Canzoomer Stage 1 - Engine issues...
02-04-2004, 03:19 PM
#27
Not so Super right now
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BTW, in case you all thought I would just go to another dealer about my issue, check out Mazda's official stance on FM tuner radios such as the XM commander:
(Note that the red LCD is not related in any way to the stereo connections necesary for the XM commander, yet this is what they said to a detailed explanation of the problem)
Dear Yuri,
Thank you for contacting Mazda North American Operations. I appreciate
the opportunity to respond to you.
The dealer is correct. Mazda cannot recommend or guarantee the use or
durability of after-market products. As such your manufacturer's
warranty will not cover complications resulting from the installation
of after-market equipment. The after-market radio would be considered
an alteration to your vehicle and complications resulting from this
alteration are not covered under warranty as specified in your Warranty
Information booklet for the 2004 RX8 on page 11.
Again, thank you for contacting Mazda. It has been my pleasure to
assist you. Please feel free to reply to this message with any further
questions or comments.
(Note that the red LCD is not related in any way to the stereo connections necesary for the XM commander, yet this is what they said to a detailed explanation of the problem)
Dear Yuri,
Thank you for contacting Mazda North American Operations. I appreciate
the opportunity to respond to you.
The dealer is correct. Mazda cannot recommend or guarantee the use or
durability of after-market products. As such your manufacturer's
warranty will not cover complications resulting from the installation
of after-market equipment. The after-market radio would be considered
an alteration to your vehicle and complications resulting from this
alteration are not covered under warranty as specified in your Warranty
Information booklet for the 2004 RX8 on page 11.
Again, thank you for contacting Mazda. It has been my pleasure to
assist you. Please feel free to reply to this message with any further
questions or comments.
02-04-2004, 03:53 PM
#28
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Note than it says complications resulting from the installation will not b b covered by warranty. Basically the can't void ur warranty or ur engine or most other parts of ur car because u installed this. They would have 2 prove this aftermarket product is what caused the problem to not fix it under warranty. It is illegal for the dealership to void your warranty if they cannot prove the aftermarket product is what caused the problem.
02-04-2004, 04:09 PM
#29
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This letter is too general. Having aftermarket equipment installed only effects the warranty associated specifically with the items directly related to the installation. If I install a new deck and amplifier and my headlights go out, there is nothing I would have done to cause a defect in the lighting. They can't come back to me and say you messed with the electrical system so now the whole electrical system is out of warranty. It just doesn't work that way. Now if the stock amplifier blows that is a whole different story.
02-04-2004, 04:25 PM
#30
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See 93rd, thats EXACTLY what my dealer is claiming and when I explained that, I got that useless crap back from Mazda. I have continued to try to clear it up, but there is no resolution yet.
02-05-2004, 08:58 PM
#32
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Guys,
I also work in a dealership, you are forgeting that it is not the dealer that refuses a warranty claim, it is the manufacturer. The dealer still gets paid for doing warranty work, so it is not in his best interest to refuse a claim, it will just put the dealers customer offside. So give the dealer a break he is trying to offer a service to the consumer. Yes i accept that there are dealers out there that have and will do the wrong thing, but i bet mdw33333 you too have people whom you have dealt with, who for one reason or another have had reason to complain about your service, and probably if you asked these people an opinion of your business they would not give it a glowing recommendation. But as with everyone not everyone out there has great opinions of every business or even idividual. My point, is there will always be issues that we all have to face, just dont think that all dealers are the same, and quite often they are left to represent sometimes a bad decision that a manufacturer makes.
Dale
I also work in a dealership, you are forgeting that it is not the dealer that refuses a warranty claim, it is the manufacturer. The dealer still gets paid for doing warranty work, so it is not in his best interest to refuse a claim, it will just put the dealers customer offside. So give the dealer a break he is trying to offer a service to the consumer. Yes i accept that there are dealers out there that have and will do the wrong thing, but i bet mdw33333 you too have people whom you have dealt with, who for one reason or another have had reason to complain about your service, and probably if you asked these people an opinion of your business they would not give it a glowing recommendation. But as with everyone not everyone out there has great opinions of every business or even idividual. My point, is there will always be issues that we all have to face, just dont think that all dealers are the same, and quite often they are left to represent sometimes a bad decision that a manufacturer makes.
