Well I have had the car since 03... but yes living in a rural area I do have to drive further than average. I have no idea what type of oil mazda uses, but the interval for oil changes was every 5000-7000 miles, looks like the air filter was replaced at 30K and then again at 55K. Oil (5W-20) was added every 2000 miles or so (which I can tell you if I knew I had to do this, I would not have bought the car! Nothing like seeing a woman pulled over at a gas station trying to get the oil cap untightened and having to ask for help! lol) My rx-7 did not require oil to be added. Gas was usually Exxon 93.

My recommendation to any RX-8 owner is as soon as you feel a loss of power at higher RPMs, or hear a pinging noise coming from the engine at higher RPMs, have a rough idle that drops so low or almost so low that it stalls, take your car to Mazda and don't leave until something is done about it! My mistake was listening to multiple mazda service people telling me the CEL light meant nothing (although it was on continuously) and I was imagining the performance problems! Now as soon as my car is out of warranty, they have decided I just have bad engine and it needs to be replaced. My engine is NOT blown -- it just has these same performance problems and same CEL code it has had since 18K miles, but is progressively stalling more and more and I am scared to drive it now! The last time it stalled I was at a red light blocking the intersection for 20 mins!

 

Everyone needs to see SimbaKui's inital post in the "So Who belongs to the New engine club?" thread. Wow -- it's gut-wrenching. No wonder she's upset and talking "lawsuit."

SimbaKui, I think it's safe to say we all empathize and sympathize with you and your situation. Your personal experience with the RX-8 reads like a disaster, and not unlike other kinds of disasters, there's a period of uneasiness and sometimes panic by others who fear they may be in for the same. Factor in some genuine love for the car by many on this forum and you're bound to find some stirred-up emotions.

Thanks to you, and everyone, for taking the time to "bear all," show us the scars, and report all the facts known to date.

I will now post in the "new engine club" thread with my thoughts on your "ultimatum."

--Keith

 

dont get me wrong i believe you have aproblem and am quite aware of the issue since i have been researching it since april. however the problem is smaller than it appears fromthe inflammatory posts. 200 engines (granted-so far) out of 30,000 or so in the US is still less than 1% given that all of the engines are hand assembled imho the problem is small.

it is no less alarming to have engines failing in these numbers under these conditions. and i am in no way trying to diminish the agravation it causes the owners.

 

that is what we have been addressing in this thread.

 

exactly thank you.

 

Thanks, great information.

 

not that you knew of. the rx-7 used more oil than the rx-8. you should have been adding oil to it as well. but you were probably doing oil changes often enouhg to not really worry about it.

very similar to what roxi had happen. even down to stallign in an intersection. here dealership told Mazda that she had only been in once for it and that the car was flooded. she had actaully spoken with them about the stalling 4 times previously.

 

Good info-Now what is your plan of attack. Let us know if you need any help!!

 

SimbaKui,

sounds like you need to make it known that you brought it in X number of times for the cel that was on and they dismissed it as nothing wrong, and now you do have problems because they would do nothing about it. The cel is there for a reason, to tell you something is not right.

 

Just started reading this thread this evening...

I have the SAME issue I'm afraid! I have an AT with 23K on it. I live here in NC so it's been very hot this past month and a half or so. Anyway, started noticing that when I would accelerate, I would here a funny noise under the hood (like loose marbles) and then it would be like the car lost power. Then about a week aftyer that, I came to a stop light and the car cut off on me. I was finally able to get it running again and drove it straight to the dealership. They had it a little over a week...said they called Mazda and did a new flash to the car...everything has been ok until today...starting hearing the noise again...and when I come to a stop, it's like the car idles very low and wants to cut off...it may very well be overheating (the fan runs forever when I park the car and turn off the ignition) but the temp gauge in the vehicle reads normal...not sure what to do at this point. I love my 8 but this does not look too good.

Let me know what you think.....

-Lance

 

What gas you use, 87 or higher? Your engine is pinging - this in itself means you have good compresion, so not sure why you think you have a problem other than the gas...

 

This is exactly what my car has been doing! A word of advice -- take the car in and leave it at the dealership until they replace the engine. They will tell you it is nothing, or they could not get it to duplicate the problem until you are at 50K miles. Then they will tell you that you have a bad engine. Many automatics are having this problem (something about a carbon residue build-up?) and the only way to fix it, according to my service advisor, is to replace the engine. I plan to sell mine as soon as they do as what is to say this same thing won't happen again with the new engine?

