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Mazda CX-7 Check Engine Light

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  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    Yo Rabbit,
    Thanks, but I have had this car since Aug. 31st and have read all the treads here as well as other Mazda Forums.

    It does seem bazaar that this is occurring. Tomorrow I head to NYC for a round trip of about 230 miles, and will report on mileage and the CEL.

    BTW, somewhere in another thread I thought you had mentioned remote start using the standard key fob but good only for 10 - 15 feet. Can you please refer me to that thread?

    Darth Vader Grey GT AWD w/Tech Pack.
  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    Drove to JFK Airport and back.
    40 miles country roads
    40 miles local errands
    15 miles stop and go on Van Wyke Xprssway
    10 miles NYC traffic
    275 miles Taconic State Parkway

    total miles 380 gas purchased 20.2 gals. 19.7 mpg.
    Well that is better than the last two fill ups. :)

    As for the CEL, funny thing is that it stayed on all the way to JFK and then went off for my return trip home. :confuse:

    Darth Vader Grey AWD w/Tech Pack
  • defreitasmdefreitasm Member Posts: 152
    "So you're saying that the people who don't know enough to check their gas cap are the same people who don't want just a dummy light? LOL - that's seems a bit of a contradiction."

    No... that not what I'm saying at all. LOL

    Good luck with your fix!
  • astegmanastegman Member Posts: 171
    My CEL has been on fairly steadily for the past week, as we've have some cold weather here in CT in that period (single digits in the a.m., teens/low 20's in the p.m.). Oddly, on Saturday, with the daytime temp at 21, the CEL went out. Go figure. But it reappeared yesterday (Sunday) in the morning (11 degrees) and then went out later in the day. I don't plan on doing anything, as the car's going in for body work next week, and will be out of commission for the following 2 weeks after that. Maybe by the time I get it back in March, the temps will be consistently over freezing.

    I haven't been tracking the mileage, but I filled up on Saturday and checked - the last tank got 19.7 mpg - 80% highway, 20% stop & go. So that's not too bad for this car.
  • johnny__rfjohnny__rf Member Posts: 83
    Same report here from your fellow CT CX-7 driver. My CEL was on and off so many different times this weekend, I lost track. I'm at around 3800 miles and will not bring it in until 5000 miles when I get the oil changed.

    Regarding mpg's, my driving is more 50% highway / 50% stop and go. Last fill up I got 16 mpg. Maybe the fact that I drive 80 mph on the highway has something to do with it?
  • sssfegysssfegy Member Posts: 132
    At 80 mph you're reving at about 2400-2500 rpm, which is when the turbo engages, aside from the drag factor. At 80 mph in my A4 1.8t I average about 26mpg(which is very bad with this engine).Hope you're enjoying your best Cuv on the rood.
  • waygrabowwaygrabow Member Posts: 214
    My MazdaSpeed6 CEL (same engine as the CX-7) came on at 5000 miles and has been on continuously since then. No noticeable change in car performance. Possibly a slight decrease in MPG. Anyhow, I had scheduled a dealer checkup for 5000 miles, so the dealer immediately checked the malfunction and determined it to be the same as everyone else is experiencing. I waited while they did the "fix", and when it was over, the CEL was still on. So now a new module has been on order for the past month. Still waiting with no end in sight.
  • defreitasmdefreitasm Member Posts: 152
    "At 80 mph you're reving at about 2400-2500 rpm, which is when the turbo engages, aside from the drag factor. At 80 mph in my A4 1.8t I average about 26mpg(which is very bad with this engine).Hope you're enjoying your best Cuv on the rood."

    I'm not sure I get you :confuse:
  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    Ambient temp 15degrees Farenheit.
    To paraphrase Simon & Garfunkle (showing my age) It's getting colder my old friend, and there you are, on again.

    Yep, drove home from NYC Sunday night, no light. :)
    Drove around town yesterday on an errand or two, no light. :)
    Started this morning, there it was, "my old friend" :cry:

    Ah well!!!

    Darth Varder Grey GT AWD w/Tech Pack
  • defreitasmdefreitasm Member Posts: 152
    It snowy and icey here and now my CEL light is out.

    Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
  • photolazphotolaz Member Posts: 3
    Hi, I bought mine in September and it's been in for service 5 times. It's there right now. I was getting the check engine light also. After the 4th trip to service it was determined the the manifold sensor was the cause and Mazda told the service department that it needed to be moved elsewhere. That was good for 2 weeks and then the light came on again now I'm told that the throdle sensor is the problem and needs to be replaced, so we are waiting for that to come in. Like many of you I have had many cars over the years and have not had issues that this one has had. I've lost confidence in this Mazda product and the dealer that is servicing the car. Other issues that I have had are shifting problems, at a stop the RPMs jumping up to 2500 for no reason, twice I have gotten in to leave for work and the whole car is dead...no power - I open the hood and look around and close the hood an it starts right up BUT all the memory is lost. I have to reset the radio, the nav system, power windows stop working and other things. I have already told the dealer that is car is starting to smell like lemonade, if you catch my drift, but now it's starting to TASTE like lemonade. They get this fixed and another issue shows up I'm going to be talking lemon law :lemon: to these guys. I have 5K miles on it. The sad part, sort of, is that I like the car for its looks and ride and I don't really mind that the gas mileage sucks and that I have to put premium in it. I read that many of you are please with your CX7, from the stand point of service and reliability I wish I was. My other choice was the VW Toureg...should had stuck with it.
  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    Re: On again off again [defreitasm]

    Well here near Albany, NY it is near Blizzard and mine is ON :mad:

    Go figure! :confuse:

    Darth Vader Grey GT AWD w/Tech Package
  • carlitos92carlitos92 Member Posts: 458
    Hang in there, buddy. The VW has had its share of problems, too - and it's nowhere near as attractive as your Mazda. :)

    It does sound like you have some issues the rest of us had not have had to deal with... which is obviously a bummer.

    I consider myself lucky that I've only had 2 gas-cap-related CELs. I think we are all in mostly the same boat mileage-wise, though. Keep your chin up, and give the dealer some time to fix it. If they can't over the next month or so, maybe it wasn't meant to be, and that high-rolling V-10 TDI was supposed to be yours after all. :)
  • defreitasmdefreitasm Member Posts: 152
    "My other choice was the VW Toureg...should had stuck with it."

    Yeah, I would have loved a Toureg but well equipped $40,000 plus was just more than I wanted splurge.
  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    Well, one of the reasons that we didn't get the VW Passant was my wife said that it looked to staid for such a young in heart couple as we are. :blush:

    Don't you just love that remark so close to Valantines day? ;)

    Darth Vader Grey GT AWD w/ Tech Package
  • johnny__rfjohnny__rf Member Posts: 83
    So here is the pattern my cx CEL has fallen in to.......I start up the car in the morning, drive approx. 2 minutes and the CEL comes on. It stays on for a day or 2, then magically it vanishes. It may (if I am lucky) stay off for a day or 2. It always comes back on (when it comes on) after 2 minutes of driving or so....

    Anybody else got that same behavior?
  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    Count me in on that.
    Drove down to NYC about 120 miles with CEL on all the way.
    *Parked in garage for 3 hours. No CEL, drove home all the way with no CEL.
    Started next morning drove 100 yards, on it came again.
    That afternoon ran some errands, no CEL.

    *Note: Cost of living in Manhattan - $21.00 for 3 hours at night, plus tip!!! :mad:

    Darth Vader Grey GT AWD w/Tech Package
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    It might be interesting to take your Darth Vader into Mazda service and have them check that "doo dad" that keeps track of all of your CELs. They be able to figure out why it comes and goes.

    You can tell I'm very technically oriented :P

    Vince.
  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    Thanks Vince,

    However, I am waiting for my 5k service which is about 1k
    away. It's about a 90 mile round trip to the dealer and I don't want to be waiting around all day just for a CEL problem.

    Of course, by then the ambient temp. will be warmer and my mileage will go up and I will be all smiles. :D

    I will tell them that you said the following: "You can tell I'm very technically oriented :P"
    My problem is that they are very financially oriented ;)

    Darth Vader Grey GT AWD w/Tech Package
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    LOL !!!

    :shades:

    Vince.
  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    Vince,
    Happy to have brought a smile to your face. ;)

    Darth Vader Grey GT AWD w/Tech Package
  • johnny__rfjohnny__rf Member Posts: 83
    So we had 2 warm days in CT and my CEL was off those 2 entire days. This morning was cold again and the CEL has come on again......Looks like a definite link for my CEL problem with cold weather. Would this point to the IMRC valve issue? What is going on here, residual moisture that is freezing up? Anybody got any insight?
  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    My CEL light has been going on and off intermittently for the past 1500 miles. I currently have 4,100 miles on the odometer.

    On another Mazda form someone complained about a "FLASHING CEL" and blew a gasket on the engine. :sick:
    The party was chastised by another member for ignoring the flashing light. :mad:

    The question is, should I attend to the light immediately or can it wait until my 5,000 mile checkup? :confuse:

    Any advice?

