I took my car to get the squeal noise fixed and also to check for loss of power above 6000 rpm. Believe me or not, I had to yell and scream to get these done. The service department was not able to replicate these problem, so they were not going to replace brake pads or update flash! Long story short, I finally got these TSB's done after talking to the GM.

As far as the result, I no longer have the squeal noise from the front brakes. Also, the 'P' flash seems to give more kick to the car at higher rpms. Although I have notice at lower rpm's the car seems to take more time to pick up speed. But that's ok with me, b/c I like power in the high rpms. I guess this why I bought Rx-8 with rotary engine.

One more thing, I am never going back to Munday Mazda on 1960 and I-45 again! And I suggest the same for Rx-8 owners in Houston. Their service department sucks.

 

I know what you mean regarding mazda dealerships in Houston. If you come across one with a halfway decent service department, please share....

 

So, you got your bigmac and fries Dealerships are all not created equal that's for sure...

 

how many miles are on your 8 bigmac?

 

Update - It has been a week since I got the 'P' flash and the new brake pads. The car seems to be running a lot better. I have noticed dramatic increase in power (pull) at higher RPMS. The car comes alive after 5K RPM and pulls all the way to the red line!
I have 9800 miles on my RX-8. All genuine Mazda parts, in other words bone stock.

 

Go to Gullo Mazda in Conroe. They have always treated me right. Its a nice drive before 3 p.m. After 3 its a parking lot on 45 North.

 

I just got the new pads a few days ago...I notice that as far as stopping power goes, they seem inferior to the old ones? The old ones just really bit hard when you hit the brakes even slightly, something that I noticed from day one, and part of what I felt made a superior braking system than most cars out there have. With that hard bite, I was able to confidently do last second braking before diving into a corner, or use the brakes to adjust my speed in midcorner if I went in too hot. It really felt like a sports car's braking system.

The new brakes though just seem...floaty, and when I hit them, you can just sort of feel as though the wheels were continuing on spinning without really slowing down. There's a total lack of bite to them, even when I brake hard. I definitely don't feel as confident in last second braking with the new pads as I did with the old. They feel like any other brakes in any other car. Anybody with the new pads feel the same way? Maybe mines just need to break in, but I remember the old pads bit hard even when they were new.

 

Someone with more experience may be able to comment with more authority.. but..

I've always been told that brake pads have to be worn in before they get up to maximum stopping power. I had my front brakes replaced via the TSB. The first thing I did was seat them...

right from the dealership, 15 mph stop quickly.. (repeat a couple times) 30 mph stop quickly.. (repeat a couple of times)... 45 mph stop quickly (repeat a couple of times)... then finally up to 65 and do it.. (note I didn't do it all right togehter, as I didn't want to overheat the the brake rotor and warp it.. I did this over the course of the drive home from the dealership.

By the time I got home, I didn't notice any lack of stopping power....

 

I agree 100%. They even got the nerve the last time I went there to throw the survey I did to Mazda. First I thought that was confidential and second, if your customer does not think you are doing a good job, instead of kicking them out, shouldn't you try to improve?.

I've been going to Jeff Hass Mazda on I-10 and they seem to be OK so far. Monday I have a CEL appointment, hopefully I will get the re-flash done.

 

alright, im prolly gonna sound like a total newb here, but i keep hearing about all these 'flashes', so im assuming its an ECU upgrade from Mazda? and how would you be able to tell which one you have or what the differences are between them?

just curious, cuz im loving the 8 so far and just want it running to its full potential :D


hopefully ill convince myself to get the REVi soon......

 

I had the same impression about the new non-squeaking pads. The 'spongy' feel has diminished but is still not gone. I will probably replace pads, rotors, and brake lines all with something a bit sportier soon.

 

The new non-squeaking pads are made up of softer material, compare to the original ones on the RX8. Therefore, you feel the 'spongy' feeling and thus no squeaking noise. As far as the braking power, the new brake pads are relatively the same, except you need to press the brake paddle further. Again, this is b/c of the softer material and the wear related to each stop.
Oh, did I mention that the new brake pads will wear rather quickly. The softer the material, the greater the wear. But this is no different than the BMW's or MERC's, they all have softer but lethal stopping power.

 

Jeff Haas Mazda Service has always been good to me.