Personal write-up of my prgressive engine failure
03-27-2008, 09:26 AM
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Personal write-up of my prgressive engine failure
So after 2 months of constant pestering, I’m finally getting my engine replaced by Mazda.
My issues started when I purchased the vehicle from CarMax in mid-January, with 35k on the odometer. The car ran fine for about the first week, until the vibrations at idle started. I took it to CarMax and they recommended I take it to the Mazda dealership. I get there and explain the symptoms my car was experiencing. They took it back for inspection and found a leaking engine mount. That was replaced and after that the car ran vibration free…
…for about a day.
The vibrations came back, feeling no different than they did before. On top of this, I was experiencing the loss of power above 3k rpms. I bring the car back to Mazda and explain to the tech that I was having these issues. They pull the car back around for diagnostics and after about 20 minutes, they say they are going to try a reflash of the ECU. So I get that done and the car seemed like it was running fine again. I pull out of the dealership and get about 10 blocks down the street and stop at a red light…
…the car stalls out.
I tried to restart, but the rpms dropped again and the car stalled out. It did this about 3 times before I said “Screw it” and I kept my foot on the throttle to prevent the rpms from dropping to the point of stalling and did this the whole way home. I gave them the benefit of the doubt of the ECU trying to learn the new flash. I got home and left the car parked overnight and woke the next morning with the car running perfectly fine. It drove this way for about 2 weeks. Then the vibrations started again, and the loss of power was more pronounced now, especially in hot weather (read San Antonio). I bring the car back once again. Same drill; diagnostics and the tech says they will replace the coil-packs. So I get that done, and the car drives fine for about a week or so.
Same issues back again. This time with the MIAC sound accompanying the vibrations and loss of power. At this point I’m livid about this dry process of band-aid fixes. I swear I search this entire forum and read almost every related issue that others were experiencing. Then I Googled for the same info. I called the dealership inquiring about the well-known (or so I thought) compression issues with the 2004 engines and they claimed to know nothing about it. Hmm…that’s funny considering Mazda is kind of making a big scene over replacing these defective rotaries. So after speaking with two rather unhelpful service department managers at two different dealerships, I called Mazda USA customer service and spoke to a very polite and informed lady named Sherri. I explained the issues I was experiencing with my engine and the repeated visits to the dealership. I told her about all of the research I did on other owners having the same issues and suggested I believe I’m headed down that same path. Not once did she interrupt me or give a hint of disinterest the entire time I was explaining all of this, I might add.
Sherri told me that a new reflash just came out on 3/14/2008 (it was 3/17/08 when I spoke to her) and she put me on hold while she contacted the dealership I have been going to for car care. When she reconnected, she said she spoke to the service manager over there and said to let me get the reflash and to also perform a compression check and to send the results to Mazda HQ. I thanked her for her patience and understanding and end the call very satisfied.
I pull into the dealership on Thursday, 3/20/08 and when the service tech that approached my car asked me how he could help me, I told him I was there to get the new reflash that just came out. He asked me how I found out about it, almost like he thought I shouldn’t know about that. I told him my sources and he checked my car in and said they would have to hold my car until Friday because there were several other 8’s in the back getting serviced.
The next day the service manager calls me and tells me that they did the reflash with no problems, but they said the compression test results had to me sent to Mazda HQ, whom he said were closed and would respond back until next week. “No problem” I told him.
He calls me on Tuesday and tells me that Mazda didn’t like the compression numbers and have the dealership replace my engine, free of charge.
So the new (read refurb) is on its way and will be here by the beginning of next week and hopefully I can have my 8 back by the end of next week. I’m glad that everything finally got straightened out and I now have a new respect for the service that Mazda provides for its customers. I believe it’s a lot of the dealerships that give the company a bad name. And at the risk of sounding proverbial, in this case, the squeaky wheel got greased.
Thanks to the forums for providing the data needed for me to go into this informed.