    Darth Vader Grey etc. etc.
  • johnny__rfjohnny__rf Member Posts: 83
    Flashing CEL is different than the intermittent CEL that most of us are encountering. 1st occurrence I had, the service dept. specifically asked if it was blinking or steady. Once I told them it was steady, they scheduled an appt. a week later. Blinking they would have handled differently.
  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    Whew!!! :D

    Thanks, I didn't need a 90 mile trip in the next day or two. :shades:

    Darth Vader Grey GT AWD w/Tech Package
  • photolazphotolaz Member Posts: 3
    OK, so hear's a update on this CEL thing. After my last post the car was at the dealers for a week and a half. This time Mazda told them it needed a updated throttle sensor which also required an updated wiring connector. Well yesterday my little friend came to visit me, the CEL, and this time happened immediately after the car momentarily lost power. So I'll be dropping it off today and will be setting up an appointment to start talking about a buyback. BTW the service person was the first to use the word buyback not me. My wife is telling me this is starting to effect me mentally. It's almost like an anxiety or paranoia. I spend more time looking for the CEL to come on. The car has spent 22 days, I think, in the service dept in the 5500 miles that I have driven it. For a new car this is BS. :mad:
  • johnny__rfjohnny__rf Member Posts: 83
    Find yourself a good lawyer and you should get Mazda to move pretty quick for you. If this car has you mentally/physically stressed out, they should be fearful of their liabilities...I believe you have a lot more leverage than you think.

    I would have pulled the plug long before the point that you are at.

    Let's call your lemon a lemon....nobody should have to put up with what you have been exposed to with a new car.......
  • defreitasmdefreitasm Member Posts: 152
    So is your CEL fixed? Are you happy with PCM update?
  • johnny__rfjohnny__rf Member Posts: 83
    Anybody else have their CEL go away on its own? Mine has been off for a solid 5 days now.......I assume this warmer weather has something to do with it?
  • astegmanastegman Member Posts: 171
    Yes, my CEL is directly affected by the outside temperature. It goes on if the temp gets below the mid-20's but goes away once it gets over about 28 degrees or so. It's done this consistently all winter.
  • aviboy97aviboy97 Member Posts: 3,159
    My father-in-law has a CX-7 GT, purchased in September. Only 1 CEL, due to good ole' Mr. gas cap. No CEL's since. He lives in CT. And I'm a dealer here in CT as well. Me dealership has not really seen any not related to the gas cap, either. I will dig for info to try and help you guys...
  • astegmanastegman Member Posts: 171
    I'm in Connecticut as well. I've already had the gas cap replaced twice, had the gas fill neck worked on, had the purge valve worked on, and had the IMRC worked on. But since my CEL is directly affected by the weather - in addition to the many other causes of the CEL - I have stopped fussing about it, and just let it be. It was basically on for the whole month of February, and although it's off now, I'm counting on seeing it tomorrow morning, since we have an intense cold snap coming through. No worries, though. As soon as it warms up, it'll go away. :)
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    I think it just your car that's affected by the cold. :sick: LOL

    It's 16 this morning and no CEL. Haven't had a CEL in many weeks now (last one was 12/22/06) and we've had plenty of sub-20 mornings this winter.

    Vince.
  • astegmanastegman Member Posts: 171
    Oh, I completely agree that this might be unique to my car, and now that I know, it doesn't bother me.

    And doesn't it just figure that at 5 degrees this morning, the CEL light did not come at all! Hooray for my car - I'm glad to be proved wrong.
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    You're probably plagued by one of those pesky, furry gremlins.

    Vince.
  • astegmanastegman Member Posts: 171
    I guess those little gremlins woke up after sleeping all day yesterday, because the CEL came on for the drive home, within seconds of starting the car. And the tire pressure warning light came on, too! Both are still on after this morning's commute (8 degrees, snowing).

    I'm not due for another oil change for about another 1,000 miles, but I'll mention the CEL/temperature connection (again) at that time.
  • defreitasmdefreitasm Member Posts: 152
    My came on yesterday after being off for almost a week and it was extreme cold, but there are times when it is cold out and it is not on as well. I have a part on order that is supposed to fix the swirl valve issue.
  • russ_49russ_49 Member Posts: 54
    I went to my dealer yesterday, after having a service about a month ago, the CEL went off for a day, came right back on the next morning in extremely cold weather. They had the part, and replaced the actuator, took about 90 minutes. Left the dealership and could notice a significant improvement in response, and it appears that the MPG issues brought on by the CEL, actuator issue have cleared up. I dropped down to about 16 MPG there for a while. Was getting really ugly with the price of gas climbing again.

