cas2themoe

I've always been real cautious of NOT turning off the car without it being fully warmed. I thought the PCM and Emission recall was/would fix the problem but I guess I was wrong.

I headed out to San Francisco last week Thursday and wanted to make sure I had my car in a safe spot(so no branches or anything would come down and hit it), well not fully thinking I started it, backed it up and cut it off while it still cold.

Went outside to start the car this morning and NOTHING. Tried the "starting a flooded engine" procedure and still nothing.

I called my dealership and she was trying to act like it was my fault and that it wouldn't be covered under warranty. I was like WTF!!! Are you joking!!!! How is this my fault?

I have done most of the schedule maintenance and I'm just really pissed that she would even say something like that! Wasn't all of our(2004-2006 RX8's) Warranty's extended to 60,000/5 Years?


I called Mazda Corp at 1-800-222-5500 and he said mine was either 50,000 or July 1, 2008, which ever came first.

Am I wrong to assume that NOTHING should come out of my pocket for this? I am about 99% sure its flooded, I mean what else could it be? What do you guys think about the situation?

cas2themoe

Here are the two PDF's that the dealership should be aware of correct?

Extended Warranty (Click Here)

Engine Cranks No Start (Click Here)

ken-x8

The extended warranty covers things actually breaking. If the engine was blown and needed to be replaced, you'd get that. I think roadside assistance, free tows to the dealer, etc., are part of the 50K bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Sounds to me like you're skunked. Maybe someone else here who knows how to work dealers can suggest how to talk them into it.

Ken

cas2themoe

If this happens to be the case then this will be my last Mazda. I can't see how a car with only 44,000 miles on it can be turned down. We'll have to wait and see.

agoodcave

"I called Mazda Corp at 1-800-222-5500 and he said mine was either 50,000 or July 1, 2008, which ever came first."

Since you have only 44K, and it's still '07, you should be OK

Mike

ken-x8

44,000 miles? Extended warranty is irrelevant. B-to-B applies.

You're golden. Call Mazda Roadside Assistance for the free tow. And don't forget to ask for a free loaner while they're working on your car.

Ken

cas2themoe

*Update* My Mazda dealership called and said everything was covered. They are changing all the spark plugs, plug wires, starter and some other things all under warranty. :-) YES!!!!!

Suppose to fix the issue, so lets see!

cas2themoe

They just called me back and said I have to pay $377.47 because Mazda only pays for replacing one set. I guess they replaced them last year when I took the car in for the PCM recall.

WTF!!! This is a defect with the car, this has NOTHING to do with me. Why should I be paying for it?

Am I wrong here?

swoope

iTrader: (5)

you should not be paying for it.. if it was fixed why did it fail??

and 377 for what. plugs?

beers

cas2themoe

I don't have the invoice in front of me but it was low to mid 300's because I did get an oil change while it was in there. So you can take off around $30 bucks for the oil change.

But you're right, I shouldn't be paying for this at all and I feel Mazda should have a Class Action law suit on their hand. THEY NEED TO MAN UP AND ADDRESS THE PROBLEM WITH COLD STARTS ON THEIR ROTARY ENGINES!

I was explaining the situation to my wife, who happens to work for the Department of Justice and she's the one that suggested the Class Action law suit because this is a defect in the engine.

Mazda should be fully responsible for problem concerning its car, ESPECIALLY if its under warranty!

I've already started writing a letter to the Mazda Corp and I've throughly done my research. I seen NOTHING I've signed nor is NOTHING stated in the Owners Manual not to cut off the engine when its cold because it will flood. It does say DO NOT REV/RACE the engine when cold, which is actually the opposite of what the lady at the dealership was telling me to do to avoid flooding it!

Hopefully this can all come down to Mazda being a respectful car manufacture and address this problem to its customers.

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

Ironically, this just happend to me as well. Nearly 4 years of flood-free ownership, but it finally bit me. I've always been careful, revving the engine to 4k for 10 secs, and then waiting for the idle to drop to 1500 rpm, before a cold-shut down. The other morning I was a little impatient, shutting it off before the rpms dropped, and that night it wouldn't start. And I've got the recall reflash.

