gas is forced out of the engine. The car passed all diagnostics and in the techs opinion, is mechanically sound - I'll try his suggestion, I've had two no starts that were diagnosed as flooding in the 3.3 years I've owned the car. Overall the car has been pretty good to me and I really do enjoy driving it - I love the feel of the RX8 enough to overlook some of its quirks.

New Yorker

Nope, not me. It's only been one year (8,700 miles), but my '05 always fires right up—strongly—every time. (Needless to say, I never shut if off cold. When I bought the car I thought it might be a problem remembering to NOT do this, but for some reason it hasn't been. Maybe it's just me, but somehow I ALWAYS remember to not shut it off cold. Just like I remember to look both ways before crossing the street. In fact, just a few weeks after buying the car I was remembering to not shut if off cold without even thinking about it.)

So for me, anyway, there's no difference between starting the 8 and an ordinary car. Different engine design, (slightly) different starting procedure—seems reasonable to me. If I had an electric, steam or hydrogen car I imagine I'd have to do some things differently, too.

Good luck—hope your flooding episodes are all behind you.

Bigdog6060

My car wont start, it turned over ran for a sec and then the rpm's dropped and it stalled this is all within a second or so i never put it into gear or touched the gas pettal. Now when i crank it no combustion. Any ideas? I didnt start it for 2 days and its below freezing, should i wait till its above 32F?

Thanks for you help

Go48

Try the de-flooding procedure in your owners manual. If that doesn't work after several tries, call Mazda Roadside Service and have it towed to a dealer.

refugeefrompistons

Ok, I'm sorry if this has already been answered but I've already checked the last four pages and some people's profiles.

But my question is, has a 2006 Rx-8 flooded with stock plugs?

Not that great with stick-shift, just a little worried.

T-von

Not true! A properly driven and maintained rotary wont flood.

Example: My 94 Fd rx7 has over 100k on it's original engine. I attemped to intentionaly try to flood my car one cold after noon last year. I started it cold in 40degree weather, let it run for 5sec then shut it off. I did this 5 times and it started every time. All this happened after my car sat up for a full month without being driven. If you understand how these engine operate and know how to maintaine them, they wont flood.

Flooding is a direct result of weak spark due to plug fouling, and weak compression due to sticking seals from all the carbon build-up from granny driving. It also doesn't help that the Renesis side seal to corner seal clearence is so wide when compared to the older Rx7 Rotary's. The extra clearence for the side seal expansion due to the side exhaust weakens the engines start-up compression from the get go.