Hi all!
I am a new (actually used) RX8 owner.
I traded in my 99 manual 5 speed Eclipse RS for it. They gave me a good deal and the customer service for sales was very exceptional.
Now the bad part. When I test drove the car, it died when I was out driving. They had to tow it back to the Mazda dealership and foun out it needed a new engine.
So...they replaced the engine and fixed some exterior stuff (the car is still under warranty for like 2000 more miles). I was pretty happy with the transaction until the past few days after the purchase.
The first day I took it home, I noticed when stopped at a light in drive, I had a slight shake/vibration to the car. It did NOT have this before. The rpms were running at around 850. When I put it in neutral or drive it would stop vibrating.
They took it back in and said they replaced a motor mount or 2 and that they did some recalibration of the engine or PCM (im not sure of the exact verbiage).
I also noticed a rattling behind the dashboard where the gauge is.
The main reason for taking it in tho was the transmission was acting VERY odd. When I pushed the gas pedal down, it seems to rev way up to like 7000rpm before finally shifting down to 2000rpm. It also has a slight jerk to it and the engine light flashes for approx 2-3 seconds then goes away.
I went to pick it up and the rattle seemed to be fixed but the vibration is still there when idle in drive and the transmission issue seems to be getting worse. I asked the manager of the mazda car repair group to ride with me to check out the vibration. He felt it too, took it inside to his mechanics and they all swore that this is a normal thing and its nothing to worry about. Uhhh...I dont think so. It didnt do that originally before the engine was replaced...so why is it "normal" now? Thats rubbish.
I didnt know it at the time but the transmission problem wasnt fixed either.
So, I have another appointment at the dealership to get it looked at again. I dont have much time left on the warranty and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is a problem with the transmission. I dont know about the vibration, but it sounds really fishy to me as well.
I was hoping someone may have some experience with this and can give me an idea of what to do or if this stuff is normal on an RX8. If its is...man, I really wish I would have kept my 99 Eclipse with 177000 miles on it because it never shook and the transmission was smooth as butter. Im thinking I may have made a big mistake.
Any advice you all can give will be most appreciated.
Thanks.
Jeff

PS...please dont think Im a Mazda hater. Far from it, I love the RX8, I think its the sexiest car ever, but Im really disapointed in the mechanical issues so far.

 

Not sure what your problem is, but if you are not happy with this particular Mazda dealer then find another one before your warranty runs out.

 

transmission shake is normal.. read around theres many sections..

 

I could totally accept that if I hadnt already drove the car before they changed the engine out and it didnt do it then. This is a new thing its doing and I understand if its a problem..but how can this be normal? They can make a hi tech rotary engine but cant figure out how to stop the car from shaking?? Thats silly.
Thanks for the responses tho, I appreciate the input. I may have to take it to another dealer if they tell me theres nothing wrong again.

 

just a little info i was told by mazda.the motor mounts are filled with some kind of fluid.i have not seen it before but after a small accident to the right front i got one hell of a vibration you could feel in the shifter.after everything was fixed(for the most part)the vibrtion is gone all together .then again they might not have put the flywheel back on right or even have an unbalanced one on the wrong way with out the weights on it.dunno hope it helps.all in all if they can't make the way it was the same day you drove it tell them to keep it and get another one.

 

Why did you buy a car that died on you during a test drive?

My guess on the shake is they didn't bolt the trans back in place correctly. There is a sequence for securing the PPF. You could also need new motor mounts. There is a TSB and I recommend you wave it in front of them before your warranty is over...

http://www.finishlineperformance.com...21-06-1559.pdf

 

transmission shake isn't described well in your post.

If you feel the shifter shaking, that's normal because the shifter is bolted directly on top of the transmission.

If you feel the car shaking, then that wouldn't be normal.



You also didn't mention how many miles are on the car. The 2004's received an extended powertrain warranty.

 

The engine died on your TEST DRIVE and you still bought it??

 

Good catch. Indeed an auto. Still can't believe he bought it.

 

if its me, I know I will NOT EVEN LOOK BACK, Run for your livessss!

but maybe he was thinking that, everything should be fine since they've replaced the engine.

 

I would never buy a car that died during my test drive and needed a whole new engine...

 

I might take it if its going for 1/2 of what they originally asked for ...

 

Thanks for all the replies fellas.
The car is a A/T. Its true I did buy it after it died, but they told me it was an engine issue and they replaced the engine with a brand new 2007 engine and made all the adjustments to the car to get it up to date. They also put brand new tires on it and fixed the exterior problems I had saw. They gave me a really good deal on it, I "assumed" I was doing a good thing.
Its not a total loss, I have another appointment to get it in the shop and this time hopefully they fix it. The car has 48k on it and about 2000 or so miles left on the warranty.
As far as the car shaking, yes, its the ENTIRE car, not just the shifter. It idles in drive at around 800 RPMs and has a vibration that you can feel thru the entire car. That cant possibly be normal.
Can you please explain what the UCC is? I havent heard of that. have had the car for over a week now.
Thanks all.