Dale
02-06-2004, 02:29 PM
#33
The Stickinator
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As posted in another thread, and maybe we can just go back to the old thread for this conversation, MNAO cannot refuse to warranty anything unless they can prove that an aftermarket part was the problem or that it was driver/owner error or neglect. Don't check or change your oil for a year or more, don't expect Mazda to foot the bill to replace your engine.
Try to do the XM Radio install yourself and short out the ECU, don't expect Mazda to jump into repairing it. However, If you have an issue with the display after the XM Radio installation but you in no way tampered with it during your installation then you should be able to get the problem fixed under warranty. Do a search.
Now, Canzoomer I am interested in the warranty you are offering on the Stage I ECU upgrade. I saw mention of it previously in this thread but I didn't see a response. I am interested to know what it covers.
Try to do the XM Radio install yourself and short out the ECU, don't expect Mazda to jump into repairing it. However, If you have an issue with the display after the XM Radio installation but you in no way tampered with it during your installation then you should be able to get the problem fixed under warranty. Do a search.
Now, Canzoomer I am interested in the warranty you are offering on the Stage I ECU upgrade. I saw mention of it previously in this thread but I didn't see a response. I am interested to know what it covers.
02-07-2004, 11:52 AM
#34
Forum Vendor
Questions asked:
"What warranty do we provide?"
If it is broken, we fix it.
If it is obvious that YOU broke it through some action of clumsiness, accident, or tampering, we reserve the right to refuse warranty.
If it is a minor thing, we will probably fix it anyway, though.
"What is the warranty return policy?"
Contact us by email, we will assist you in diagnosing the problem, and if necessary provide a Fedex account # and necessary documents to return it for repair.
"What amount of time does this repair process take?"
Transit time by Fedex is usually 2 days each way. Turnaround here is 2 days. Total time: 1 week.
"What if I do not like it, and want to return it?"
If you are not satisfied, we will accept a return.
You need to contact us and request this return within 15 days of your receiving the unit, for this to apply.
Shipping costs remain at your expense.
When we are contacted we will try to resolve the issue, and if not successful, we will issue you an RMA # for return.
Upon receipt of the kit back, in good order, within 10 days of issuing the RMA #, we will refund your money, by the method that you have paid us.
"Will the Stage1 kit damage my car?"
There is no reason it could/should damage your car.
Having said that, the fact is that while running with this, the exhaust gas temperatures are slightly higher, so the catalytic converter life MAY be shorter than stock. Mazda originally tuned the RX-8 to meet regulations that called for the catalytic converter to last at least 50,000 miles. They were prevented from providing the cars here and in many other markets, due to the introduction of the new 2004 regulations, which apply to cars even if sold in 2003, as it is a 2004 model year release. New EPA2 regulations call for a 120,000 mile converter life, and Mazda responded to EPA2 by de-tuning the car. As we restore approximately the original tune parameters, I would expect the catalytic converter life to be similar to the original planned one.
Having said that, as there is no long term testing yet, we can only speculate.
We do know that installation of the Stage1 kit produces less carbon build-up on the spark plugs and exhaust, so spark plug life should improve, and exhaust plugging be less likely. It will also help to diminish flooding a small amount. Owners have reported smoother idling and running in general, with less misfiring, with Stage1 turned on.
Our tuning parameters are very similar to the original RX-8 ones, similar to the Japan spec RX-8's. If Mazda beleives that this is a "safe" performance level, we do not disagree!
Running with ANYTHING that improves power output may result in increased tire wear, and shorter engine, clutch, brake, transmission, and driveline life.
Finally:
"Is running the Stage1 legal on my car?"
You will have to check with your local authorities on this.
Most jurisdictions provide a method and place for you to have your car tested for emissions compliance. This testing is the only way to answer this question with any level of certainty.
If you are concerned with this, and intend to use this kit on public roads, we suggest that you contact the local authorities for this information BEFORE purchasing the parts from us.
This will not be considered a valid reason for return.
