cnk

My a/c on my RX8 quit working. I took it back to the dealer and was told that it had two rocks in the condenser that had made holes in it. They don't know if it will be covered under warranty. They are supposed to check and let me know. I remember reading a post that this happened to someone else and that it was not covered. I was just wondering how often this has happened to people. It's obviously not designed right if a simple rock can cause 2 holes. What's to keep it from happening again as soon as it's fixed.

TheDosDog

I've come close. I had a piece of metal puncture the plastic shield just to one side. It's too bad RB doesn't make a condenser screen similar to those designed for the oil coolers. Odds are Mazda will not cover it under warranty. Let's hope you are the exception.

A word of advice. Leave lots of following distance. The 8 is a road debris magnet.

ezrider55

It should be covered by insurance. I put some of the plastic gutter guard behind the bumper opening that leads to the compressor. I hope it will stop or slow down any road garbage or rocks heading for that area.

robertdot

IBFuBar did, i think. But he is a warranty guy, so his was covered for sure :P

Gomez

Hymee did....and it led to him producing the famous Hymee grille kit! He sells it on his website here.

Gomez.

Edit.....and no, Hymee found it wasn't covered by warranty.....

wakeech

there's a SUUUUPER SUUUUPER old thread (check the DIY section?? i'm not 100% sure what's in there, but i'm 100% sure it was the first DIY thread on this site, may even be at the bottom of the Discussion forum, i dunno) about creating little "nets" in all your front ducts to keep bad stuff out of your rads and oil coolers while not detracting/changing the look of the car.

cnk

If it's not covered by warranty I plan to get rid of this car and I will never own a Mazda again! It is ridiculous that I am expected to pay for the condensser and pay $200 for a screen to cover their defect. I never follow other vehicles too closely. I don't even have any paint chips.

RevTo9K

Acura wouldn't cover the condenser on my Type R when I got hit by a rock - but the insurance company did. I'd call the insurance company if I were you.

magixpuma

we got a troll who at the most got his car either 5 days ago or is 12 and hats matsuda

Mogi

I too had an object hit the front of my 8. But it hit the oil condenser instead. It didn't puncture it but did make a dent. When I brought it to the attention of the Mazda service manager he mentioned it is not covered by the Manuf warranty.

Though disappointed I accepted it. However, it bugs me to think that If I'd gotten an Infiniti G35 instead and had the same problem with the condenser this early in the game (only had the 8 for two months) then Infiniti would've replaced the condenser with no questions asked. This I know b/c I was an owner of an Infiniti QX4 for five years before my 8 and Infiniti has better and more personal customer service.

shelleys_man_06

Wow. That totally sucks. You could fabricate a sheet metal shield for the A/C compressor. I wonder if that would cause any blockage to air, other components, etc.; the RX-8 is pretty damn compact.

I wonder why Mazda doesn't cover a hole in the A/C compressor.

mpt_yellowRX8

Mazda will not cover it. Parts and labor will run you $750-1k. Hopefully your deductable is lower than mine, I paid it outright to keep insurance low. 2 weeks old, hadn't paid the first note yet, seven year extended warranty that they threw in for me due to the fact that they weren't selling many eights, and they don't cover it. Needless to say I have been getting my work done at places other than Mazda dealerships since then, thaey will get no more money from me for this car.

Shelley, they say that it is not a manufacturing flaw(not a part failure) and that it could have easily been your windshield, and they don't cover that either. My bud that is second in line at a Honda dealer said it would end up that way and it did. Happens all the time according to him.

TheDosDog

Every vehicle I own has an exposed AC Condenser. The 8, like the Miata and other sports cars is low to the ground and usually travelling faster than the average car. I guess that makes it a little more likely to incurr this type of damage. I guess I'm glad I've got AC otherwise it would be the radiator lacking protection. But as mentioned ealier, damage is more an insurance issue than a warranty issue. Additionally, I wouldn't compare Mazda's policies or service departments with Infinity. They are different animals. A good dealer can always fine a way to cover an issue, if they want to.

shelleys_man_06

So, are we at fault if this happens?

Yeah. I don't think Mazda should be held responsible. In addition, they probably did the best they could to prevent stuff like this from happening. It's just a stroke of bad luck.

mpt_yellowRX8

According to your insurance company you are. That's why I just paid mine rather than having my insurance premium raised. Insurance companies treat every starburst in your windshield as a seperate claim too, so if your window needs repair just go ahead and get a new one. I think Florida law states that you must fix the windshield or you will get a ticket, even for a small crack. Maybe if you get the plate number from the person that flung the rock you could weasle something out, but I doubt it.

shelleys_man_06

Wow. I didn't know Florida was so **** about windshields. It does put the driver more at risk to have a broken one. There are too many cars with broken windshields in Texas.

That sucks how we are responsible, but it's true. We are responsible for how we drive, as well as what roads we choose.

Looks like it's time to make my own insurance and buy some grille materials.

SpinninAgain!

This is why, when my 8 was just four days old, I took the front bumper off and installed protective screens behind the three openings and the grille. Hymee lost his AC condensor, a friend lost the AC condensor on his Miata, etc. etc.

This is not a warranty issue because there was no manufacturing defect or parts failure. Before anyone says it, I'd agree it's a design defect, but we knew that when we bought the car. The vulnerability is right up front where you can see it. Why Mazda didn't include screens is a mystery, but it's an easy fix. I knew I was going to do them before I bought the car.

Removing the bumper and installing screens was simple. I'm as un-mechanical a guy as you're likely to meet and it took me an afternoon. It was actually kinda fun, and everything you need to know is on the DIY thread linked below. I read this before I bought the car and knew going in it was something that had to be done. Strongly recommended for all RX-8 owners...

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-oil-cooler-opening-mesh-grille-replacement-8147/

Nubo

Well, that is a bad analogy. It's more like forgetting to put in a windshield, eh?

mpt_yellowRX8

Exactly, I tried to tell them it was a design flaw and might as well have put their hands over their ears and started singing "I can't hear you! I can't hear you!"

SpinninAgain!

Yes, it's a design flaw. But most warranties don't cover design flaws.

One rare exception is the warranty on my Teres turntable:

Now if only someone would sell a car under those terms!