This story, while true, is generally meant to be humorous and/or entertaining. If you don’t want to read it all, you can skip to the point at the end, and I won’t harbor any bitterness.


So, I got an ’09 8 back in late July and have been loving it ever since. Recently I decided to add some oomph to my sound system and, long story short, installed two 10s in the rear for some much needed high-watt thumpage. Of course, I wanted to give the speakers a proper inauguration, so I dialed up my gain, set the bass control to +6, and kicked the stereo to 30 or so. I was mildly pleased. It hit hard, but at the 96 kbps bitrate which FM radio transmits, there were a lot of artifacts. The solution was simple, go get my mp3 player.

Now, you may be wondering where I’m going with this story, and I’ll get there. I get back home, load up some bass-heavy essentials, and head back down to the car. I take a seat, draw back the console and pop it open. I dig around through my loose change, pens, and Leatherman. Where the hell is the input jack? Maybe it’s in the back console, I think to myself, leaning in through the car as I slide the cubby open. Nope. Not in the back console. Ashtray? Flip it open – Fail. Glove compartment? That’s ridiculous. I check. It’s not there. Do I have a media input jack? I swear the sales rep said it came with one. It never occurred to me I should actually look. I tire of my search and pull out the manual. AUX in section. There’s a line-art picture and some text telling me to keep the cover on it and not spill any liquid in it. Thanks Mazda.

So, I give up on looking, and decide to focus on whether I should have it or not, rather than where it is. Maybe I made a mistake, maybe I was misled. It could have been an option. Maybe it was only with the Bose system. I head back to my computer and bring up MazdaUSA. I bring up the ’09 RX-8 and compare the trim levels. I read down the feature list, and there it is: Auxiliary audio jack. Shift my eyes over to the Sport trim column – standard. So… what am I missing? I grow weary of trying to figure this out myself, and decide I’ll head to the dealership the following day. They know me there, after having my tranny grenade within the first two weeks of ownership, leaving my new car shop-ridden for two weeks.

Anyway, tomorrow comes, and I go visit my dealer, just a couple miles down the road. Brad, the service tech greets me by name, which is kind of cool, and kind of depressing, both at the same time. I tell him that it’s not a problem with the transmission, and they’re all relieved. However, I would like to know if my car has an auxiliary input jack, and where it is. No problem, he says, and come out to have a look with me. He goes through, more or less, the same process I did, with no further success. Maybe the sales rep knows, he suggests, and calls one out. George, the same guy who sold me the car comes out. He’s nice, and his wife was an old teacher of mine (Completely irrelevant, but thought I’d pass on a good name.) Yeah, it has an audio input jack, he assures me, waving a brochure for the ’09 8 which points out the feature as standard. I repeat, Not an option. George can’t find it either. He also checks the glove box, and also thinks it would be ridiculous in there. They ask for my manual to see if they can find it. They concede that the manual is useless, as did I. He asks to see the window sticker, which I happen to have as well. The window sticker blatantly advertises the presence of an auxiliary audio jack.

George figures he’ll check another ’09 8 on the lot, just to compare. He pulls one up, and we all take a look inside. Plain as day, there’s an audio jack in the back of the console. It’s right there next to the 12 volt accessory outlet. The accessory outlet, mind you, is mounted on a little panel within the console, and is easily removed. This one happened to have the outlet and jack side by side. Mine has a 12 volt plug mounted right in the middle. Weird.

I suggest that, maybe when they were working on the tranny, they removed the console, and accidently replaced my hole cover (as the part is actually called) with that of a prior year’s 8, which wouldn’t have an AUX-in. I think, at least. They claim they didn’t touch this part of the console. I’ll let it slide, I just want resolution at this point.

We go to see Terry, the service manager, who I’ve also spoken to on numerous occasions now. She asks to see the manual, I give it to her. She find the AUX-in page, and lets me know that I should keep the cover on, and not let any liquid enter the jack. I assure her that I’m aware, and would be happy to keep any liquid out of the audio jack should I have one. She confers with parts, and after a short while confirms that there is only one hole cover, and one part number. It is not sold with or without audio jack.

She suggests, since the part is easily removed, and that it most certainly is a stock feature, they could swap out mine with that which is in the lot’s car, and order a replacement for their own. Great! I wait about five minutes while they do this and read Motortrend. I notice a factoid that says, in the late 1800s there were 4 cars registered in the United States. Two of them crashed into each other in St. Louis. (I may not remember the factoid correctly, use it at your own risk.) Terry comes back with a grin. I am anxious for good news. I didn’t get any. Apparently the panel with the aux jack didn’t fit in my console. It was too wide.