Spent a few hours today pulling the plugs & the fuel pump fuse, cranking without plugs in, cleaning the plugs, etc., all to no avail. At one point it almost caught but ultimately failed. I suppose I need new plugs, which is a b*tch since I replaced the plugs (and the coils & wires) just a few months ago.

Any other suggestions? What do the techs (those that know what they are doing) do to get the car to start?

Razz1

Go to DIY section.

brucehappy

I moved my car from the street to the driveway before going off on a trip before thanksgiving, now of course it wont start. I thought perhaps it was the battery, so I replaced it. No luck. Then I searched around here and found this.

I called my local mazda dealer and he's telling me if i have a replacement battery, mazda wont cover it! I asked what did he want me to do go back to the walmart and get my core back? He suggested I should. He also said If it already has the latest battery, starter, and flashes, then they wont cover it. I asked him why since the issue is I have unburnt fuel in the chamber and probably fouled plugs. He said thats Mazda's policy on doing it under warranty.

I called roadside assistance and it turns out mine expired last month (I'm the second owner so I wasnt sure when the in service date was). But my insurance will cover it, so I'm waiting for a tow from my house to the dealer as I type this.

Can anyone speak to the battery issue, or to the requirements for them doing the restart procedure under warranty?

Thanks.

Holden13

I just had mine flood this morning. After reading the forum, I had it towed (AAA) to the local Mazda dealership. I had called ahead of time explaining my problem; the person seemed to not discount my claim that it's flooded.

Anyway, it's there now and it being a holiday weekend, were not able to get to it (small saturday crew) but said they will on Monday. Since that phone call I have researched deeper my problem. I see that there are a few different recalls etc invloving my model (2004)

I am the second owner, having bought it in August. It has 30k miles (just hit that) and has had oil changed and all fluids flushed two weeks ago (non mazda shop)... I also bought a GOLD PLUS warranty which covers it up to 48k.... that being said, what is my plan of attack if they come back with some problem and tell me I have to pay out of pocket. I mean, with all the various recalls, the common flooding issue and the extended warranty I bought, I should be covered, right?

Any input on this is greatly appreciated.

ken-x8

The factory bumper-to-bumper warranty is 50K. You should round up a couple of very big friends, go back to whoever sold you the "gold plus," and politely ask for your money back.

Ken

Brettus

iTrader: (2)

none of you guys heard of tow starting ?

Holden13

Is the Bumper to Bumper transferrable? I mean, it was someone who sold it to a dealership, then sold it to me. When they (mazda) call me on Monday, are they going to fix it under their 50k warranty? Just cuious as I have only owned cars which never had to excercise any kind of warranty repair.

becomingwater

Mine just flooded also! I have 48,000 miles, will have it towed tomorrow, I hope everything is actually covered. thanks for all the help on here.

ken-x8

Yes. It goes with the car. The clock starts when the car was first sold to a retail customer. You (or the seller) don't have to do anything to transfer it.

Ken

brucehappy

So the dealer called today saying they got the car started, that it was indeed flooded, and that all the recalls on the battery, plugs, and starter had already been done by the previous owner and so I was not eligible for warranty coverage on this restart. It will end up being $98 for them to restart the car. I've called mazda customer service and they are adament that this is a "maintenance issue" and is not a warranty item. I'm not sure what else to do at this point other than pay the $98 and write a letter of complaint to mazda usa.

any thoughts?

zenrx8

iTrader: (4)

Definitely a maintenance issue. It's the same thing as the electrical system on any 1960s era British sports car or motorcycle, or perhaps the main seals on Ford pickups.

A thought just struck me. The coils are also a known problem and deteriorate pretty quickly because of heat. I'm pretty cherry at the RX8 thing, but I'm wondering if weak coils may contribute to the flooding issue.

Seriously, Mazda needs to man up.

Holden13

I had mine towed over the weekend. It was flooded (as I thought.) They flushed the engine and replaced the spark plugs. Didn't charge me a dime for the time and labor as it was under warranty.

Overall, I was very pleased with the professionalism of the Mazda shop here and I'm not just saying that because they fixed it for free.

brucehappy

Would you mind telling me the name of your Mazda dealer. It seems to me that Mazda ought to be treating all of its owners the same, so I'd like to include it in the letter I'm trying to write complaining about having to pay my dealer $98.

thanks.

Holden13

Naples Mazda - Naples, Florida.