I got my second RX8 several weeks ago (took the trade in to save $8K). The car I got had the spare tire kit pre-installed by the dealer (I didn't need it, but they took it off the price since they couldn't take it off).

Mazda in their infinite wisdom put the tire on the top of the trunk, right below the trunk light. This blocks all light from the bulb. Has anyone come up with a solution to this design flaw (short of removing the tire). The service manager at the dealer saw it and agreed that it was a design problem, but his checking indicated that Mazda had no fix for it.

Other than this, the location of the controls for the Navigation system, and the normal rotary torque related issues (I've owned 2 RX7s before these RX8s), I have no major gripes about the car.

 

Search for the direction on spare tire installation, then reverse them and demod your car. I have the spare tire kit, but have not installed it yet. I think I am going to devise a way to put anchors on both sides of the trunk to use cargo straps/cargo net to tie it in when I need it (trips), and easily remove it when I don't (locally).

 

If you didn't want the spare tire in the first place, how about just removing the spare tire? The mounting bracket can be left in place -- it doesn't block any light by itself -- plus it provides the added bonus of bracing the rear damper mounts.

Then, of course, should you decide you actually want a spare, you'll still have the option...

 

My '8 came with the spare kit installed and it too blocks the trunk light. The only solutions might be to extend the light wiring harness and mount the light somewhere else, or install a different light. I have done neither.

In my mind the easiest answer is to buy one of those battery-powered dome lights that Home Depot (I think) sells for the closet, and attach it somewhere else in the trunk with double-sided tape. Tap it to turn it on when you need it. Don't forget to turn it off when you're done.

Also, the Miata vendors sell a lot of trunk light kits, some hard-wired and some battery powered, since the earlier Miatas lacked OEM trunk lights. Check out www.miata.net and look at the product review and vendor pages.

Now, can anyone tell me why my spare kit included a sturdy nylon strap with a rubber-coated steel hook at each end? When I use the spare, does the strap enable me somehow to secure the OEM flat tire/wheel in the trunk? I guess I should dig out the instructions from my file cabinet but it's at home, and I'm not right now.

 

I would just suggest removing the spare tire kit and using the free roadside assistance.

 

And I considered that option, too, but a lot of threads on that issue (do a search) have convinced me not to remove the spare. Maybe you've read them already, and I won't cut and paste them here, but I've seen some very eloquent explanations of why it's nice to carry a spare. So long as it doesn't prevent me from bringing enough luggage, I think I'll leave my spare in place.

 

It's designed to support the weight of the spare as you remove or refasten the securing bolt - you hook one end around the spoke nearest you, and the other end over the trunk lip. As you suspected, it's covered in the instructions.

 

Thanks, Eccles! I wish I had known that earlier: When I removed and replaced the spare for fun (!), it was a real bitch supporting its weight with one hand while trying to turn/engage the screw with the other. :o

 

Since I have the spare tire kit, I would prefer keeping it. No room in the trunk Also, if I get a flat, I would rather not have to throw out the tire (read other threads). As to road side assistance, it's great if you are near a phone or if you are in a location that isn't in a cellular dead zone. Unfortunately, I don't have a cell phone, and when I did, my experience is that lots of areas I drove in had dead zones.

I could put my own light in. I would rather Mazda deal with it, since it was their option that caused the light to be useless.

Of course, in 20+ years of driving, I only had 3 flats, one of which was a slow leak and one of the other two was a sliced sidewall.

 

since Mazda decided the spare would be an option they were probably not overly concerned about the trunk light issue for those sissies (like me) who'd want the spare If they get enough complaints maybe they'll modify it in later model years. Not too big of a deal; I've gone 13 years without a trunk light at all with the Miata, and it never was an issue. However, since there IS a trunk light here I'd probably take the time to re-locate it. More of a nuisance to have something that works dumbly than to not have the thing at all...

 

I agree: Mazda's not going to do anything for existing cars; it's too tiny of an issue.

But this thread inspired me, at lunch, to drop by my local hardware store and buy a $1.99 closet light ("Premium Anywhere Light"). You push on the dome to turn it on or off. It takes 4 AA batteries. Made in the scenic People's Republic of China. I moved it around my trunk with a vague notion of attaching it inside there somewhere (on the side?), but it's not a great fit--a little too big, and cheap looking. Anyway, I suspect it would do the job if I were hard up for light in there. Since I'm not, I may just put it in my house somewhere.

 

i tried removing the strut that holds the tire, and it is impossible to remove, had to get an air compressor the bolts.