former_s2k'r

**SUPER UPDATE**

Well I just found out that my service advisor is not at all knowledgeable about rotary engines. I found this out by getting lucky and reaching one of the MAzda'e techs on the phone an hour ago (he even said that the advisor has no clue about engines). I asked him specifically about my hydrolock problem and he clearly stated that I was 100% percent right, rotarys do NOT HYDROLOCK!!!. BUT, the water getting into my engine broke the APEX seals, which he advised me is a pretty good reason for an engine replacement.

So, everyone be careful out there going through heavy rain and shallow puddles.
Oh yeah, they also said the engine will not arrive here until WED grrrrrrrr

Happy 4th everyone and thanks for responses.

mikeb

are you really telling me I will need a new engine if I drive in lots of rain or puddles

please....

zoom44

HAPPY 4TH! and if you get the motor can i have a rotor+ rotor housing? thanks!

former_s2k'r

I hope not! All I know is that from my hellish last 2 weeks, I am sure as f*ck am going to be hella careful driving is storm and flood conditions.

What I really want to know is if I'm paying my insurance company a $500 duductible, WHO'S SUPPOSEDY HYDROLOCKED ENGINE IS IT!!!!!

former_s2k'r

**SOOPER DOOPERR UPDATE**

I just got off the phone with my insurance adjuster who just recieved the estimate.

ENGINE: OEM $6,350.00
LABOR: $1,683

And the adjuster said the engine belongs to them, but they have no use for it because my claim is a comprehensive one. So YES, he said the engine belongs to me!! Funny tho, my service rep said they HAD to send it back to Mazda for inspection yada yada yada. I sooooooo can't wait to call him out on that!

Now taking PM's for possible sale. 1700 original miles. NOT paring out.

Talk to ya'll on monday.

NavyDood

Doooood, you are only seeing one way or have tunnel vision? How in the he!! can the dealer justify that water ingestion is the cause? My wife has driven in the rain and flooded areas for the past 2 weeks here in TX because of record breaking rainfall. Her car has never once hinted at having a single problem.

Has the dealer torn the engine down? Or are they just saying this is what happened?

Man there are so many unfilled questions with this.

Richard Paul

iTrader: (5)

Listen, here's what you need to do. Get the large tube of KY use enough yourself for the 500 deductable, then give the rest to the insurance company. If you think your rates will not go up your wrong. BUT how about all the other Rx8 owners in the world when their insurance company hears there is this risk on Rx8's. They have to protect against it.

But it is BS. The tell tale sign is that the dealer insits on keeping the engine. YOU bought it, he has no right to it. He just doesn't want anyone checking it out. It could cost him his franchise. It could be criminal.

Let's just say for the moment that it really did fail due to water ingestion. Why isn't that Mazdas fault??? If General Motors had this happen to a new Vett you can bet your *** the company would take care of it. And there would be a recall of all the other Vetts sold.

I only use the Vett as an example it could be anything. The public outcry would be humongus. Think of it if it was a Porche. They could not take the publicity. Just because it is one of the smallest volume cars out there shouldn't change it. If it is true Mazda needs a recall.

It's just so unlikely their falt. Whay don't you write them a letter directly and ask if there will be a recall. Because you are about to tell the world through all the webb sites out there that there needs to be. You will get a shock at the new attatude your dealer has.

If it really did happen you should let everyone know so the aftermarket can find a fix. This is just to unreliable for everyday usage of a car. What if everyone started writing to Mazda and asking what to do when it rains???

So you see they just couldn't allow it. Be sure you get that engine. Do so before they get to take it apart. CALL THE MAZDA IMPORTER ON MONDAY. Or Mazda USA, 7755 Irvine Drive, Irvine Ca. 92618. 800 639 1000.


Richard

musclecarconvrt

It's been raining constantly here in Tennessee for about two weeks straight. I've not had any problems driving in rain so hard I could barely see. God must have smiled on my 8 because I had to waddle through about 6 inches of standing water at one point. (I was going very slow and praying the whole way.)Your Dealer is nuts if they think a little rain killed your car. What are they going to do now, tell you driving in the rain will void your warrantee? Unless your were practically surfing, they should pay and they should tell you the real reason it died. Your girlfriend could be your witness. Make the dealer fess up and fix it themselves..

