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04 rx8 wont start!

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Old Mar 4, 2011 | 06:31 PM
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04 rx8 wont start!

I want to start by saying I searched the forum for solutions for this problem and couldnt find any so here comes my post..

My car (04 rx8, 56k miles, MT) started last night without any problems.. Tonight when trying to get it started I just hear a click noise, not a loud click noise but one coming from the fuse box located in the front of the car which I guess is normal.. Engine won't turn..

Security system light (RED car w/ key) keeps flashing when key in ON position.. So I´m guessing immobiliser..

The car is in my shop so someone could have used it to jump start another car, or removed the battery and connected it on wrong polarity but I checked all the fuses and they are fine, I changed all the relays and still the same..

I own a Launch X431 and now it wont connect to the car.. And it used to before this incident..

Does anyone have an idea?

Thanks in advance..
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Old Mar 5, 2011 | 02:21 AM
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I'm not 100% sure but i think you need a new starter. You said a click, so it's not the battery. If it's clicking, then it's the battery. Good luck.
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Old Mar 5, 2011 | 03:07 AM
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Originally Posted by monchie
I'm not 100% sure but i think you need a new starter. You said a click, so it's not the battery. If it's clicking, then it's the battery. Good luck.
Eh, it could be the battery... Low voltage can make the starter click but not give it enough power to turn over the engine. That would be my first guess... Get someone to come over with some jumper cables and try to jump you off... If it works, then it's most likely the battery. If jumping it off doesn't work, then it's probably the starter...
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Old Mar 5, 2011 | 10:31 AM
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I had jumped the car and replaced the battery and nothing changed.. The click is not the starter clicking.. its just the relay in the fusebox..
I did some more research and found the immobilizer error codes.. You read them with the flash of the security light..

DTC Table (Immobilizer System)
Security light flash pattern:
∩__∩_________ = No detected communication with the coil

that would be my error..

so, since I have another RX8 in my shop I replaced the Immobilizer coil (the one in the steering column) with the other one.. and still no positive results..

Could it be some ground issue? maybe on the immo or ecu? Im running out of ideas..
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Old Mar 5, 2011 | 01:40 PM
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try a different key?
is it locking/unlocking normal?
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Old Mar 5, 2011 | 03:13 PM
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Originally Posted by jasonrxeight
try a different key?
is it locking/unlocking normal?
I only have this one key.. The keyless entry controller isnt working so well, but since the car is kind of new, never realized if it was working before.. The LOCK button doesn't lock the doors in my car, but when I press the red PANIC button, I can stop the horn from ringing using the lock button, I also reprogrammed it to rx8 number 2 and it worked fine..
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Old Mar 8, 2011 | 01:01 PM
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Anybody has an idea?
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Old Mar 8, 2011 | 01:28 PM
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Has it had a remote start system installed?
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Old Mar 8, 2011 | 03:27 PM
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Originally Posted by staticlag
Has it had a remote start system installed?
Nope, no remote start system.
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Old Mar 10, 2011 | 09:44 PM
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Finally! Problem solved!
It will make me sound kind of dumb but I will share my story just in case someone suffers as much as I did the last few days!
Well someone had tried to move my car, and for some strange reason the clutch stopped reaching the clutch depression sensor. So this guy took out the ecu fuse and when he put it back, he put it in the wrong slot, so ecu was out of power, resulting in no crank on engine, immoby light, and no communication on diagnosis!
When I checked the fuses I just did cotinuity test. So they where all fine. Finally realized it was misplaced and put it on the right place, adjusted the pedal and voila!
Thanks to everyone who helped me these past days!
Back to enjoying my ride!!
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Old Mar 10, 2011 | 09:48 PM
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Oooooops!

Glad it's back and running!
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Old Jun 4, 2011 | 03:52 PM
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WA yikes!!

Same situation happened to my 8 this morning .
I'm hoping its just the pedal because I noticed its been a little flimsy
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Old Jun 7, 2011 | 03:40 AM
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Turns out the pedal position is not the problem
Key light is flashing
Key fob works except for the LOCK button.
Can't reprogram my own key. Tried to but the "door open" light is on so i'mguessing that is interfering with the "press door sensor 3 times" step
Haven't checked the fuses but I don't think I need to.
called mazda and all they would tell me is to bring the car in fml..
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Old Jun 8, 2011 | 08:06 AM
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First of all, if I were you, I would check all the fuses i both fuse boxes..

The lock button doesn't work because the "open door" light is open.. You should try and disconnect the sensor on the door you think isn't working and the light should stop turning on..

Check the fuses and post the results..
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Old Jul 20, 2011 | 03:47 PM
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https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-trouble-shooting-95/freak-alternator-belt-failure-kills-ignition-%3D-tow-219919/ Read this post. You are right it is the Security lockout. Only Dealer can fix it with Harry Potter wand. Hope you can get a free tow there. BTW it was my Engine 15amp fuse that was blown. Also the "clicking" noise is the relay in fuse box = normal. Means it's working.

