Looks like my dealer should have a replacement engine in for me by Monday. They say the install should take 1 1/2 days once they get it in.

Its been having a lot of trouble with losing power since April/May 2008 and its just been getting worse. I had taken it to the dealer 3 times this summer before this for loss of power, but nothing they did was really making the problem go away. I probably could of got Mazda to swap it before now, but I just hadn't been putting miles on the car this summer since buying a Motorcycle, so it would take a few weeks between services for it to have a chance to fail on me again. My engine only had 26K miles on it. It had its first power loss at 18K miles, but then was fine the next morning and didn't have the problem again for a year.

The dealer hasn't been able to tell me anything about the replacement engine yet. I hope I get a good one from Virginia (new maybe?) and not a left over from that Williams place.

 

Please give us all the info on your car and how it was driven. Short or long drives, every day transportation, service done, any thing that might be of interest. thanks...

 

Yikes, maybe lack of being driven did it

 

It's been my daily driver for over 4 1/2 years. Sometimes it only gets driven 9 miles a day to work and back, but it gets its share of errand running too. It also gets some spirited country back road driving about once every week or two, and has made some 2-3 hour trips once or twice a year.

My weekday commute is highway, but it's only in 2 mile stretches at a time, so my gas mileage has always been on the low end. I have made a point to redline it nearly every day once warmed up, and I'm no grandma when driving. I'm usually moving through the traffic, and my RPM's usually gets varied frequently when driving. My tank full's use to average around 15-16 MPG when new, but it dipped down below the teens when I started having problems this spring. My MPG's averaged by the tank full haven't come back up above the 14's since services for loss of power began in July. My driving habits have stayed pretty consistent over the last 5 years.

As for as service history, it has needed very little. I got the MSP04(?) flash + oil change back in October 2004, and its stayed away for the dealer since then, up until July 2008. I've done my own oil changes every ~3,000 miles, Mazda filter + crush washer and Castrol 5W-20 dino oil.

The first time I had a sudden power loss, it was a +100°F day and I was going up a slight hill. After that it was fine the next day when I started it up and stayed fine for the next ~10 months. When I started having the sudden power losses this year, the weather had just started getting up to ~70°F again and the power loss would be brought on by a higher engine load (going up hills or carrying passengers) plus higher ambient temps. It has gotten so bad now that either condition alone will bring about a power loss. If the power loss is severe the exhaust sounds have a lot of crackling and popping noise (very loudly if driving near walls).

I took the car to my dealer in July for the MSP16 (loss of power) and also to have the car checked for the other outstanding recalls that it didn't need. They installed new spark plugs and a newer flash for MSP16 and did some other checks (I've never been able to get much details form them on just what checks they've done). The car felt good with the new plugs in, probably had a little different power curve from the flash too. But this has been an intermittent problem, so it usually behaves fine while at the dealer, since the engines not being loaded on a hot day.

Well a couple weeks later on a trip to Seattle it happens again, so back to the dealer it goes. This time they check the car and again have another new flash and ask me to try it and see if it has fixed the problem. After getting a few more miles on the car it happens again, but worse. Now it seems to be weak or very weak every time I start the car, so I take it back into the dealer again. This time they actually do the decarb procedure. I pick the car up and it feels very close to being normal again.

The last power loss I had happened just a couple weeks after the decarb while driving on a group cruise last weekend. It was only 55°F outside at the time and I lost allot of power when going up a hill. Returning home on the freeway I was holding freeway speed, but was it very weak, I would have to floor it sometimes to hold my speed. And then about half a mile from my house it died at a light and would NOT restart. I had to push it through the intersection and into a parking lot. After sitting for just a minute or two it restarted and limped home.

My dealer let me know that when an RX8 has the power loss issues the techs call a Mazda hotline and it's actually Mazda that guides them on what to do next step by step. I believe even though it may seem like the dealer has been dragging their feet towards fixing this issue, it has just been Mazda trying to resolve the problem one fix at a time. And after bringing it back to the dealer a forth time after my last ordeal, they have finally decided to swap the engine.

I do have a lot of uneasy nerves over getting a reman, plus dealer install and any other direct or indirect problems that can happen as a result, but I'll be glad to hopefully have a reliable car again.

 

I'm assuming Mazda has not released the % of failed motors yet, even though it tracks them internally, and will not release them unless ordered to do so by a court of law (via discovery) in a legal action.

I highly doubt Mazda could credibly construct an argument for not releasing such data to a Plaintiff's attorney if a lawsuit involving the motor makes it to court.

 

i have a reman.

i got a very good one.

i don't think there's much to worry about there anymore.

 

i have a 2007 motor...it does sound a little bit different but nothing much changed.

 

on my second motor not including the orignal.seems like after the recall the baby went downhill fast.since this new engine i find myself taking it easy and holding the rpm's under 8,000. it's a 2004 6speed,only mods are intake and ms exhaust.just a question every now and then i get the 2004 code for the port valves stuck open what can i do the help this problem from getting worst?

 

Sorry, but I really have no ideal about that problem. Good luck finding an answer though.


However, I did get my car back from the dealer last night. They had it for less than a week and a half. The engine arrived from Virginia. It feels like the day I bought the car again, Yeah!!! I also got the new faster spinning starter. And while it was all apart they changed out my noisy throw out bearing, which they said was worn, but it was loud from the time I bought the car new. Only had to pay for the cost of the bearing, no labor charge.

I think my car is happy again, and it should be reliable again too!

 

i just joined the new motor club. i received a new motor not a reman. i'm still breaking it in at about 160 miles or so . another 840 or so to go!

 

Well when you get to #4 let me know.

 

^^ no one breaks engines quite like you do Easy!

 

Have you ever driven with Easy? No more comment needed.

 

so if youre engine dies out, do they give you a new one or a rebuilt one?

 

My guess is that a customer would get a reman unless there were none available at the time; in that case a new engine would be used.

L8tr, out of curiosity, have you been using pre-mix? If so, for how long and what type?

 

dozer: depends on current engine supply. There are some remans out there and Mazda even has some new engines they're using

 

soooooooo lets say my engine gives out, can they give me an 09 engine or are they gonna give me a "new" 08 or 07 engine?

 

you won't get an 09 engine.

You'll get a reman'd 04-08 or you'll get a new 08. Some of the remans they're making now are REALLY good. (one of the members here works for the plant)

 

wow....now i want my engine to give out so i can have a "newer" engine, thus giving me MORE time with my 8

 

Damn, Im still on #1, I suck

 

Any reason why Mazda won't give out 09 engine as replacement? wiring compatibility? I presume it fits in the engine bay.

 

I believe there are also ECU differences?

 

I'm sure it would be a wiring/ecu thing. It's gotta know how to run that extra OMP I figure.

 

No, I've never used any pre-mix. I was considering it for the new engine, but I'm not sure if there's really much benefit from doing it? It would seem that much of my old engine's problems were do to the damage done from running the old flashes for years.

I'm definitely no expert on pre-mix, I haven't been able to read through very much of the monster pre-mix threads. Would I be crazy not to use pre-mix on this engine from the start?

 

L8r, I don't think you mentioned changing coils...
Just a thought.