CAR: 2004 RX8
ISSUE: Vibrations, Loss of Power, MIAC, Misfires
DEALERSHIP: Ingram Park Mazda, San Antonio, TX
TIME UNTIL ISSUES RESOLVED: Roughly 2 months
COST: Nothing
My issues started when I purchased the vehicle from CarMax in mid-January, with 35k on the odometer. The car ran fine for about the first week, until the vibrations at idle started. I took it to CarMax and they recommended I take it to the Mazda dealership. I get there and explain the symptoms my car was experiencing. They took it back for inspection and found a leaking engine mount. That was replaced and after that the car ran vibration free…
…for about a day.
The vibrations came back, feeling no different than they did before. On top of this, I was experiencing the loss of power above 3k rpms. I bring the car back to Mazda and explain to the tech that I was having these issues. They pull the car back around for diagnostics and after about 20 minutes, they say they are going to try a reflash of the ECU. So I get that done and the car seemed like it was running fine again. I pull out of the dealership and get about 10 blocks down the street and stop at a red light…
…the car stalls out.
I tried to restart, but the rpms dropped again and the car stalled out. It did this about 3 times before I said “Screw it” and I kept my foot on the throttle to prevent the rpms from dropping to the point of stalling and did this the whole way home. I gave them the benefit of the doubt of the ECU trying to learn the new flash. I got home and left the car parked overnight and woke the next morning with the car running perfectly fine. It drove this way for about 2 weeks. Then the vibrations started again, and the loss of power was more pronounced now, especially in hot weather (read San Antonio). I bring the car back once again. Same drill; diagnostics and the tech says they will replace the coil-packs. So I get that done, and the car drives fine for about a week or so.
Same issues back again. This time with the MIAC sound accompanying the vibrations and loss of power. At this point I’m livid about this dry process of band-aid fixes. I swear I search this entire forum and read almost every related issue that others were experiencing. Then I Googled for the same info. I called the dealership inquiring about the well-known (or so I thought) compression issues with the 2004 engines and they claimed to know nothing about it. Hmm…that’s funny considering Mazda is kind of making a big scene over replacing these defective rotaries. So after speaking with two rather unhelpful service department managers at two different dealerships, I called Mazda USA customer service and spoke to a very polite and informed lady named Sherri. I explained the issues I was experiencing with my engine and the repeated visits to the dealership. I told her about all of the research I did on other owners having the same issues and suggested I believe I’m headed down that same path. Not once did she interrupt me or give a hint of disinterest the entire time I was explaining all of this, I might add.
Sherri told me that a new reflash just came out on 3/14/2008 (it was 3/17/08 when I spoke to her) and she put me on hold while she contacted the dealership I have been going to for car care. When she reconnected, she said she spoke to the service manager over there and said to let me get the reflash and to also perform a compression check and to send the results to Mazda HQ. I thanked her for her patience and understanding and end the call very satisfied.
I pull into the dealership on Thursday, 3/20/08 and when the service tech that approached my car asked me how he could help me, I told him I was there to get the new reflash that just came out. He asked me how I found out about it, almost like he thought I shouldn’t know about that. I told him my sources and he checked my car in and said they would have to hold my car until Friday because there were several other 8’s in the back getting serviced.
The next day the service manager calls me and tells me that they did the reflash with no problems, but they said the compression test results had to me sent to Mazda HQ, whom he said were closed and would respond back until next week. “No problem” I told him.
He calls me on Tuesday and tells me that Mazda didn’t like the compression numbers and have the dealership replace my engine, free of charge.
So the new (read refurb) is on its way and will be here by the beginning of next week and hopefully I can have my 8 back by the end of next week. I’m glad that everything finally got straightened out and I now have a new respect for the service that Mazda provides for its customers. I believe it’s a lot of the dealerships that give the company a bad name. And at the risk of sounding proverbial, in this case, the squeaky wheel got greased.
Thanks to the forums for providing the data needed for me to go into this informed.