Last edited by twistedwankel; Jul 20, 2011 at 03:49 PM.
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Old Mar 17, 2013 | 06:46 AM
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This just happened to me! Was going to get it towed to mazda and I checked fuses and bam!! Engine fuse was busted. Thanks heaps guys
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Old Jul 23, 2013 | 08:37 PM
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Hey guys, I have a 05 RX8 AT and i few weeks ago i noobed it and got the wrong battery and blow my 120A main fuse. So I replaced it, but the car still will not start. I still get the constant honk when the new battery (RIGHT BATTERY FOR THE CAR) is hooked up. I took the horn fuse out so it wouldn't do that while i checked my gauge cluster. I turned my key to the on position and I have a red flashing light (car with a key in it) when i go to start it I get nothing, but a click sound. Not a CLICKING sound, but just a click.
called Mazda and they had nothing so they told me to bring it in.
I only have 1 key. (the main key with all the controls)

PLEASE HELP! I CANT AFFORD MAZDA AND I NEED THE CAR RUNNING!

Hey guys, I have a 05 RX8 AT and i few weeks ago i noobed it and got the wrong battery and blow my 120A main fuse. So I replaced it, but the car still will not start. I still get the constant honk when the new battery (RIGHT BATTERY FOR THE CAR) is hooked up. I took the horn fuse out so it wouldn't do that while i checked my gauge cluster. I turned my key to the on position and I have a red flashing light (car with a key in it) when i go to start it I get nothing, but a click sound. Not a CLICKING sound, but just a click.
called Mazda and they had nothing so they told me to bring it in.
I only have 1 key. (the main key with all the controls)

PLEASE HELP! I CANT AFFORD MAZDA AND I NEED THE CAR RUNNING

Last edited by RIWWP; Jul 23, 2013 at 08:52 PM.
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Old Jul 23, 2013 | 08:57 PM
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Merged posts, please don't post the same question in multiple areas of the forum, it's called spamming.

Red flashing key symbol is the immobilizer. Do some searches for trying to reset it on here, but likely you will need Mazda's help.

I think this is the 4th or 5th person in the last week or so that connects a battery wrong, or the wrong battery, or jumps the car backwards, etc...

Without blunting it any:
It is entirely possible you fried one or more electrical modules. This isn't going to be a quick fix, and it will only be a cheap fix if you are REALLY lucky.

Every electronics module in the car is interlinked with the ECU, so even if you just get a replacement, you will still need Mazda to link them up so they will talk to each other.


Check every fuse in both fuse boxes, check every relay, and start testing every module.
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Old Jul 23, 2013 | 09:08 PM
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Sorry, I wasnt trying to spam. Anyways, considering what you said and how much would i be looking at to have Mazda go over the car and fix with whats wrong with it. (cheapest fix to most expensive fix. like fuse replacement cost to whole ECU replacement cost)
I have a way to tow it in so thats covered.
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Old Jul 23, 2013 | 09:27 PM
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As little as the 1 hour diagnostics fee, like $89 if you end up with an easy problem and a good technician. It could literally be thousands if you have multiple modules blown and/or incompetent technicians. The ECU is $1,800, most of the other modules are over $1,000. Diagnostics could take hours or days at an average of $90 an hour.

I'm not saying to tow it in, I'm saying you need to do the diagnostics yourself to pinpoint the issue, but that the issue is going to almost certainly include a Mazda dealer.

This isn't going to be simple at all, not simple for someone to give you a quick answer, and not simple to work through stuff to figure out what went wrong. It's going to take effort. Start with the workshop manual, and keep going through every step you can find. Some of them take special diagnostics tools, which you obviously can't do, but you need to rule out as many possibilities as you can.

We can help you through it, but you have to at least start the process, and we can assist with guiding you or clarifying stuff, but can't provide precise answers.

When voltage runs backwards through the car enough to blow the main fuse, it's going through the electronics before it gets to that fuse, and it's doing so in uncontrolled and dangerous levels of current.
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Old Jul 23, 2013 | 09:43 PM
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I went over all the fuses today before I posted on here. They are all fine and the only fuse I blown was the main fuse. I replaced that. Everything on the car works, but when i go to turn over the engine all i get is a click. its hard to tell for certain where the click itself is coming from since im in the car, but it is a noticeable click.
Now, im not a very experienced mechanic with stuff like this. Where and what should I be checking next in the car?

And a side question. If Mazda told me what was wrong and i bought the parts to fix it (somewhere besides Mazda. like went to a wrecker and got them off a not badly wrecked rx8 of the same year.) how much in would Mazda charge to link up these parts?

Thank you for the help. I truly appreciate it.
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Old Jul 23, 2013 | 09:48 PM
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Probably 1-2 hours of diagnostics charges.

The click could be a number of different things. The fact that you have a flashing key indicates that either the immobilizer module is blocking you, or the immobilizer isn't connecting to the ECU. IF this last point is the case, it could be either the ECU or the immobilizer is damaged, or both, or just connections between them.
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Old Jul 23, 2013 | 10:01 PM
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Is there a way to check and see if its just Immobilizer blocking me? Or would that be a Mazda only thing?
If it is the Immobilizer blocking me is there a way to unblock it?

(Now while I waited for the right battery and a new fuse, i did have to move the car about 10ft. If that gives you any help.)
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Old Jul 23, 2013 | 10:06 PM
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https://www.google.com/search?q=site...w=1379&bih=738


Start some reading. No, most threads won't have your answer, but there are lots of things to try in those threads. I've never dealt with an immobilizer issue personally.
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Old Jul 23, 2013 | 10:07 PM
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Thanks for the help.
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