thanks. you might be right. i mean it was within an hour that they saw the results, made the decision, and contacted the dealer. that's a pretty quick decision. maybe the rep i talked to at na made sure i was taken care of ... who knows, but it was nice to hear back that quickly. props to mazda...

 

still looking for an answer; vacuum is dependent on altitude, which is why they record the voltages for both the baro and vacuum sensors. You need a chart to determine what's the proper vacuum reading for the altitude you're conducting the test at, the same as having to know the rpm to perform a proper compression test ...

 

sorry, i don't know anything about that...

 

what would be the difference in the vacuum reading on a car at sea level versus a car at 1K feet above sea level?
olddragger

 

i just got home from picking up my car at the dealer..got an oil change, white oil dipstick repair, inspection, new front brake pads, and the latest flash. The car definitely runs more smoothly, but when i go to neutral (stoplight) the rpms drop to 500 and the car stutters, then jumps to 1200 and back down to 800 (my norm before the flash). This happens EVERY time I go to neutral and it stalled completly 2x in 40 mins. I have to wait till tomorrow to call the dealer any ideas>?? (by the way they said they don't paint the rusted rotors under warranty)

 

For what it's worth, I had the flash done last week and now the cyclical engine vibration at idle seems to be more noticable. But the engine rpm is not surging like you report.

Sounds like they didn't install the dip stick fix correctly and/or they forgot to reconnect a vacuum line. Take it back.

 

go48 - thank you for the help, the issue actually dissapeared day 2 before I called the dealer. I read somewhere on here that it takes 10 drive cycles for the car to get "adjusted" to the new configuration but it's smooth as butter now....

 

Guess I need to drive my RX-8 more. Ten drive cycles could take me weeks at the rate I drive this car.

 

well i got my car back today -- i couldn't believe it ... they said they'd have it done today or tomorrow at the latest, and it was actually done today!! for those wondering, the *bill* for a new engine was over 4 grand. labor, which is included in that number, was less than 1000, which surprised me ... but what do i care, i didn't pay

one question i forgot to ask ... i assume i should abide by the break-in principle, right? i think as new it was under 6k rpms for 500 miles, but i may have pulled that out of thin air. anyone remember what that is?

included in the re-man was new sparks and coils, so i'm thrilled. car really seemed to pull nicely, but i did try to keep the revs down on the way home, even though i was smiling ear-to-ear again (it had been 2 long weeks without it).

the only noticeable thing that i need to keep an eye on is the idle. not so much the idle, but the 2 or 300 rpms above idle. idling at a light, the car was fine, right about 750 rpms. when i would push on the throttle gently, the whole car seems to sort of rock, just a little bit, like something is unbalanced. anyone have an idea of what that could be? it kinda felt like the rumble of a v8 -- i liked it, i just don't want it to be a potential problem...

it feels weird, to have a 4+ yr old car with a new engine ... i feel like i'm starting from scratch, like i have to watch out for all the "original" problems (recalls, tsb's, etc.) but it sure felt good on the drive home. maybe i'll try pre-mixing with this engine

 

Congrats. I'm glad that it worked out for you.

 

thanks haze! fingers crossed this one holds up for many years to come...

 

does anyone know about the re-mans? swoope? i mean, if it seems that the majority of engine replacements are 04's (autos i think, but still more '04 manuals than other years), does the re-man engine address the differences between the '04 and other model years, thus "curing" the engine failuer problem? my analogy before was the taillight condensation -- i got new tails, and the replacements were "corrected", so it's not a problem now -- does anyone know/think that will be the case with the re-man?

also, still curious if anyone remembers/knows the break-in period for the new motor.

 

Perhaps the motor mounts are shot (not uncommon) and they didn't replace them when they installed the reman?

 

You should follow break in again, as the reman is clean and "new" as far as engine lubes/fluids are concerned. 600 miles per the manual, iirc. But other sources claim 1k, and at least one that says 2k.

As far as the "Is it cured" question: we'd all love to know.

This most recent flash increases the amount of oil injected, and 2 new "power-loss" TSBs lead me to believe the problem is not cured. But obviously Mazda is still working on it, and hopefully the MOP increases will be an effective fix. Personally, I've started premixing.

 

that my first thought too. i'll check them when i get home -- i left town today on business. it's 100% normal once i've over 1000 rpms, if that means anything. i want to say new motor mounts is on the receipt, but i can't confirm until saturday.

 

that was my thought too - i got a chance to call the dealer today and he said just the opposite, that it was ready to run now. i think i'll still baby it for a while just to be safe, but 500, 1000, and especially 2000 miles is a LONG time to wait!!

i hear ya. i think my main thought is that if the majority of the problems are with '04s, what's different with the later models that they don't seem to need engine replacements as much? and if there is a difference, is that part of the reman? maybe it's just a timing thing, and in subsequent years we'll start to see the 05s, 06s, and 07s also needing new engines...

 

so far so good. i have 25k miles on the reman. all is well. i do still premix.

as to the motor changes there are none. what has changed is the amount of oil added in each new flash..

i am not on the latest one yet.

beers

 

Hey swoope - did you abide by the break-in principle with your re-man? serv manager told me i don't have to, but someone on the board says yes. if so, for how many miles?

so do we just not know why the 04's seem to worse than later model years? Or is that more of a "myth"? maybe the later years got the flashes before sale, thus preventing damage to the engine?? sorry for beating a dead horse, i'm just curious why the 04s are (or seem to be) failing more so than other years.

 

Mazda came out with a lot of reflashes in '04 and '05 trying to patch things up a little at a time. The '04 autos also only had 1 oil cooler which made them prone to excessive heat build up. The recall in the summer of '06 was the last major thing to happen and included heat shielding above the trans tunnel.

Same engine. Better factory tune.

 

that's what i was thinking, but you explained it better! didn't know about that 04 auto's 1 oil cooler either (i have a mt).

 

New TSB/Recall on oil cooler lines.
after the latest re-flash I was informed of a new recall on my oil cooler lines.
Toronto, apparently the front mud guards can trap and throw debris onto the cooler lines and make them more succeptible(?) to corrosion.
So I'll be getting new oil cooling lines and new front mud guards! Free!!
this works for me cause I do have a scratch/gouge on the front passenger
guard.....nice

 

bummer, my cel came on today on the way home from work. almost immediately at start-up. looks like i'll try to swing by the dealer this week/weekend. car felt/sounded fine, so hopefully just a little tweak is in order or something.