Akron/Cleveland 8 Owners.
03-19-2009, 01:52 PM
#4851
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hello...how's it goin fellow akron/clevelanders?
i almost traded my 8 for an 08 mx5 hardtop gt...dealer wanted to rip me too much on my trade though...so, i walked.
here's what i was going to get:
i almost traded my 8 for an 08 mx5 hardtop gt...dealer wanted to rip me too much on my trade though...so, i walked.
here's what i was going to get:
03-19-2009, 03:41 PM
#4853
Gophericer...?
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jangle i recognized your avatar you were one of the first to post in this thread back in 2005, I figured since you disappeared from the thread you must've sold your 8.
I'm guessing since the trade didn't work you still have the 8 I hope?
I'm guessing since the trade didn't work you still have the 8 I hope?
03-19-2009, 05:50 PM
#4854
So I've been talking with teknics the past few days since he is a Mazda Tech.
I've always had a problem with people posting how to clear the PCM because of a popular MazdaManiac's post:
I've always known this to be wrong because holding down the odometer only takes you into a diagnostics screen to display various outputs, NOT to clear anything from memory.
Hell... I even made a DIY showing how to go into this and check the various outputs:
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-diagnostic-outputs-155947/
I never wanted to call Jeff out on this because I didn't have any official proof that he as wrong (and you guys know how he is).
So I asked teknics for some official documents that I can review and he made a "DIY: The Real Way to Clear the Memory" thread that is a good read:
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...45#post2923345
Figured some of you would like this
I've always had a problem with people posting how to clear the PCM because of a popular MazdaManiac's post:
There are two reset procedures, one for the NVRAM and the other for the KAM. Neither will erase your radio presets and such like the method SpooledUp7 posted:
1) With the key in the off position, press and hold the odometer reset button and turn the key to on;
Continue to hold the odo button until the odometer reads "TEST" and then release.
2) Turn the key to off and repeat step one.
This will reset the entire PCM except the KAM which contains the sensor profiles amongst other things. You can reset it with the familiar procedure:
1) Turn the key to on
2) Depress the brake pedal rapidly 20 times in a row until the oil pressure gauge sweeps to halfway and back again.
1) With the key in the off position, press and hold the odometer reset button and turn the key to on;
Continue to hold the odo button until the odometer reads "TEST" and then release.
2) Turn the key to off and repeat step one.
This will reset the entire PCM except the KAM which contains the sensor profiles amongst other things. You can reset it with the familiar procedure:
1) Turn the key to on
2) Depress the brake pedal rapidly 20 times in a row until the oil pressure gauge sweeps to halfway and back again.
Hell... I even made a DIY showing how to go into this and check the various outputs:
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-diagnostic-outputs-155947/
I never wanted to call Jeff out on this because I didn't have any official proof that he as wrong (and you guys know how he is).
So I asked teknics for some official documents that I can review and he made a "DIY: The Real Way to Clear the Memory" thread that is a good read:
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...45#post2923345
Figured some of you would like this
03-19-2009, 06:53 PM
#4855
It's Not Easy Being Green
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Nice Jon.
Clutch switch installed and is working perfectly. Here's the problem:
I'll give ya one guess which is the new one and which is the old one that wasn't working.
So I tried opening up the switch and still haven't figured it out (even though I've had it open before...). But looking at it I decided since the thing is screwed up anyway why bother opening it...
So I just pulled the thing and sure enough it popped right out.
Now what's interesting is the 'teeth' you can see in the pic on the new switch seem to be able to restrict the backward motion of the plunger.
When I put my clutch down the first time with the new switch it obviously engaged but it appeared to move the plunger down a few notches in the teeth.
So I think what happened with mine and doc's is that the plunger got moved down a few notches. Had we just pulled on the **** I think it would have lengthed out all the way and that would then enable the clutch to push it down far enough to make contact.
Which of course means the welds didn't have **** to do with any of it. At least if for whatever reason the bend Jon made on Doc's clutch isn't quite working right Doc should be able to reach underneath and just pull out the plunger a little more and the thing will work again.
Clutch switch installed and is working perfectly. Here's the problem:
I'll give ya one guess which is the new one and which is the old one that wasn't working.
So I tried opening up the switch and still haven't figured it out (even though I've had it open before...). But looking at it I decided since the thing is screwed up anyway why bother opening it...
So I just pulled the thing and sure enough it popped right out.
Now what's interesting is the 'teeth' you can see in the pic on the new switch seem to be able to restrict the backward motion of the plunger.
When I put my clutch down the first time with the new switch it obviously engaged but it appeared to move the plunger down a few notches in the teeth.
So I think what happened with mine and doc's is that the plunger got moved down a few notches. Had we just pulled on the **** I think it would have lengthed out all the way and that would then enable the clutch to push it down far enough to make contact.
Which of course means the welds didn't have **** to do with any of it. At least if for whatever reason the bend Jon made on Doc's clutch isn't quite working right Doc should be able to reach underneath and just pull out the plunger a little more and the thing will work again.