CAR: 2004 RX8
ISSUE: Vibrations, Loss of Power, MIAC, Misfires
DEALERSHIP: Ingram Park Mazda, San Antonio, TX
TIME UNTIL ISSUES RESOLVED: Roughly 2 months
COST: Nothing
03-27-2008, 09:45 AM
#2
Thanks for the write-up. One thing that should be noted(and the record certainly reflects that I am NO fan of dealerships except for one; Berge Mazda in AZ. Karl and Vince are great guys.) is that Mazda has specified the progressive pathway through which dealer service departments will determine what the root cause of problems are. Your dealers did no different. Dealers and the OEMs have a relationship that is much like doctors and HMOs; the doctors will only get paid for their warranty labor if they follow the flow chart and perform covered services. Similarly, just as the patient's proactivity will often improve one's results and service so, too, did your proactivity regarding your engine. Also in a similar fashion, there are certain issues that are not up to the dealer to decide and one in particular is engine replacement. There is a shroud of secrecy surrounding the information that Mazda is looking for to support the decision to replace an engine. There are also SO many variables and human politics involved in all of this(and the fact that Mazda isn't exactly being too Kosher about it, either) I am just glad for you that you are getting a reman replacement. Don't get Karl started about those, though..........
Last edited by Charles R. Hill; 03-27-2008 at 09:48 AM.
03-27-2008, 10:26 AM
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I'm glad you finally had things taken care of by Mazda. It is encouraging to hear positive things about the HQ customer service every now and then. Good luck with the replacement engine.
03-27-2008, 11:50 AM
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Dealers and the OEMs have a relationship that is much like doctors and HMOs; the doctors will only get paid for their warranty labor if they follow the flow chart and perform covered services. Similarly, just as the patient's proactivity will often improve one's results and service so, too, did your proactivity regarding your engine.
But at least most doctors have ethics. You don't hear doctors spouting BS such as: "Lupus? Never heard of it."
03-27-2008, 12:03 PM
#5
Actually, Nubo, thanks to the internet many doctors are getting solid info and guidance from their own patients, and even many self-diagnoses, just like what we do with the dealers and, in some cases, Mazda themselves.
03-27-2008, 12:15 PM
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Glad to see that your engine is being replaced. My local Service Dept is the same, they dont listen and treat me like I have no clue whatso-eva about what is going on with my car, even when I mention I have a site filled with thousands of people who eat, breath, crap this car daily. Hope that the new engine will solve all the problems you have 
Though you stating vibration even after replacing of engine mounts scares me since I'm on my second set and at times it vibrates like a soft back massager.
Though you stating vibration even after replacing of engine mounts scares me since I'm on my second set and at times it vibrates like a soft back massager.
03-27-2008, 03:29 PM
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So after 2 months of constant pestering, I’m finally getting my engine replaced by Mazda.
My issues started when I purchased the vehicle from CarMax in mid-January, with 35k on the odometer. The car ran fine for about the first week, until the vibrations at idle started. I took it to CarMax and they recommended I take it to the Mazda dealership. I get there and explain the symptoms my car was experiencing. They took it back for inspection and found a leaking engine mount. That was replaced and after that the car ran vibration free…
…for about a day.
The vibrations came back, feeling no different than they did before. On top of this, I was experiencing the loss of power above 3k rpms. I bring the car back to Mazda and explain to the tech that I was having these issues. They pull the car back around for diagnostics and after about 20 minutes, they say they are going to try a reflash of the ECU. So I get that done and the car seemed like it was running fine again. I pull out of the dealership and get about 10 blocks down the street and stop at a red light…
…the car stalls out.
I tried to restart, but the rpms dropped again and the car stalled out. It did this about 3 times before I said “Screw it” and I kept my foot on the throttle to prevent the rpms from dropping to the point of stalling and did this the whole way home. I gave them the benefit of the doubt of the ECU trying to learn the new flash. I got home and left the car parked overnight and woke the next morning with the car running perfectly fine. It drove this way for about 2 weeks. Then the vibrations started again, and the loss of power was more pronounced now, especially in hot weather (read San Antonio). I bring the car back once again. Same drill; diagnostics and the tech says they will replace the coil-packs. So I get that done, and the car drives fine for about a week or so.
