I've got an '04 RX-8 (9/03 build) with about 33,000 miles on it. Recently, it was at the dealership for 4 days having ALL its airbag wiring replaced - we discovered through a check because my airbag light had flickered, that about half the airbag circuitry wasn't working.

Well, with major surgery like that (literally half of the interior was out of the car), you can imaging that things are f'ed up.

The first thing that came to light is that the rear doors are being restricted for travel when they open because the seatbelt retractors mounted in them for the front seats are locking up when you open the door quickly. I've never seen that problem before this.

Then over the weekend, it has taken to spontaneouslly locking itself - the worst instance was yesterday at the gas station. I hopped out of the car, shut it off, leaving the keys in the ignition, to pump gas. As I was standing there pumping gas, I heard the door locks click - the damn car locked itself! With my keys in it! I had to call my wife who ran the extra set over - to let me out.

Anyone ever have anything like this?

When is my lease over?

Stew

 

ouch stew! sorry to hear that. nope never heard of anything like that before.

must be related to my ghost in the head unit ...

 

My car does that sometimes. I also have airbag systems problems. I had some sort of sensor replaced several months ago because my airbag light came on and stayed on. After it was replaced, the light turned off and everything was normal. Now just about 2 months later, my airbag light comes on and stays lit again. grrr

 

My previous 04 AT did it to me once at ~20K miles - no explanation, no error codes or lights from anything, no major surgery; it never repeated this behavior up to the 33K I traded it in at. I was standing next to it, keys in ignition, engine off - then click! We were able to get into it with a Z-Tool device. I now keep the keys with me no matter what.

 

I've had my drivers side airbag replaced twice and the passenger bag replaced once. Now that I think of it, my seat warmers both stopped working just after the double bag replacement. That was another day in the shop.

 

I'm sorry to hear about you guys experiencing this kind of trouble. Could it be that the battery in the remote is starting to die and cause havoc on sending signals when the buttons aren't being pressed? How about the contact on the buttons are worn and occasionally making contact even when the buttons aren't being pressed? I know the tv remote starts to do some really bizarre things when the batteries are about to die. I don't know, just throwing some ideas around. Goodluck.

 

Mine did that once. Only 7 or 8 thousand miles on it, absolutely no troubles. But it locked itself while I was pumping gas. All I could think of is that I had opened the trunk, and maybe it locked on the 30 second rule after I closed the trunk.

Key was in my hand, so there was no problem. I never leave the keys in any modern car unless a window is open - I've heard too many tales of cars locking themselves.

Ken

 

If you're talking about the crazy display blinking all over the place, try having them replace the CD player, that's what cured my problem.

To fix it they replaced:

my display,
wire from radio to display
radio
cd player (finally got it)

 

The last day of my trip, I stopped off in Myrtle Beach. I was showing my 8 off to a fellow 8 owner. Started the car, revved it up, got out to pop the hood, and sure enough my doors locked. My car was running for almost an hour before we got it open.

 

I swore I have had the doors lock automatically on me. I told the dealer and they said that should never (can't) happen. I thought I had been mistaken. Maybe not.

 

Happened to me as well. Pulled up to put air in the tires, left the car running. Got out, closed the door and as I was checking the first tire pressure, click! Damned if I know what caused it. Driver's side door had been unlocked when I got out but the passenger side was locked. So maybe some interlock automatically relocked it.
To add insult to injury, cell phone was in the car had to borrow the attendant's phone. My wife was out of town, so I had to look up the neighbor's number (again because everything is in the cell) call them, have them use their spare keys to our house to get the 8's valet key and come get me.

 

+1

After you've experienced a gremlin-induced event like that, you'll never completly trust the car's electronic brains again

The only (rare) times I leave the keys in the car, driver window is down and I'm nearby or I already have the GFs set of keys in my pocket "just in case".

 

It could be worse... picture this: you left the key in the car with the window down and all of a sudden the window closes by itself and THEN locks the doors by itself. Now THAT would be messed up.

 

My car locked itself once, lucky that happened when I was at my garage. I just ran to get my Valet key and open the door.

and there was a time that when I tried to pump gas, I got out of the car and as soon as I closed my door , the lock just *click*. I was like wtf ? lucky I roll my windows down b4. or else I would have to wait there like an idiot for 1 hour (yep, I was FAR away from home) before my brother can get me my valet key.

After that, I learned to *open the freaking window* before Im out of the car.

Never had a problem with the airbags tho, 29K miles now.

 

and then spun it's headlights around 360° and pea soup came out of the engine!

 

back when I had the auto my car horn would randomly honk....while I was driving ...while the car was parked.....one time I even dared my car to honk when I came into the garage that night having heard some noises...and it obliged.....

also my GF can back me up in saying that on THREE seperate occasions someone screamed in the trunk!! Sounded like alittle girl...

the first time it scared the **** out of me...I pulled the car over checked the trunk....empty......

also whenever I would turn up the radio really loud it sounded like a muffled voice was saying something completely seperate in the background....

one time I cranked the car all the way up on a rap song ((some chingy BS)) ...anyways I started hearing the voice...and then the loudest scream ever came from the back seat.....

needless to say I traded the car in and now have my MT

 

One one hand, I'm glad I'm not alone. On the other hand, I now have no faith that this problem will ever be fixed.

OY.

With apogies to Janis Joplin's soul:

Oh lord, wont you buy me a Mercedes-Benz ?
Been drivin a Mazda, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So lord, wont you buy me a Mercedes-Benz ?

 

I've had my car lock itself when turned off after closing the trunk. Luckily, I've trained myself to keep my keys on me at all times since my last car would always autolock 30 seconds after the keys were out of the ignition.

 

At least it doesn't lock itself and drive off.

 

Guess I have that going for me, which is nice.

C&D: Are you a pilot for UAL?

 

Are you sure you can not program the remote to do it?

Mine does it all the time.

 

Christine

 

interesting topic.

i've noticed that my car auto-locks too when i close the trunk. but, i'm not sure how it works exactly.

sometimes when i slam the trunk shut, i immediately see the alarm lights flash once to indicate the system is armed. but, sometimes it doesn't do it. i'm not sure what i did differently each time. but, what i do know is that every time i do have the key in my pocket (ie not in the ignition).

does the interior have to be fully-unlocked for it NOT to do it? or is there really a 30 second time rule?

can someone explain to me how the auto-locking feature is supposed to work on our car? sorry if this has been answered somewhere else alredy. i just saw the thread and was wondering...

thanks

 

Well, I can't answer Detrich's question, BUT, I just figured out something key - the door switches are not working. To wit:

1) My seatbelt retractors keep sticking and restricting the ability of the suicide doors to open. Those are controlled by the door switches and have pre-tensioners in them as part of the SRS system.

2) My dome light does not come on when you open the door, in "door" mode.

3) My door ajar warning light doesn't illuminate when you open the door with the ignition on.

4) There is no "key in the ignition" chime when you leave the keys in the ignition, the engine off, and open the driver's door.

So, when the ******* at the dealership who worked on my car did the SRS wiring harness replacement, they screwed up the door switch circuitry somehow. Hopefully, just a simple connection to be made and back in business.

Does anyone know if this car's wiring system works on a true harness system (where each item has wires directly leading to the appropriate switches, fuse panel and the battery), or does it work on a "central bus" system, where there is a power wire and a signal wire to each item - if the appropriate signal comes down the signal wire, the item takes action - or if it's something like a door switch, it's sending the signals. All the items use common bus circuitry.

I would guess this car is a normal harness setup, not a bus setup, but who knows. Many Japanese cars now use the central bus setup.

Anyway, I think I'm closer to the problem.