Broken Handbrake

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drmick
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Post by drmick »

An Rx8 costs more than an A-class.......

But I take your point. If the dealer is selling a bucket load of Fiestas then don't expect luxury service.
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Post by taylora »

drmick wrote:If the dealer is selling a bucket load of Fiestas then don't expect luxury service.
Maybe they could learn from Skoda, they always do very well in customer surveys and they aren't a premium product.
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Post by RotaryMC »

drmick wrote:An Rx8 costs more than an A-class.......

But I take your point. If the dealer is selling a bucket load of Fiestas then don't expect luxury service.
That's exactly my point. The Mercedes cost £16k new but servicing was as expensive as an S-class. So the Mercedes dealer can afford to be nice to you. Most people are paying £100 - £130 for an RX-8 1st or 2nd service.
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Post by cidersurfer »

Just noticed my handbrake cover is broken too. Exactly as per the pictue on P2. I'm the second owner, the car will be 3 years old in December and I bought from a Mazda dealership with one years warranty included last weekend. (I know Orbist put this on my list of things to check... Doh! :? )

So, is mine still covered under warranty? Not used to warranties, been driving company cars for 12 years...
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Post by Zoom »

I also noticed that mines gone too. Will pop round to the dealer when I can get at more than 5 things that need looking at. So that's 5 and counting....
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Post by Delanor »

Just noticed that this part of the hand brake is about to break off on my car.

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Post by Critters »

First time I have seen this thread.. Saw the photo on page 2, and that is EXACTLY what has happened to mine, the dealer spotted it on the last service, and said I can book it in any time to get it replaced (under warranty) and they said it should take around 1 hour (as they have to remove so much to get to it)
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Post by Lensman »

I've had a really bad day at work and when I got in my car I thought well at least that's over and I can try to relax. Then I noticed the 3rd handbrake lever starting to break (no pun intended)! I don't mind something breaking once but 3 times! Mazda should have redesigned it long ago. For the record I can see what's happening. When the black plastic slides out of the tunnel as the brake is applied it flexes exactly at the point where the bit that snaps off is plastic welded to the lever. It's very obvious when there's an ongoing crack in the joint is there is on mine because I can see it happening. On an undamaged lever you'd not see it. It's a perfect fault: they couldn't have designed it better to fail if they'd tried. This is doubly annoying because my local dealer closed at the end of April and I now have a 60 mile+ round trip to get to another one. At the risk of stating the obvious: the build quality on parts of the RX-8 (handbreak, strakes, any interior plastic item that comes into contact with anything else etc) is poor! Just as well it drives OK (so far).
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Post by huw »

handbreak!
pun intended?
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Post by Lensman »

huw wrote:
handbreak!
pun intended?
Yep! :D

I've tried to stop the rot with some (thick) superglue. NOTE: apply the glue to the crack with the brake lever in the applied position and then whilst it's still fluid release the lever so that the crack is closed. Avoid doing this on a hill. No guarantees how long it'll last: I'll report back. Sodding thing!
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Post by orbist »

MIne is finally going in next week to have first replacement one done. Its been on back order for ages, so maybe they have finally replaced the plastics for something that doesn't melt / break!
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Post by RotaryMC »

Just noticed that my second one is breaking again. It was last replaced in February '05 and it's cracking in exactly the same place as last time. Must remember to get it fixed before the warranty expires.
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Post by drmick »

Me (several months ago): I want my handbreak fixed under warranty.

Mazda: Hmmmm. Not sure. Ford only do one year warranty on interior. I'll ring you back later on.

Mazda (next day): Yep, known issue on RX8s. Plastic gets brittle in winter. Book it in and we'll get it fixed.

Me: Can I do it at next service?

Mazda: Yes.

*************************************

Me (two weeks before service cos I don't trust Mazda): My car is in for service in 2weeks and am just ringing in advance to make sure handbrake is ordered.

Mazda: No worries, we have several of them in stock.


*********************************************

Me (today): Here is my car with 5 things I want checked:
1. Air con/ambient temperature problem (albeit in more detail)

2. Smelly air-con

3 New handbrake

4. Creaky steering wheel

5. Check cat becuase airport carpark morons flooded engine a while back.

MAzda: (Takes my list, AND writes them down on repair sheet) Ok


********************************************************

ME (this evening): £130. Ok. Switch? DId you fix the problems?

Mazda woman: Hold on I'll ask Mark.

Mazda Mark: Hold on I'll check with enegineer.

Mazda engineer: What seems to be problem?

Me: I want my handbreak fixed and is ambient temp sensor fixed?

MAzda: Handbreak? Let's have a look. (looks). Hmmmm. Never heard of that before. Is it on the website? I'll check with MAster Technician and ring you back tomorrow.

Me: Air-con?

Mazda: We check the air-con and it works ok.

Me: Yes it blows cold ok but depends on ambient temp which is over 20C in winter and over 50C in recent good weather.

