Like many others My gas mileage stinks. I get 12-13mpg in the city.
I have done mostly city driving, and I have not been shifting much over 3000rpm on average. I warm up the car though. I usually wait to see the temp guage move before I do, some mornings that is about two minutes idling.
I smell fuel in the exhaust all the time and I know it is set up rich.
Some have reported an ECU flash that helps lean the mixture and improves the mpg.
What are the things one must complain about to the service manager to trigger him to do the reflash?
All I have is poor mileage and occasionally it stumbles until it gets warm. I thought I'd get the ecu flash when the airbag and heatshield recalls get done.
Dave

 

I believe that poor mileage alone should do it. I'll know for sure later today.

 

Wait am I missing something? There's an available ECU flash for the car?

 

Yeah; in some other threads people say there's a mileage reflash available now, to lean out the mixture. Check out the Canzoomer mod threads, which discuss how Canzoomer has changed his piggyback computer to work with the reflash.

 

Crump, I'm curious as to how you're measuring your mpg. Are you measuring it per fill up? I only ask because I've noticed my gas guage is not entirely accurate. I seem to burn through the first half of the tank in about 100 miles, and then the last half drains very slowly. It isn't from varied driving, either. This happens everytime. And my fuel light comes on when I have about 3 gallons left in the tank.

 

Oh, and I get about 17-20 mpg, depending on driving habits. I'm kinda worried the reflash will muck up my mpg. Wouldn't that be ironic?

Regardless, I want to toss the dice and get the 'L' reflash as well. Here is the service bulletin for it:

http://www.finishlineperformance.com...ocs/01-007.htm

 

I have a CEL now - plus have had engine flooded once and a number of hard starts - getting about 15 to 17 mpg on 70% highway but spirited - up to 85 mph on way to work at least three times in 8 miles.

I plan on requesting new hotter plugs - along with updated ECU flash - at first dealer service next week.

John

 

I didn't have to give a reason, I just asked and they did it.

One visit I got done:
ECU reflash
Airbag recall
Damper recall
A/C upgrade (they're ordering a new part)
Shifter check
Oil change
lug nuts tightened

Phew!

 

Originally posted by DisneyDestroyer:

"A/C upgrade (they're ordering a new part)"

Now what's this upgrade? The cycling issue, or what?

Thanks.

 

Hopefully where it is made colder hehe.

 

I just emailed my dealer. Waiting to see a response. Thanks, forum!!

 

OK, so I dropped off my 8 today at the dealer. Here's what I complained about, and what I got:

(1) A/C cycling: Topped off freon
(2) Airbag recall: Fixed
(3) Tranny heat shield recall: Fixed
(4) Broken driver's seat track rear cover: Replaced
(5) Vent blows warm/hot: No fix available
(6) Poor mileage: No fix available, and during a test drive the ECU/O2 readings showed a normal fuel/air mixture.

As for (6), I was hoping for the reflash, but my service rep had no idea what I was talking about. I even heard him call Mazda NA to ask about it, and they didn't tell him anything. I think he was telling me the truth. He said that if I could find out from you guys which dealerships have performed the reflash, he'd call them and get more information. He also said that his dealership had never reflashed a single RX-8, ever.

So ... if he's bluffing, which I don't think he was, I want to call his bluff. If he's not bluffing, I want to follow up. Please help me out, guys:

If anyone has had a mileage reflash done, please tell me (p/m or reply here) (1) which specific dealership did it, and (2) where that dealership is located. Thanks!

 

Maybe the best thing would be if we could get our hands on the 'L' reflash file, and someone would post the .bin file here on the forum. Then, we could just download that and walk to the dealer...
Wonder if they'd know what to do with the .bin file :D

 

I had the reflash done.

I did not even ask for the reflash or complain about anything involving a reflash. The dealer did it as a matter of course. When they told me that they had reflashed the ECM, he said that Mazda is always changinf these things, and this is the new set-up so they just popped it in. That was the good thing about my dealer service, and they did the two recalls also without really consulting me.

I can't tell you if there is an advantage to the ECM reflash since my car had a misfire before I took it in, and it still has that misfire. The car does seem to run a little more powerfully than before, but it is hard to tell due to the misfire.

To answer your question, my dealer is in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and it is called Brandywine Mazda.

All the best - Haze

 

Thanks, Haze!!

 

Haze... that's the way all dealers should handle these issues. Be proactive and care about your customers... find a way to help them, not reasons to blow them off.

 

The new part they're ordering is an "A/C Amplifier" I have no idea what it is, the tech and service advisor are discussing with MNAO, I'll post more info when I get the Queen back this afternoon.

 

OK, I just got my car back. They found a leak in the AC compressor, so they're ordering a part to replace it. GREAT JOB to John Hine Mazda for spending so much work to figure out what's up.