What?

I’ll recap, for anyone skipping ahead. It’s a standard feature on all the ’09s – not an option. How could it not fit? They don’t make two. They make one, and it should always fit. Snugly.

Not if your console is from an ’08. Oh. Wait, what?

Apparently, I have one of the first ‘09s, and god knows what other “unique” intricacies it has. Among them, however, is the full console of an ’08 model.

I realize I dragged this out, and it may have seemed epic for something so simple. I was just entertained by the whole process, and thought I would share it. For those who need to hear the story to fruition, Mazda will be replacing my full console and hole cover at no charge. I will hear 192kbps music… in my Frankenstein Eight.

 

what the hell? You have an '08 console in your "'09"? That's really sketchy (I wonder what else in your car is from an '08)??

 

That's weird, what are they going to do about it? Anything?

 

You sure you got an 09 tranny and engine in there too?

As I was reading I was about to say "yea.. mine's in the console flip-open area next to the 12v plug.."

I'd ask for a new 8 honestly.. who knows what other parts might not actually be 09.

 

hmm since people like nvrfalter have actually seen your car i guess we cant call "pics or it never happened".

i'm going to point some mazda people at this in case they have a bigger issue.

whats weird to me is that this could happen at all since they started production for other countries BEFORE they started ours.

i'm sure if the dealer has reported this correctly there is a n investigation going on and part tracking back to the production date

 

Wow, that's weird. Keep us updated.

 

holy smokes Batman, this is really weird. BTW, great story telling, I was fascinated from start to finish.

Don't worry, Zoom is on the job and I expect a complete investigation on this matter and a report on my desk by tomorrow morning. (don't forget the cover page on that TPS report)
In all seriousness though, I don't understand how in the world this could have happened.

 

Not trying to thread jack, but I think this is relevant.

I took my 8 in and got a new battery last week. While I was waiting I asked the assistant svc manager if they had any 09s in yet and this is what he said.

Manager - "I don't think they are going to make the RX8 for 2009".
Me - "They are already out"
Manager - "Oh yeah, I think they have a new turbo engine in them"
Me - "Oh really, cool (sarcaism)"

are you freakin kidding me. You are a service manager for a car company and you don't even know about your cars.....give me a break!

 

lol what are the odds of 2 of the 4 cars in america running into each other

but seriously insist you should be upgraded to R3 trim free of charge

 

so now mazda has officially read this thread and the tech guys will be on it and look out for any more.

as they said at least the dealer is going to fix it.

 

This isn't a unique happening.

Remember the saga of the "Oldsrolets"? (Might have been some Buickolets, too.)

Some time back GM ran short of Olds engines, so they put Chevy engines in a bunch of them. Owners did not discover the switch until a year or two later, when the warrantees were up and they started going to independent places for oil changes and the Olds oil filter didn't fit. Some found out when a fan belt or hose blew.

Glad they're going to swap the right part in. GM refused to make good on their swap. In the ensuing lawsuits, they even got Cale Yarborough to testify that he used a Chevy engine in his NASCAR Oldsmobile because it was a better engine, so the Oldsrolet owners should be happy that they got such a deal.

Ken

 

PICS OR IT NEVER HAPPENED!!!!1!! i have never seen this mans console!!! hhaha

 

As long as the console didn't come from the Cougar Ace...

 

nice i guess we need the pics then-

 

By request, below are thumbs of '09 and console, lacking audio jack.

The dealer has yet to call me back about status of the part, but I'm patient when it comes to things like this, and actually like the people who work there. So I'm not too inclined to hassle them... yet.

 

that's the new black color? looks good

 

It only looks black when in shade or under fluorescent lighting. If the sun hits it, the flakes reflect a yellowish hue and the car looks bronze. I think it's pretty sweet, and looks wicked on a sunny day with the double Rejex coat I have on it.

 

Whats under the car cover next to it

 

Dad's '09 GT500. He got it about a month after I got my eight, and promptly began asking why I bought such a piece of **** car. Funny guy, huh?

Seriously though, it's pretty beastly. I take it out as I please, usually just on nice days. It's fun at a red light, but I still prefer my eight on the twisties. If I had the ***** to open the Shelby up on the corners, it might be more fun, but right now the power just scares me. If I can crash a lightweight FF like my first car (93 MX-3), god knows what destruction I can bring with that.

 

sweet ride, I knew it was something cool seeing as how the OTHER car had a cover and the 8 didnt

 

it appears he is telling the truth... to the UNTRAINED eye hahaha

yeah dude that sucks. i would kill for that jack on an 04