As a general policy statement, we intend to do our utmost to make our customers satisfied with our products. Where fault can be shown to be ours, we will provide a solution, or a refund. If anyone acts unreasonably, we reserve the right to refuse their business.
"What warranty do we provide?"
If it is broken, we fix it.
If it is obvious that YOU broke it through some action of clumsiness, accident, or tampering, we reserve the right to refuse warranty.
If it is a minor thing, we will probably fix it anyway, though.
"What is the warranty return policy?"
Contact us by email, we will assist you in diagnosing the problem, and if necessary provide a Fedex account # and necessary documents to return it for repair.
"What amount of time does this repair process take?"
Transit time by Fedex is usually 2 days each way. Turnaround here is 2 days. Total time: 1 week.
"What if I do not like it, and want to return it?"
If you are not satisfied, we will accept a return.
You need to contact us and request this return within 15 days of your receiving the unit, for this to apply.
Shipping costs remain at your expense.
When we are contacted we will try to resolve the issue, and if not successful, we will issue you an RMA # for return.
Upon receipt of the kit back, in good order, within 10 days of issuing the RMA #, we will refund your money, by the method that you have paid us.
"Will the Stage1 kit damage my car?"
There is no reason it could/should damage your car.
Having said that, the fact is that while running with this, the exhaust gas temperatures are slightly higher, so the catalytic converter life MAY be shorter than stock. Mazda originally tuned the RX-8 to meet regulations that called for the catalytic converter to last at least 50,000 miles. They were prevented from providing the cars here and in many other markets, due to the introduction of the new 2004 regulations, which apply to cars even if sold in 2003, as it is a 2004 model year release. New EPA2 regulations call for a 120,000 mile converter life, and Mazda responded to EPA2 by de-tuning the car. As we restore approximately the original tune parameters, I would expect the catalytic converter life to be similar to the original planned one.
Having said that, as there is no long term testing yet, we can only speculate.
We do know that installation of the Stage1 kit produces less carbon build-up on the spark plugs and exhaust, so spark plug life should improve, and exhaust plugging be less likely. It will also help to diminish flooding a small amount. Owners have reported smoother idling and running in general, with less misfiring, with Stage1 turned on.
Our tuning parameters are very similar to the original RX-8 ones, similar to the Japan spec RX-8's. If Mazda beleives that this is a "safe" performance level, we do not disagree!
Running with ANYTHING that improves power output may result in increased tire wear, and shorter engine, clutch, brake, transmission, and driveline life.
Finally:
"Is running the Stage1 legal on my car?"
You will have to check with your local authorities on this.
Most jurisdictions provide a method and place for you to have your car tested for emissions compliance. This testing is the only way to answer this question with any level of certainty.
If you are concerned with this, and intend to use this kit on public roads, we suggest that you contact the local authorities for this information BEFORE purchasing the parts from us.
This will not be considered a valid reason for return.
As a general policy statement, we intend to do our utmost to make our customers satisfied with our products. Where fault can be shown to be ours, we will provide a solution, or a refund. If anyone acts unreasonably, we reserve the right to refuse their business.
02-07-2004, 10:21 PM
#35
F125er/Future RX-8er
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Maurice... one last one.
Have you ever run Stage 1 on 87 or 89 octane? I know in the "pre-release" posts you said you'd recommend 89 or 91, but I'm just wondering if you (or anyone) has tried it with 87 or 89.
Thanks.
Have you ever run Stage 1 on 87 or 89 octane? I know in the "pre-release" posts you said you'd recommend 89 or 91, but I'm just wondering if you (or anyone) has tried it with 87 or 89.
Thanks.
02-15-2004, 10:39 PM
#37
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I do not have the Stage One unit... trying to order it now.... but I have run my stock 6MT RX8 on 89 Octane and the engine was ... noisy fo the lack of a better word. Gas mileage seemed a little better for the first tank and then there was no difference between 89 and 91 Octane mileage.
I do get better mileage on 89 than 91... am forced to mix at the station most of the time.
I do get better mileage on 89 than 91... am forced to mix at the station most of the time.