Same issues back again. This time with the MIAC sound accompanying the vibrations and loss of power. At this point I’m livid about this dry process of band-aid fixes. I swear I search this entire forum and read almost every related issue that others were experiencing. Then I Googled for the same info. I called the dealership inquiring about the well-known (or so I thought) compression issues with the 2004 engines and they claimed to know nothing about it. Hmm…that’s funny considering Mazda is kind of making a big scene over replacing these defective rotaries. So after speaking with two rather unhelpful service department managers at two different dealerships, I called Mazda USA customer service and spoke to a very polite and informed lady named Sherri. I explained the issues I was experiencing with my engine and the repeated visits to the dealership. I told her about all of the research I did on other owners having the same issues and suggested I believe I’m headed down that same path. Not once did she interrupt me or give a hint of disinterest the entire time I was explaining all of this, I might add.
Sherri told me that a new reflash just came out on 3/14/2008 (it was 3/17/08 when I spoke to her) and she put me on hold while she contacted the dealership I have been going to for car care. When she reconnected, she said she spoke to the service manager over there and said to let me get the reflash and to also perform a compression check and to send the results to Mazda HQ. I thanked her for her patience and understanding and end the call very satisfied.
I pull into the dealership on Thursday, 3/20/08 and when the service tech that approached my car asked me how he could help me, I told him I was there to get the new reflash that just came out. He asked me how I found out about it, almost like he thought I shouldn’t know about that. I told him my sources and he checked my car in and said they would have to hold my car until Friday because there were several other 8’s in the back getting serviced.
The next day the service manager calls me and tells me that they did the reflash with no problems, but they said the compression test results had to me sent to Mazda HQ, whom he said were closed and would respond back until next week. “No problem” I told him.
He calls me on Tuesday and tells me that Mazda didn’t like the compression numbers and have the dealership replace my engine, free of charge.
So the new (read refurb) is on its way and will be here by the beginning of next week and hopefully I can have my 8 back by the end of next week. I’m glad that everything finally got straightened out and I now have a new respect for the service that Mazda provides for its customers. I believe it’s a lot of the dealerships that give the company a bad name. And at the risk of sounding proverbial, in this case, the squeaky wheel got greased.
Thanks to the forums for providing the data needed for me to go into this informed.
CAR: 2004 RX8
ISSUE: Vibrations, Loss of Power, MIAC, Misfires
DEALERSHIP: Ingram Park Mazda, San Antonio, TX
TIME UNTIL ISSUES RESOLVED: Roughly 2 months
COST: Nothing
My issues started when I purchased the vehicle from CarMax in mid-January, with 35k on the odometer. The car ran fine for about the first week, until the vibrations at idle started. I took it to CarMax and they recommended I take it to the Mazda dealership. I get there and explain the symptoms my car was experiencing. They took it back for inspection and found a leaking engine mount. That was replaced and after that the car ran vibration free…
…for about a day.
The vibrations came back, feeling no different than they did before. On top of this, I was experiencing the loss of power above 3k rpms. I bring the car back to Mazda and explain to the tech that I was having these issues. They pull the car back around for diagnostics and after about 20 minutes, they say they are going to try a reflash of the ECU. So I get that done and the car seemed like it was running fine again. I pull out of the dealership and get about 10 blocks down the street and stop at a red light…
…the car stalls out.
I tried to restart, but the rpms dropped again and the car stalled out. It did this about 3 times before I said “Screw it” and I kept my foot on the throttle to prevent the rpms from dropping to the point of stalling and did this the whole way home. I gave them the benefit of the doubt of the ECU trying to learn the new flash. I got home and left the car parked overnight and woke the next morning with the car running perfectly fine. It drove this way for about 2 weeks. Then the vibrations started again, and the loss of power was more pronounced now, especially in hot weather (read San Antonio). I bring the car back once again. Same drill; diagnostics and the tech says they will replace the coil-packs. So I get that done, and the car drives fine for about a week or so.