03-19-2009, 07:15 PM
#4857
It's Not Easy Being Green
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Oh and I talked to Chickenwafer about a post he made a while back regarding the prosport premium water temp gauge reading ~10 degrees lower than the Cobb. Turns out you and John were right and the gauge, per Prosports instructions, is grounded in such a way that he had 10ohms on his ground. So he did another ground to the chassis. I'll do the same on that and my oil adapter. There's a little hole in the water temp that I think I can put a screw in (it doesn't go all the way to where the water streams) and just hook a ground up to that.
Is it better to use the same gauge wire for a ground or a bigger gauge wire (like 16?). I know I want the least amount of resistance but I don't actually know how to translate that into wire gauge.
03-19-2009, 07:29 PM
#4858
Easiest way to think of gauge wire is to think about it as a water line.
If you have a 2" diameter hose and then install a 1.5" diameter hose, you'll have RESISTANCE because it has a smaller passage way.
This is why you should never use electrical wire smaller than the source wire.
The resistance will cause the wire to get hot and possibly catch on fire.
If you have a 2" diameter hose and then install a 1.5" diameter hose, you'll have RESISTANCE because it has a smaller passage way.
This is why you should never use electrical wire smaller than the source wire.
The resistance will cause the wire to get hot and possibly catch on fire.
03-20-2009, 06:33 AM
#4861
It's Not Easy Being Green
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But if the clutch isn't engaging or you have to put it so far down on the floor it's hard to get it to engage you might want to give it a shot. Montrose doesn't stock the switches but I got mine in just a few days for $30. And it -is- the same switch as a Lincoln LS (whatever year I wrote earlier) so you can probably get it at a ford dealership as well.
We can look at moving the meet up a week. The 24th was pretty arbitrary. If everyone can do it on the 17th then we might as well do it then.
03-20-2009, 08:24 AM
#4863
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no, i didn't sell my 8...just disappeared for a while cuz i had a lot going on in my life...yep, still have my 8...still love it...thought about trading it on the mx5 hardtop because i'm sick of only getting 14 mpg...well, that and the mx5 is a lot of fun too
03-20-2009, 09:21 AM
#4864
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If you have then the only way you should be getting that low consistently would be if it was all aggressive city driving or if your engine is low compression.
03-20-2009, 10:00 AM
#4865
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That's pretty terrible. I get 18-19 mpg in mixed city/highway driving. You done all the 'normal' improvement steps (ie. add drop in K&N filter, replace coils/plugs, put in a better weight oil, keep your tire pressure up)?
If you have then the only way you should be getting that low consistently would be if it was all aggressive city driving or if your engine is low compression.
If you have then the only way you should be getting that low consistently would be if it was all aggressive city driving or if your engine is low compression.
03-20-2009, 10:42 AM
#4866
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Still seems a tad low (I got ~24 mpg with the AC off going to Seven Springs and back) but that's definitely better. Definitely never meant to be a city commuter car.
03-20-2009, 05:03 PM
#4868
Anybody want to guess what I just bought?
Slight hint (which may not be so helpful): I laughed when I saw a Racing Beat sticker on the wrapping.
The quarter was obviously just used to show scale.
AND NO.. I'm not talking about the TomTom, the Coors Light, or the Dremel (I sensed some smart-asses out there)
Slight hint (which may not be so helpful): I laughed when I saw a Racing Beat sticker on the wrapping.
The quarter was obviously just used to show scale.
AND NO.. I'm not talking about the TomTom, the Coors Light, or the Dremel (I sensed some smart-asses out there)
Last edited by Jon316G; 03-20-2009 at 05:06 PM.
03-20-2009, 05:15 PM
#4869
It's Not Easy Being Green
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Anybody want to guess what I just bought?
Attachment 135518
Slight hint (which may not be so helpful): I laughed when I saw a Racing Beat sticker on the wrapping.
The quarter was obviously just used to show scale.
AND NO.. I'm not talking about the TomTom, the Coors Light, or the Dremel (I sensed some smart-asses out there)
Attachment 135518
Slight hint (which may not be so helpful): I laughed when I saw a Racing Beat sticker on the wrapping.
The quarter was obviously just used to show scale.
AND NO.. I'm not talking about the TomTom, the Coors Light, or the Dremel (I sensed some smart-asses out there)
I have no clue. I shouldn't have given up my trick of identifying the item by the jpg name.
03-20-2009, 08:01 PM
#4871
Gophericer...?
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03-20-2009, 08:06 PM
#4872
SHKWAV
he bought a lot of nasty beer and the quarter was what he has left over for change.
:p
Well, one side appears to have a hex-head on it... you talking about the black thing the quarter is sitting on or the smaller brass thing with two bolts stuck in it?
:p
Well, one side appears to have a hex-head on it... you talking about the black thing the quarter is sitting on or the smaller brass thing with two bolts stuck in it?