So i decide to keep my 8 because i love it to death and just bought new brakes, tires, and a midpipe for it. Well today on the way home from work going about 80 in 6th BAM a loud as backfire followed by about 5 more. The CEL is flashing and the car at idle fumes smoke and dies. I have not been able to get the CEL checked out yet as it wont drive and is sitting in my drive way. Spark plugs were replaced about 8k miles ago and im hoping this is just coils but how much damage can be done if the coils go out and the car only ran on one rotor because thats what it felt and sounded like.


Thanks

 

Just depends. Swap the stock cat back on and head for the dealer.

 

I think you spit out an apex seal.

 

yeah. there's definitely something more then coils going on there

 

Well..............don't wanna scare you, but hope you have all your oil receipts!

 

well you get a new engine to go along with all those other new things

 

If................................

 

 

Wow........suck...

That is usually the symptoms of a dead engine. God speed, sir.

 

Went and tried to start the car and it wouldnt turn over tried again a minute later and got it to sputter to life enough to pull it the rest of the way into the garage... Should i even bother getting the codes or just swap the cat and drive it to the dealer? I figure driving it will just further mutilate it to get a new one. My dealer has been amazing in the past and replaced parts for free under warranty without me even asking such as plugs, zoom cleaning and other parts i didnt even notice were bad. So im not too worried about them denying it.

 

Just swap back to stock and take it and your maintenance records to dealer.

 

Just got off the phone with dealership and they have been very helpful. They gave me a number to get the free towing and they said ill just have to pay 94 bucks up front. They will first replace the coils and they said they will give me the wholesale price of 30 bucks a piece and after installing those they will run a compression test to see if i get a new engine. My question is, if it was just the coils and them failing caused severe enough damage to the engine this will show up on a compression test correct?

 

You should search or hopefully someone will chime in, but from what I have read on here lately, it looks like a lot of dealers are "forcing" 8 owners to buy coils and plugs before a compression test and then the engine gets replaced anyways. A total scam since they probably know beforehand if an engine is going to get replaced. Padding their profits....

 

Good Luck!

 

The dealer said i will be reimbursed for the coils if the engine fails compression and i will not end up paying a dime.

 

Good to hear that. Given the symptoms you described, there ain't no way your engine will pass the compression test. Best of luck to you on getting a new engine under warranty, because it sounds like your old one is a goner.

Let us know if they try to dick you around about the engine warranty, after that thread about the guy who was denied coverage because of one synthetic oil change on an '04 I'm worried about Mazda's commitment to the warranty.

 

I have had two engine replacements without much fuss. Depends on the dealer. Just get the stock cat on and let them handle it. You do have maintenance records though right?

 

i have kept a excel spreadsheet of all the previous oil changes and i have almost all paper work but i do not have specific autozone receipts simply because i have filled up with 5w-30 and it shows on the receipt. Im not too worried about them denying it because they have always been really cool and two of the techs that work there have rx8's and one also has a very nice FD.

Im really hoping its just a coil but if it was just a coil i would think i would have a loss of power and not have problems with the engine just stalling out and smoking....

 

Wow I must say, good luck!
I would think there would be something happening to your engine that you would notice, but not a sudden thing like that.

 

for you good sir

 

Hey Jeff, I wouldnt say its the coils man, I believe your getting a new engine. btw what Dealer do you go to? I need a new dealer in this area because Hiley in Arlington sucks... but goodluck man.

 

I go to Town North in Richardson. Honestly, i never noticed any power loss until the loud backfires and at that point the power loss was very noticeable because the car didnt have any....

 

^ Glad to hear you have a good relationship with the dealer and that they'll reimburse you for the coils. Keep us updated. Good luck.

 

What is getting to me is that this will be the 4th engine going into this car and its only at 52k miles. This last engine has lasted me 15k miles and i run 5w-30 with oil changes every 3k miles, i redline all the time and premix. I have followed the rotary rules verbatim and this just makes me think that no matter how you treat the car ultimately it may just come down to luck

 

I have been not only keeping my receipts but I still have bottles of oil and filters for the previous 5 oil changes ^_^....Good luck. I hope they get it resolved faster than thejew's car.... it's been sitting for 6 weeks