    The response is great, no more throttle sluggishness, and looks like my MPG is back up where it belongs. Let's see how long this last...but I love the car.... :shades:
  • russ_49russ_49 Member Posts: 54
    It does, it's the actuator throttle control mechanism. When it's colder out, it has more of a tendency to stick, which is what the repair department manager told me. They now have to correct part to fix it, but with so many on the road at this time, many dealerships are on backorder waiting for the part to come in.

    When it warms up some you will have it go off, but I would think due to the sticking, you would more than likely see a sluggish response on the throttle, and gas milage that is not that great. I did. Fortunately, they had the part, when I by chance decided to bring it in, to have it checked yesterday. The repair takes about 90 minutes, and you will see a significant change in performance once it's done.
  • defreitasmdefreitasm Member Posts: 152
    I don't care if it's on either but if a second differnt problem comes up you have no way of knowing without having the car checked. Also at some point it has to be fixed because once it is out of warranty a CEL will cas the vehicle to fail State emissions inpections. At least that is the way it is in New York. My part is on order... hope it solves the problem for good.
  • vir_oniavir_onia Member Posts: 1
    Hey guys, don't fret too much about the CEL! I'm here in Toronto, Canada and driving the CX7 for 4 months now. I've got the same problem with the CEL. I noticed that when I warm up the engine before driving, the CEL won't come on. If I don't have time to warm it up and accelerate fast, it will certainly come on. However, after 4 engine off and on, it will go away and drive normally. Mazda told me that they know about the problem and they are waiting for a software upgrade.

    I work at Lexus/Toyota part time. I always own a Toyota, but I just want to try the Mazda for a change. A Toyota mechanic told me that they have the same problem with most Matrix and Corolla. A Japanese Lexus specialist/mechanic asked me how is the CX7. I told him about the CEL and he said they also have the same problems with the Lexus vehicles. Both mechanic suspect that it has something to do with the O2 (oxygen) sensor.

    But both mechanics told me that the difference is that Toyota/Lexus correct their vehicles' defects fast while Mazda is slow in addressing the issue. I just hope we will have the patience to wait before Mazda looses most of us. If Mazda won't be able to resolve this, I think I'll go back to Toyota after my term with the CX7.
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    Gosh, my last CEL was 12,036 miles (P2006 code). I also have had the gas cap issue. I just rolled over 20K miles. So, I'm thinking (fingers crossed here), that those "issues" are well behind me.

    Happy motoring! :shades:

    Vince.
  • defreitasmdefreitasm Member Posts: 152
    How did you correct the P2006 issue? They have a part waiting for me at the dealer. I believe it's a different sensor with a stronger spring.
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    Well, they took this doodad, tweaked it with a gizmo, and then calibrated with a whachamacallit.

    I don't know!!! I'm about as technically challenged as they come. I take the car in, get a loaner, and come back the next day. Problem solved and I'm happy.

    Vince. ;)
  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    Vince, again with the false modesty? :shades:

    "You can tell I'm very technically oriented - Vince." :blush:
  • defreitasmdefreitasm Member Posts: 152
    Your repair ticket should have inicated if a part replaced. That is what I was trying to find out.
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    Oh for crying out loud...details, details! :P

    Here's a verbatim quote from the ticket
    _____________________________________
    J# 3 05MAZCEL CK ENGINE LIGHT ON HOURS 2.5 TECH(S): 516 RE00 WARRANTY
    CUSTOMER STATES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON
    CODE P2006 IMRC STUCK CLOSED
    IMRC STUCK CLOSED
    MODIFIED IMRC SWITCH. PCM REFLASH. TEST DRIVE
    F0008XDX//1.7. F0010XFX//.3. F0009XDX//.5
    _______________________________________

    There were no parts listed for this repair action.

    If you want, I can fax the whole ticket to you?

    NOT!

    :P

    Vince.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    You should feel pretty special that they spent 2.5 hours on that. That's a big chunk of time for a tech to claim. I imagine that if the tech was up to snuff on his service bulletins, he'd just replace the part and be done in under an hour.
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    I've no concept on how long such repairs take. You're probably right .... they probably could have replaced the entire part. But, as long as it works and no more CELs, I'm a happy camper. They gave me a loaner for the day, so I wasn't too inconvenienced. I also had a oil change done that day, too.

    Vince.
  • defreitasmdefreitasm Member Posts: 152
    WOW....I was just curious to see if they changed out the sensor.
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