Same issues back again. This time with the MIAC sound accompanying the vibrations and loss of power. At this point I’m livid about this dry process of band-aid fixes. I swear I search this entire forum and read almost every related issue that others were experiencing. Then I Googled for the same info. I called the dealership inquiring about the well-known (or so I thought) compression issues with the 2004 engines and they claimed to know nothing about it. Hmm…that’s funny considering Mazda is kind of making a big scene over replacing these defective rotaries. So after speaking with two rather unhelpful service department managers at two different dealerships, I called Mazda USA customer service and spoke to a very polite and informed lady named Sherri. I explained the issues I was experiencing with my engine and the repeated visits to the dealership. I told her about all of the research I did on other owners having the same issues and suggested I believe I’m headed down that same path. Not once did she interrupt me or give a hint of disinterest the entire time I was explaining all of this, I might add.
Sherri told me that a new reflash just came out on 3/14/2008 (it was 3/17/08 when I spoke to her) and she put me on hold while she contacted the dealership I have been going to for car care. When she reconnected, she said she spoke to the service manager over there and said to let me get the reflash and to also perform a compression check and to send the results to Mazda HQ. I thanked her for her patience and understanding and end the call very satisfied.
I pull into the dealership on Thursday, 3/20/08 and when the service tech that approached my car asked me how he could help me, I told him I was there to get the new reflash that just came out. He asked me how I found out about it, almost like he thought I shouldn’t know about that. I told him my sources and he checked my car in and said they would have to hold my car until Friday because there were several other 8’s in the back getting serviced.
The next day the service manager calls me and tells me that they did the reflash with no problems, but they said the compression test results had to me sent to Mazda HQ, whom he said were closed and would respond back until next week. “No problem” I told him.
He calls me on Tuesday and tells me that Mazda didn’t like the compression numbers and have the dealership replace my engine, free of charge.
So the new (read refurb) is on its way and will be here by the beginning of next week and hopefully I can have my 8 back by the end of next week. I’m glad that everything finally got straightened out and I now have a new respect for the service that Mazda provides for its customers. I believe it’s a lot of the dealerships that give the company a bad name. And at the risk of sounding proverbial, in this case, the squeaky wheel got greased.
Thanks to the forums for providing the data needed for me to go into this informed.
CAR: 2004 RX8
ISSUE: Vibrations, Loss of Power, MIAC, Misfires
DEALERSHIP: Ingram Park Mazda, San Antonio, TX
TIME UNTIL ISSUES RESOLVED: Roughly 2 months
COST: Nothing
What kind of loaner did they give you?
03-27-2008, 05:11 PM
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03-28-2008, 06:33 AM
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Though that may be true, I prefer to drive my second vehicle simply because I get more enjoyment from an MR-s than I would from the Nissan Sentra they offered me as a loaner.
The loaner was offered, but I declined. I got what I wanted. The 200 or so miles placed on my MR-s during the 8's downtime were going to get there eventually. So that statement seems rather petty, considering I ended up getting the cause of my problems corrected.
The loaner was offered, but I declined. I got what I wanted. The 200 or so miles placed on my MR-s during the 8's downtime were going to get there eventually. So that statement seems rather petty, considering I ended up getting the cause of my problems corrected.
03-28-2008, 06:42 AM
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Though that may be true, I prefer to drive my second vehicle simply because I get more enjoyment from an MR-s than I would from the Nissan Sentra they offered me as a loaner.
The loaner was offered, but I declined. I got what I wanted. The 200 or so miles placed on my MR-s during the 8's downtime were going to get there eventually. So that statement seems rather petty, considering I ended up getting the cause of my problems corrected.
The loaner was offered, but I declined. I got what I wanted. The 200 or so miles placed on my MR-s during the 8's downtime were going to get there eventually. So that statement seems rather petty, considering I ended up getting the cause of my problems corrected.
04-12-2008, 05:23 PM
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were you under the 5 year powertrain
i have an 04, and all i have left is the 5 year. i have been having similar issues, and was wondering if that warrenty would cover mounts and all of the other crap that dealerships have to go through (check list), in order to solve the real issue.
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