This sucks!
Have had the car for just under a year. Bought it in Dallas, TX and live in New Mexico. Has just over 17000 miles on it always had it serviced and never had any probs until got most recent flash ("p" I believe) and started to use A/C alot. Lost power dramatically, had to down shift to like 2nd to get any power, and had a weird electronic noise from under hood sounded like coming from intake area. Took it in, mind you I was moving in two days, and they called up Mazda Tech Line and said it needs new motor (loss of compression forgot to ask for comp rates). They said early built motors weren't getting enough oil to housing and wearing it out prematurly. Updated motors have new oil pump and such to remedy this. I was pissed!! Needless to say. I called up Mazda customer service about this and about how I need a car! I got a rental on my own to move clear across country with and finally got them to say they would ship the car from my current dealer to one to where I'm going. But that was like cutting off an arm.

I hope this is not going to be an ongoing problem with these cars. I like the car but am not willing to have a car I paid a but load of money for and have it in the shop every five seconds because things don't work!

Should I trade in and get something else? Or just wait it out and have faith in Mazda? Really confused right now and have/had high hopes for this car with the way it looks, handles, sounds, and just the fact that it is different than the norm.

Someone please tell me everything is going to be all right! J/K
But seriously what the HECK Over!

 

[QUOTE=V1.0]Took it in, mind you I was moving in two days, and they called up Mazda Tech Line and said it needs new motor (loss of compression forgot to ask for comp rates). They said early built motors weren't getting enough oil to housing and wearing it out prematurly. Updated motors have new oil pump and such to remedy this. [QUOTE]


wow that sucks.....i alwasy get nervouse when i see this......do you knwo what build dates this affects or are they just giving you a blanked statment? hehe mine was built in june of 03 and i have 38k miles on her...neve rhad a problem at all. I've only seen or heard of a few 8's that needed new engines...but i don't think they had the same problem as you (i can't remember it was a while ago). hmmm curiouser and curiouser.

i do knwo that the oil pressure peaks pretty low in the rpm band.....like by 3-4k rpm it's at peak pressure (~5 bar)....so i guess the newer ones flow more or have more pressure...wonder which it is. hmm hopefulyl someone else will chime in :D

sorry about your troubles though that really sucks but look on the bright side..you get a new engine. :D

 

hmm i wonder if Rotary God i sonline....paging rotary god...inquiring minds needs some insight :D

 

It just dawned on me that this is erily similar to many many moons ago, when my 1972 RX-2 4-dr rotary sedan was rebuilt twice within the warranty period. I mean, they fixed it free, what ta hey? I was probably not very excited about it at the time, I really can't remember, but did that stop me from loving rotary cars? maybe not :D

It's happening far less frequently than I remember with RX-2s, 3s, 4s, & 7s than with the RX-8, but time will really tell, not enough high mileage car around yet.

Aggravation notwithstanding, I'd just love it anyway give it a good home - faults and all, if you can

 

when i hear this, makes me wanna get rid of my 8 before the warranty period

 

v1.0. why dont you try teling us more about your car. right now we know nothing that we can judge your situation with. 6mt or 4at? miles?how many oil changes any other work doen o n the car. ever flooded? did they try anything to fix the compression? so the problem occured when it got warm/hot out? what was the source of the electronic noise?

 

The car has a little over 17000 miles, 6MT, oil change every 5000 ( except when I went to TX for a class for 4 months had it done before I left while there and then when I got back to make sure had fresh oil in it since it was somewhat long trip), only had cracked defrost buttons on climate controls and recall work done (most recent flash think it was "p" and they didn't get to do the airbag yet), never flooded but couple of times took a tad longer to start but always started. They did nothing that I know of to fix compression but call up Mazda tell them what they are seeing and Mazda telling them to change motor (they have two others that are getting changed too). Problem occured after latest flash hot weather with a/c on. Felt like a/c was bogging the motor down like in old v8's when the compressor kicked in you could feel a little loss of power but this was all my power. Car did run better right after flash but then couple days after this happened. Don't know about the noise. Forgot to ask them at the time. I was distracted from being upset two days away from leaving town for good.

Hope this answers some questions. I didn't beat on the car. Yeah I did rev it up and see what it could do but I never raced it it was my daily driver. Most of the time I would shift between 4 and 5K unless going onto on ramp then would go higher cause where I was at poeple drive like mad crazy so had to make sure I dont get hit.

 

Can you ask them what the compression figures were that brought them to this conclusion? This is something you really ought to know. Also these figures have to be accompanied by cranking rpms or they're useless. I wouldn't be shocked if there are a few motors being replaced in error. Best of luck to you.
Paul.

 

i agree with you paul- there may be some motors being replaced in error because of compression checks done incorrectly.. V1.0- i guess it wont matter now because we probably wont ever find out. i dont think you issue is the same as we are hearing about in the AT cars. Did they do any other testing that you know of? see we cant tell if its going to be an ongoing problem 'cause we dont know your problem.

 

I don't see how it can be done incorrectly at the dealership, all they have to do is screw the transducer into the sparkplug hole and plug it into the computer, it does the rest, it's not exactly rocket science or even the least bit complicated

 

Having worked for two Mazda dealers myself, I can tell you that the uncomplicated can be made into rocket science. There are different devices employed by them for the test. If they are still using the electronic one that's been around for about 15 years or so it will give them 3 figures in kg per cm square or bar accompanied by cranking rpms. I believe most dealers have moved on from this but I'm not sure. One dealer that I know put a motor in a car (RX8) and immediately had the same symptoms present. There's at least a little bit of guess work involved although a compression test should be one of the most straightforward tasks they could have.
This is not to come down on Mazda dealers. The entire industry has a certain percentage of this type thing. I always suggest finding a good shop (Or dealer) and getting to know the techs for a more personal experience if possible. This is helpful in getting details and better treatment.
Paul.

 

if they hook it to the wds for the comp test and dont open the throttle they will get results that look like the car has low compression.

 

Was there any indication of carbon buildup? If you say were shift between 4k and 5k average, ever redline once in a while after the engines warmed? But don't know if carbon could result in an engine replacement after only 17,000 miles like your 8.

 

I would let the car warm up before I did anything over around 4K. Wanted to make sure didn't have any problems. The service guy said he is going to leave a copy of the computer readouts in my glove box for me for the checks they did. They have been very good to me thusfar and honest so... But I haven't given up on the car. I still love the car and Mazda is shipping it from New Mexico to Ohio were I'm at now. Hopefully I will have the car by the end of this week. They said the new motor is running good but I hope they didn't redline it right away so I have a chance to break it in properly. But just so you know this didn't ruin my dreams of owning a 3rd gen rx7 (and keep the 8) but with Ohio emissions checks don't know how much I'll be able to get it where I want it (the 7)as far as horsepower and still be legal. Thanks for all your inputs and I'll let you know when I get the car about the readouts.

C