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

Uh, once again - no.

If your engine can't hydro-lock, then how did it break the seals.

You are still being railroaded.

thew

hes got to pay the insurance co a deductable...


and its wrong.. make the dealer eat this !!! this is a warrenty issue.

Richard Paul

iTrader: (5)

This is bothering me more than it is you. Here I am driving along in my big Eldo this afternoon and I'm thinking, "what if it started to rain right now and my engine self destructed".
If a Mazda engine is 6000 bucks what the hell is a Caddy 4 cam V-8 cost??? Now there is no way in hell that I would consider paying for it. There isn't any way GM wouldn't be liable.

You bought a car in good faith knowing that you would be able to drive it anywhere any time. they didn't tell you that the car was only for fair weather usage. Is there a warning in the owners manual telling you to watch out for puddles??

You should be able to feel safe in that car no matter the weather. You should expect that your girlfreind is safe from having to be exposed to who knows what while she walks home.

Think about it that way. What if you had kids with you. They are liable, if in fact what they say happened really happened. There is no way they can produce a car for sale in that condition. If I were a lawyer I'd go after that dealer for you, but I'm not. You should also publish the name of this dealer so nobody else gets into this problem. They don't deserve to sell cars to good people.

On top of that, look what they are doing to Mazdas name.

Also why is your insurance company so willing to pay without knowing what happened. They should go after that dealer. There's a thought let the ins buy you a lawyer.

Richard

86rx7

I'm telling you guys, alittle water isnt going to break an apex seal, i wouldnt replace the motor till i had a compression that i personally supervised come up with 0 psi on one or more rotor faces. You can do it yourself if yopu pull a spark plug and use the starter to crank the motor over, just check for 3 nice even bounces, if you get 3 even bounces on both rotors the motor is fine... check it before you go through with this, i think your tech deparment is full of it and the mazda rep told you your broke an apex so you dont sue your dealer for being a dumb ***. There is NO way for them to tell if you broke an apex over the phone, and i have personally never heard of this happening.

Skyline Maniac

Driving in heavy rain causing spontaneous engine failure? Mazda refuse to replace engine under warranty. $8000 down the drain? I think I am going to add this one to the list of why rotary stinks.


former_s2k'r, either you are very good at anger management or you have been using some pretty strong happy pill. If I were you I'd be furious right now. Mad props to you for staying calm, even if it means you and your insurance company takes it up the rear end by Mazda usa.

scubacap

First, it sounds like a warrenty issue - not hydrolock. If it is warranty they engine belongs to the dealer.
If your insurance company pays, the engine belongs to them - NOT YOU!
Bottom line - whoever pays for the engine keeps the engine.
Your insurance company is NOT you. However, if you can convince the adjuster you belive this to be a defective engine you may be able to convince them to hold the engine for independant review. However, you may have to pay for this investigation. If an independant third party can say, "Yes, this is a defective engine." Then you and/or ins. company can seek damages from Mazda.
Warranty vs. Insurance? Warranty - you don't pay, Insurance - you pay: deductable, possible higher rates, or face a "rider" exclusion for the engine, or may be dropped all togther.

If it were me I would pay an attorney to right a letter to the dealer, Mazda NA and CC the letter to all the auto mags AND consumer reports.

GiN

I have a story with my old RX-7 turboII that might be related to the problem you're having...

One day while driving my 7 rain started pouring really hard. Somewhere along my way home I drove into a huge puddle with a big splash. Steam was coming out from under the hood. The engine immediately lost a bit of power and gradually went back to normal a few minutes later. A few days later my engine was flooded (with water) and rendered useless due to a cracked rotor housing.

I'm not sure if this applies to the metals used in the rotary engine, but I know if you've been heating glassware (say, a beaker on a bunsen burner) and suddenly drop it into cold water - it will crack.

So could this have possibly happened to your motor? Maybe you didn't dunk your hot motor into cold water like I did, but the same thing might have happened if your motor sucked in too much water all at once.

Richard Paul

iTrader: (5)

So where are you with this??
Has the dealer given you anything more on the engine. Why don't you at least take it to another dealer??
Better yet a privite Rotory shop??
RAP