02-16-2004, 12:01 AM
#39
Metatron
iTrader: (1)
RacerGuy.....
RacerDave -
I just finished a test of my 'Zoomer mod and a tank of 87 (87.1199 to be exact!)
The fuel part is accurate, but the power part is not too scientific, just 'butt-dyno' results and 'watching-for-dash-lights'.
No real problems, power felt comparable, no CEL's thrown, no flashing lights, no limp mode. I am at 3000 ft altitude, so that has to be noted, people closer to sea-level MAY have issues.
S
I just finished a test of my 'Zoomer mod and a tank of 87 (87.1199 to be exact!)
The fuel part is accurate, but the power part is not too scientific, just 'butt-dyno' results and 'watching-for-dash-lights'.
No real problems, power felt comparable, no CEL's thrown, no flashing lights, no limp mode. I am at 3000 ft altitude, so that has to be noted, people closer to sea-level MAY have issues.
S
02-16-2004, 07:33 AM
#40
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Do both of ur 8's get similar gas milage?
Interesting...
I probably drive my car harder... with occasional high rev runs...
My wife does not drive as fast but shift at a higher RPM on a regular basis.
I get between 20 and 21.5.
My wife gets 18.5 to 20.5.
I think driving style is the main reason for mileage differences. By the way... I think my wife's car is faster.... They are both really stable at high speeds. We were running at 120+, side by side on the interstate and it was really comfortable, with lots of peddle left.
I am trying to figure out how to get a stage one for my car and will continue to compare.
02-17-2004, 03:40 PM
#41
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I work in mazda dealership in Estonia. We have rather cold weather here and many rx-s tend to run rich or flood when starting cold. Mazda sends software updates to fix "little" problems like that (at least I hope they will). Since the change in fuel map must be great, I would like to know how your computer will work after those updates? Will you be sending updates to your software accordingly? Have anyone tried to pull the DTC-s after the installation?
02-17-2004, 08:05 PM
#45
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dumb question in the wrong area
Sorry to bother... but my wonderful wife just told me to order the Stage 1 for my 8. If it works well, she may order for hers later.
Now the dumb question, how do you order one? The only thing I have been able to find is a form that I printed out. Is this it? Print the form, fill it out and FAX?
Be nice.... just don't like FAXing credit card data.
Now the dumb question, how do you order one? The only thing I have been able to find is a form that I printed out. Is this it? Print the form, fill it out and FAX?
Be nice.... just don't like FAXing credit card data.
02-17-2004, 08:32 PM
#46
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Pretty much that is it, I guess you can give them a call and give your credit card over the phone. You'll also need to give your SS# for the customs. Main issue is the wait time. Some of us and myself are still waiting for their units since ordering it in December. Good Luck
02-17-2004, 09:24 PM
#47
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Faxing a cc number is much safer than e-mailing it. It could be intercepted only at your end or ours, and either would be obvious, as the handshaking wouldn't complete properly. Just make sure you dial the correct number. One thing nervous people should always remember - at a restaurant you give your cc to a waiter who then disappears with it for what, 5-10 minutes! After I realized this, I was never bothered using my cc over the internet again.
Good news for those waiting. The long awaited parts should be arriving in the next day or two. They are in North America now. We have been completing boxes as much as we can without those parts, so final assy. should go much faster once they arrive.
Good news for those waiting. The long awaited parts should be arriving in the next day or two. They are in North America now. We have been completing boxes as much as we can without those parts, so final assy. should go much faster once they arrive.
02-17-2004, 09:54 PM
#48
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Originally posted by RX-8 friend
Good news for those waiting. The long awaited parts should be arriving in the next day or two. They are in North America now. We have been completing boxes as much as we can without those parts, so final assy. should go much faster once they arrive.
Good news for those waiting. The long awaited parts should be arriving in the next day or two. They are in North America now. We have been completing boxes as much as we can without those parts, so final assy. should go much faster once they arrive.
02-17-2004, 10:04 PM
#49
Always tinkering
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Every day I hope for my email announcing my Christmas gift is in the mail!!! Its like christmas eve every night, but so far without the gifts. Maybe that won't be the case soon. Waiting impatiently...