Good luck and please keep us informed on how Mazda helps you!

 

Could a problem with the EGI system lead to carbon buildup in the engine that ultimately leads to the engine failures in the ATs and some manuals? I noticed my car had a CEL code of evaporation system leak and the dealership did a bunch of work on the EGI system. Doesn't say exactly what though. I am told at 55K that I have a large amount of carbon buildup in the engine. Isn't this something that takes a long time to happen and shouldn't they have noticed this while the car was still under warranty? Same performance problems since 18K miles... but progressively getting worse (stalling more).

 

Your engine is blown

have the dealer to a compression check

get a print out of the results

plan on being without you car for somewhere between 30-45 days


Rob in Vegas

39 days without my car and counting.......................................... .................................................. .........

 

if he's pinging he still has compression. id like to know what gashe users and did he fill at the same place between the flash and now.

 

I have been using Premium fuel until recentley. Now I alternate between premium and midgrade.

 

ok. i apologize if i repeat anything that's already been posted in this thread, i was away for a week and missed many pages since i last posted. i'm now going on 27 days without my car, not as long as some other folks. i called magic on on sat and they told me engines and recall parts are coming in this week, and i might get my car back by the end of this week. what bothers me about this is that i still have not received any sort of letter from mazda, and no official recalls have been released. has anyone mentioned submitting a complaint to the NHTSA? http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ it basically seems as though there's a lot of people driving around oblivious to these problems until mazda notifies them. i know that would just create even more of a headache for them, but something as serious as mass engine replacement should force some sort of recall, no? i called the NHTSA a week after my car went in, and one of the rep's told me that if this isn't handled in a timely manner i should report it to them. they review and investigate every single claim submitted to them. mazda is taking care of this pretty reasonably for me, although i know there are others that aren't getting treated as well. but still, filing a complaint with NHTSA sounds like something many of us might want to consider, just so mazda handles this correctly with the people that don't know this could happen to their car?

 

Still waiting to hear from Mazda "new engine replacement". Have been without mine since August 3, 2005. Same problems so reported to NHTSA. Have left two phone calls and registered letter to Mazda NA since last Thursday, No return calls from Mazda x 2 now. Don't know how new engine is going to solve problems and why aren't we being notified by mail on all problems. Haven't received one notification yet since August 2003????

 

you never got a letter for the airbag recall?

 

I have contacted a lawyer here in the area that specialzes in NC lemon laws. I am now (unfortuntley) pursuing it this way and had to take my 8 back to the shop today for low idling issues agin....car keeps acting like it's gonna cut off...I'll let everyone know what happens....sad day!!!

 

[QUOTE=LanceaRoo]I have contacted a lawyer ...QUOTE]Sorry to hear of your plight. This my 4th and by far, best, RX-car. So far, at 52k miles, my '8 has been exceptional in every regard, in particular with a very free revving and strong engine! Hopefully, that has been the experience for most owners. I do subscribe to all the bad experience threads and it appears that the problems are statistically few, however severe. I wonder how your situation compares to similar or worse cases with other makes and models, in terms of how different makers respond to such complaints? Best of luck in getting your '8 squared away. - Gary

 

OK good news finally... Mazda called yesterday and agreed to replace my engine at no cost to me (after I retained a lawyer and threatened a lawsuit for a federal breach of warranty). However it would be with a remanufactured engine with a 12K mile warranty. Should I accept this? Has anyone else out there had a remanufactured engine rather than a new engine replacement? I cannot imagine wanting another previously "fouled up" engine in my car. What will prevent this from happening again? Comments appreciated...

 

Only if the car has 12K or less remaining on the original warranty. Legally, I think Mazda has the option to repair or replace, at their option. They don't have a right to shorten the original warranty period though, without arguing abuse.

Remember, there aren't many parts to a rotary. I'd think a rebuilt would be fairly equivalent to new.

 

yes she is out of the original warranty period. this is a very good resolution. just 2 things - make sure this is being offered by MNAO and not the dealer. dont want any issues out of town. second who is the rebuild coming from?

 

On the bright side, a rebuild ought to be available much faster than the 2 months the new engines seem to be taking.
--R