 

what?

let me get this straight.......they said they put in a brand new 2007 engine into your 4speed AT?

you do realize that the 2007 engines are all 6port needed to be mated with a 6speed AT transmission right?

that would explain so much for the violent shakes once the TCM finds out its been mated with the wrong engine

 

in that case it is not a brand new engine and more than likely a remanufactured......... and we all know how those turns out most of the time

go back to the dealer and if after this fix, they still can't fix it, I advise u to listen to CRH and return the car due to it being more than likely a lemon.......

 

Hello again.
Yes, they did tell me it was a 2007 engine. It was the salesman that said this tho, not the mechanic. Im guessing he was incorrect or just ignorant in his statement. He said it was a new engine tho and that it was a 2007. Obviously he was mistaken...either that or the mechanics dont know what they are doing. They already told me its normal for the car to shake, so...who knows.
I live in Indiana and Im pretty sure they have a lemon law here. I tried to look it up and it seems that they have to have the car in the shop 4 times and fail to fix it or have to have it for over 30 days before I can call "shennigans" on them.
I am taking it back in for round 2 on Wednesday. I will keep you all updated.
Jeff

 

Take it to a different mazda service site

 

I just had my engine replaced and I to am getting alittle bit of vibration. I thought it was normal but looks like I might be wrong. Its fine when I drive but when I come to a stop it dives down and makes the car rattle and vibrate. I saved the above .pdf I think i'm going to head back to the dealership and see if they will check the motor mounts.

They service advisor did tell me that the engine was a rebuilt 04 engine. I really hope this engine will hold up for me. I can't afford a "new" one...

 

2004 A/T . that's just asking for it.

 

Im starting to get that feeling my friend.
Latest update guys.
Just got the car back after the 3rd trip to the shop.
This time they wrote:
Verified P0300. Pin Point To And Replaced All Coils.

The manager of the mechanics group told me they replaced 4 coils and that it ran alot better now. He also told me something that sort of blew my mind. He said that since it is a AT, the shifting is not going to be as smooth as a manual and I may have problems with it kicking up into different gears and even hitting 8000 rpms if Im "giving the gas". He said the only way Im going to get a smooth ride is to use the paddles and shift it manually. WTF?!! Are you serious?? Why in the hell would you even make a AT on that damn car then? Does this seem insane to anyone else but me?
Anyways, I got in the car and headed home. I noticed the transmission seems to be shifting smoother and had alot more pick up. Also, the gas mileage seems to be alot better. I could originally see the gas gauge steady dropping just sitting at a light.
Of course I still have the vibration when sitting in drive and stopped at a light. Its idling around 800 rpm. While its not shaking the car alot, the vibration is noticiable to all in the car, but they still insist that the vibration is totally normal and I should just let it go.
While I am still not satisfied with the answers, it is driving better, but still not how I want it to or truly suspect it should be.
What do you guys think my next step should be? If I take it back again do you think they will just think Im a whiner or a bad customer? I dont want to be an ***, but I still think there is something wrong and the vibration really does bother me.
Thanks for all your responses so far fellas, I appreciate it.
Jeff

PS...it says I need to use Premium Unleaded gas for the car. Is this true or will lower octanes do??

 

good life choice

 

firstly, it seems to me that an rotary with an auto is just a bad idea in the first place; combining what's meant to be a high-revving engine with an auto transmission, which doesn't allow precise control, is just asking to have issues.

2nd. 800rpms sounds a bit low to idle.... look at the factory service manual, or Haynes manual if you have one. what SHOULD you be idling at? Also, maybe you could eliminate this problem by going to neutral when you're sitting at a light? I can't picture the car would take well to being in drive sitting at 800rpm. That said, I drive a 5-speed FC, so again this is not my area of expertise.

next step? manual transmission swap? really, tho, I'd tak eit back and at least ASK them about the vibration.

Oh, and if a car asks for high-octane, I would give it high octane.

 

hey i know the vibration your talking about, when u put it into neutral it completely disappears, when i got my reman engine in my 04 auto (with 59,800 miles) the vib went away. i had them replace my engine mounts also so i'm not sure if it would be the engine or the mounts. but u stated earlier that they replaced the mounts for u. And i also had a similiar problem with the transmission, every now and then the rpm will flare up a little before it'll shift into gear, as if your "neutral bombing" your car as u drive, it's def not good especially for your torque converter. they replaced my tranny as well but that was at 2x,xxxx miles. i hope everything works out for u