R3 Recall

[New Duke]

Does that mean that your dealer doesn't know what they're doing and has a carpark full of cars that they've started but can't finish?
:not-shocked:

[New Duke]

The Colchester dealer covers a few other manufacturers as well as Mazda (quite normal I know) and their compound is massively cramped and always gridlocked with cars parked an inch from each other (no exaggeration). It's so ridiculous that whenever I have to visit the parts desk I always set a 5 minute timer to run back and check on the car. No way I'd leave it there all day.

And the parts guys know about as much about the RX8 as the average Pistonheads forum poster. So while the workshop 'technicians' might be RX8 experts... I'd bet serious money against it! I've not seen one rotary at that garage in over 2 years now.

So yep... I'm happy to drive (all day if need be) to a garage that satisfies the criteria! If one even exists!

[delta0]

There seems to be a bit of black spot around north London for Mazda dealers. Lots of other Japanese dealers and garages around my area but not Mazda. The nearest one that is easy to get to is probably Milcars Mazda.

[AndyBrad]

its an airbag recall. they arnt touching the car otherwise, whats to worry about?

Had mine postponed till next week due to lack of parts.

[New Duke]

its an airbag recall. they arnt touching the car otherwise, whats to worry about?

Had mine postponed till next week due to lack of parts.

Flooding it - they still have to move the car about. It's tough on an R3 but if anyone can manage it I'm sure they can.
Dinging the doors/bodywork in the busy car park
Revving it cold (I guarantee you they will because so many mechanics do, especially when they see 'rotary')
Joyriding it cold (It happens. the modern Mazda and Vauxhall etc models these guys work on aren't exactly fun)
Wearing down the seat bolster
Leaning on the seat insert and popping it out. Then fudging it back in.
When they feck something up, yup even on what should be a relatively simple task

That's just the stuff that springs to mind. But my concern is more about the well-documented competence level of dealers and the busy nature of their car parks. Concerns based on experience.

Anyway, good luck Andy. Let us know where you go and how you get on

[acegeezer]

Just had mine done.. 25 minutes in and out.. no issues and no fuss, job done with nothing to worry about, harder to flood an R3 anyway

[New Duke]

Just had mine done.. 25 minutes in and out.. no issues and no fuss, job done with nothing to worry about, harder to flood an R3 anyway

Where'd you go for yours? Share share share!

[dern]

I just opened my letter for my S1 and my skin went cold... passenger airbag recall.

Can anyone comment on Oxford, Swindon or Basingstoke main dealers please? I like near the Newbury dealer that left my car leaking petrol three times trying to do the fuel recall. I'd rather risk not getting it done than let the incompetent idiots there have my car again.

Thanks,

Mark

[acegeezer]

Just had mine done.. 25 minutes in and out.. no issues and no fuss, job done with nothing to worry about, harder to flood an R3 anyway

Where'd you go for yours? Share share share!

Probably a little out of your territory, but "Nunns of Grimsby"

[chriskirkham]

Just had my letter and will book in with TW Whites in Orpington - it's a 120 mile round trip for me - but they are rotary-friendly and didn't mess up any of the previous recall work.

Fingers-crossed for a good result this time round.



Sent from my SM-T550 using Tapatalk

[AndyBrad]

dropped mine off today at hudds.

got a nice mazda 3. very nice car. seems quick as the r3 on takeoff!!!

interestingly no one knew what a rx8 was when i dropped it off! with comments of oooh ive never seen one of those before.

gulp!

[nightfire10]

interestingly no one knew what a rx8 was when i dropped it off! with comments of oooh ive never seen one of those before.

gulp!

That has got to be worth a "Double gulp!"

*
*
Del.

[akhan48]

Has anyone had this recall done in or around Leeds area? I notice Andy had it done at Huddersfield which isn't a million miles away, and now they can't claim they've never seen an Rx-8 before!

[Ainmhidh]

Got my recall letter today. Now to figure out where to go - 3 miles down the road or further afield...

[warpc0il]

The passenger airbag recall is probably the least contentious and certainly the least risky, from a "not worked on an RX8 before" perspective.

There's nothing they they need to touch that is in any way "rotary" and unless you leave the car with them the night before, the engine won't have a chance to get cool enough for flooding to be an issue, even if they start it up and switch off after moving 50 yards.

They will have to disconnect the battery and this means that they should go through the procedure to reset the DSC and power windows, but it's not the end of the world if they don't.

It's the fuel tank related and front drop links for the Series 1 that is scary to leave with an inexperienced dealer.

[bigpete8]

For s1 airbag they hadn't disconected battery (unless they'd driven her 70 miles and added fuel )

[warpc0il]

Some people just like to live dangerously.

Having fired-off the seat side airbag, using a PP3 battery after I removed it to make my office chair, I wouldn't want to mess about in an enclosed space with one live - and the seat bag is way smaller than the front airbags.

[bigpete8]

Suppose they could've done it quick before it had chance to forget Everything..

[EvilDes]

Had my letter today, was beginning to feel left out. It's gotta go in for service anyway, so will bolt it onto that. I used Johnson's Mazda in Solihull and had no issues with the last service.

[delta0]

Got my letter today as well.

[brix79]

Got mine on Friday, also scanned the letter for those who want to see what it says.

R3-Recall-02.2019.jpg

[bunch1980]

Reply me to last week for passenger airbag now, so annoying another trip to dealer. Makes one wonder why it was not picked up at same time as drivers one? as it means wife etc been in danger for over a year or so since drivers one done!
I have had the fuel tank one done to since.

[akhan48]

What happens if you don’t have recall done?

[delta0]

My understanding is the part is coming up to its end of life date and there is no danger at the moment.

[Bex]

Okay, time for some more (semi-random) background information...

When airbags were first developed they were intended as replacement for seat belts, which is why the original bags used in the US were HUGE.

Later tests showed that they didn't replace seatbelt functionality and made some situations worse, particularly "submarining" where you are forced under the dash. Submarining was addressed by a raised or firmer lip to the seat pad but this only worked in a conjunction with a seat belt.

Similarly, the benefits of an airbag to the occupants was really only in conjunction with a seat belt - and hence why the airbag system is now (almost) universally referred to as the Supplementary (or Secondary) Restraint System - SRS - as it doesn't work on its own.

Initially the injury that it was aimed to protect against was the drivers head hitting the steering wheel, which is why early systems just come with a drivers airbag. Front passenger airbags were only added because of marketing feedback that somehow passengers were seen as "less important" - this was particularly from women.

The implementation of front passenger airbags has always been a much greater engineering challenge as front seat passengers can vary much more in height and weight than drivers and can sit closer or further away from the dash, compared to the driver from the steering wheel.

Add-in the rear-facing baby seat issue and it's a nightmare.

The latest systems have weight sensors on the seats, and position sensors on the seat rails, all used to vary the airbag deployment strategy.

Even our system, designed in 2003, has 2-step deployment of both front airbags, with two inflators for each, and a track sensor on the drivers seat, side air bags on the seats and seat belt pre-tensioners. The latter is to ensure that any slack is taken up in the seatbelt, in the milliseconds before the airbag deploys.

Normal service is resumed.