There goes my baby, towed off to the dealership.

The clutch started feeling funny last night, not coming back up all the way after being depressed, like it would come up half way, hesitate, then pop up the rest of the way. Today it started again, so I called the dealership, and then just as I hung up with themm the clutch went flat to the floor and didn't come back up. I kind of pulled it up with my toes and it seemed fine, then it did it again. So out came the tow truck. I won't hear anything until Monday. And in the meantime I'm driving my daughter's Saturn. lol

I have 49,731 miles on the car, so the warranty is not quite up, but the Mazda guy said clutch stuff is not covered anyway, like brakes aren't.

Anybody got a clue what I'm in for here? Is this going to be one of those $700 heart attacks?

 

Now would be the perfect time to get a better clutch. There are cheaper, and better, altrnatives than the dealer.

 

Makes sense... but the car's at the dealer already so unless I can call them and tell them to put in something else (which I doubt they'll do) I probably missed that opportunity!

 

POWERTRAIN LIMITED WARRANTY
Powertrain Warranty Parts List
Below are the powertrain components covered under the Powertrain Limited
Warranty:
�� Engine
Cylinder Block, Cylinder Head, and All Internal Lubricated Parts (Piston engines)
Rotor Housing and All Internal Lubricated Parts (Rotary engines)
Timing gears
Timing chain/belt and tensioner
Timing chain/belt front cover and gaskets
Flywheel
Valve Covers and Gaskets
Oil Pan
Oil Pump
Intake Manifold and Gaskets
Exhaust Manifold and Gaskets
Engine Mounts
Turbocharger Housing and All Internal Parts
Supercharger Housing and All Internal Parts
Water Pump and Gaskets
Thermostat and Gaskets
Fuel Pump
Seals and Gaskets
�� Transmission and transaxle
Transmission Case and All Internal Parts
Torque converter
Clutch Pressure Plate
Transmission Mounts
Transfer Case and All Internal Parts
Transmission/Transaxle Control Module
�� Front/Rear Drive System
Final Drive Housing and all Internally Lubricated Parts
Rear Axle Housing (Differential) and all Internally Lubricated Parts
Manual and Automatic Hub (4×4)
Front Wheel Hubs and Bearing (FWD Transaxles)
Rear Axle/Hub Bearings (RWD and AWD only)
Axle/Drive Shafts
Universal Joints
Constant Velocity Joints
Propeller shaft (RWD and AWD only)
Seals

 

Your Clutch Master is not working, try to bleed the clutch, if the fluid comes out gray, yep, your clutch master has gave up.

 

oh crap. I'm dead

 

You made me quit lurking and make an account finally! There is a TSP on this I think. Something about clutch release. So that thing about it not being covered is wrong probably.

 

I love you Vash lol

 

In case it's not obvious, I'm "just" a girl, I can't bleed master valves or cylinders or whatever, and the car has already been towed to the dealer, so I'm pretty much at their mercy. Even if I knew where else to take it, which I don't, I can't get it there unless I get it towed again... I have skills but not ones to help me with clutch stuff. lol

 

Look in the sticky called New tech service b's. I was reading up cause I am gonna buy a used RX8 soon. One of them said somethign about difficult clutch release.

 

Thanks, I'll find it and print it and take it to the dealer. I've been pretty happy with Faulkner in Philly, so I'm going to try to stay positive and hope for the best (or at least reasonably affordable!)

 

if its just the slave cylinder that would be easy ... for ppl with a lift, it takes no more than 30 minutes to replace. then maybe another 15 minutes to bleed everything. and the part is cheap too.

But I have a feeling they gonna ask you to replace everything *clutch yada yada yada*

 

thats highway robbery.

at local shop

For Labor, 350 the most (any shop can replace a Maunal Transmission clutch, not like this is GR6 kind of tranny)
Parts, 400 bux the MOST, includes everything too.

and no tax ... shhhhh

 

are you sure the bracket didnt break?

 

No, I'm not sure of anything! I just know I was in the dealer Thursday to swap out a bad LED, which they didn't even charge me, then the next day the clutch felt funny but I thought maybe it was because I was driving with flipflops on for the first time this season. lol Then today it was definitely weird. When my Integra did this, the clutch pedal just flopped onto the floor and stayed there. With the 8, it kind of slammed down on the floor, but then I could lift it up and it kinda snapped back into position. I just have no clue, wish I did.

 

Go back to diagnosis and reject the original finding. http://www.finishlineperformance.com...4-06-1641a.pdf

 

Hey! I drive an auto!!!

 

Man why don't you step off. Calling people Douch.. is this the RX8 forum welcome wagon? She can check to see if her VIN match and or the TSB was done. It won't be a waste of time to look into.

 

nobody's perfect.

 

Lmao

So much for it being funny... CRH you can call me a douche any day!

 

YAY, my VIN definitely is lower than that cited in the TSB. So there's hope that this is covered after all? Or, actually, more than hope... expectation? Woohoo!

It was really interesting reading the TSB (thanks Vash!) because it describes exactly what happened. It mentions hot temperatures, and this started as I was driving three solid hours in stop-and-go traffic, and the free play is exactly what happened, the the difficulty in disengaging.

Gotta love this forum for all the info and, um, interesting way it's presented! Thanks everyone! I'll post an updated after I get word from the dealer.