Mazda: Hmmmm. It isn't that hot.

Me (to myself): Duh! Are you retarded?

Mazda: Ambient temp has nothing to do with air-con.

Me: Yes it does. It blows out cold air when set to 29C cos it thinks temp outside is 50C!

Mazda: I upgraded the software ECU.

Me (to myself): Didn't I get that done several years ago? Maybe there's been another new one.

Me (out loud): I hear there's a new starter motor thingmy bob

Mazda: Yeah. (then mumbles incoherently for a senetnce or two). Let me take your number, and I'll speak with master technician tomorrow.

Me (at this moment): Fecking useless lazy stupid idiots!

Me (looks at the lovely service that BMW, Merc, Mini, Lexus etc give): Mazda suck!
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Post by drmick »

Today: No word.


Unfortunately this is now my second dealer. Next one is very far awa.

There is a mazda dealership in Belfast but it does not appear on MAzda website for some reason.
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Post by orbist »

Got my new handbrake fitted last friday and the plastic does seem to be different, a more flexible rubbery type compared to the original. Time will tell.
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Post by Delanor »

orbist wrote:Got my new handbrake fitted last friday and the plastic does seem to be different, a more flexible rubbery type compared to the original. Time will tell.
Just had a replacement fitted and I concur, it does feel more rubbery - only two years to go then to see if it outlasts the original. :lol:

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Post by Lensman »

I had my latest lever fitted today and the design has changed. The offending plastic weld (the source of the trouble because it was at the exact point of most stress) is gone. The plastic protrusion is now seemingly a moulded part of the entire lever and I live in hope. If only the folks who fitted it could have looked after my poor sills as well... (scratched them)... ah well...
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Post by matfrost »

drmick wrote:Me (looks at the lovely service that BMW, Merc, Mini, Lexus etc give): Mazda suck!
Err

Had a Mercedes. The service department was useless. The rear trailing arm needed replacing, told them I needed the car for Saturday as I was going on holiday, they told me thats OK, we will fix it friday.
Took it in Friday for repair, went to pick it up Friday evening, they told me that they had stripped it down, and not had time to put it back together, but it would be ready Monday! Not much help really!!

Got a Mini Cooper S, waited 7 months for delivery, and when it turns up, they have messed up the order, and it does not have climate control fitted! Options were to take the car as is, and have a refund on the climate control, or wait another 7 months for another car to be built.
They then messed up my bonnet fitting driving lights, and it took them 3 attempts to repair it.

To be honest, all car dealers are useless. When I had the MX5's, the Mazda dealer was probably the best I have dealt with.

I have never heard anything bad about Lexus dealers though
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Re: Broken Handbrake

Post by warpc0il »

Checked my handbrake yesterday and sure enough it's broken. :(

The car's an 04 so no warranty left. :cry:

I suspect one of the contributory factors in the failure was that the handbrake hadn't been [urlw=http://www.rx8ownersclub.co.uk/forum/vi ... 30&t=29197]correctly adjusted[/urlw] and was coming up too high, putting force on the cover section.

Anywho I found a [urlw=http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0625419008]brand new handbrake assy on eBay[/urlw] and managed to bag it for £8.50 :)

It's coming 1st Class so that's another job for the weekend. :wink:
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Re: Broken Handbrake

Post by arex8 »

^^ :evil: I was bidding on this,.just missed it,.well done,.i dont really need the actual assembly,.just the cover part of it,.mines is worn,.good to see it went to a club member.
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Re: Broken Handbrake

Post by warpc0il »

:lol:
You're welcome to the cover part of mine, after I've swapped over, if it's any use to you.
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Re: Broken Handbrake

Post by arex8 »

^^Oooh,.that would be great,.you know the bit i mean dont you,.mines is all grubby,.and worn(from the previous owner,.not me.
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Re: Broken Handbrake

Post by warpc0il »

With the new handbrake due to arrive in the morning, I checked the Service Manual to see what was involved in fitting.

The section on Replacing Parking Brake starts with..
1. Remove prop shaft
What :?:
Why :?:

The US TSB for the faulty parking brake only gives the dealer 0.6hour to do the job, so it can't be that complex.

Can anyone that's done this give some advice please...
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Re: Broken Handbrake

Post by MetA »

Well, there's not a lot of space to get in and release the front cable.
PROBABLY could manage it, but for a dealership with a ramp then it's REAL easy to drop a prop-shaft.
Adds about 5 mins to the job.
THEN all the rest of the jobs are easy to get to and refit cables.

Not done it but pondered it after dropping a nut down the side of the lever.
Was easier to take two steps to the workshop nut store and put a new one in :)
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Re: Broken Handbrake

Post by warpc0il »

New h/brake just arrived =D> - with Installation Instructions :shock: , for the dealer :roll: .

No mention of the prop shaft :? but a page on removing the front passenger seat #-o
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