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Mazda CX-7 Transmission Questions

2

Comments

  • kkearneykkearney Member Posts: 4
    So... no one else feels this shudder? Could it be tire balance related? Any assist/response is appreciated. Thanks!
    KK
  • petercx7petercx7 Member Posts: 20
    Just got my cx7 2 weeks ago and recently I noticed the klanking sound when start the engine after a overnight parking. Basically I do every morning is to back up from the garage, when I shif the gear in to "R", here goes the first Klank, the second klank happened when the gear shift from 1st to 2nd during initial driving. I scheduled a service call to bring in the vehicle for a check up tomorrow, I will report anything after they check tomorrow.
  • zoom49zoom49 Member Posts: 76
    If your's is an AWD model it could be an early build with the drive shaft issue. There is a TSB out on this issue but it only effects early builds on AWD models.
  • petercx7petercx7 Member Posts: 20
    Thanks for the reply,mine is a FWD 07 model. I brought in the car this morning and the service adviser told me that he has other 3 cars with exactly the same problem and they tried to replace some component on one of them but did not solve the noise problem. Later on he explained to me that consider all the vehicle has this sound, he consider it normal on all cx7 to have this sound when engaging transmission to R or during the first shift from 1st to 2nd gear when cold start.I guess they are totally out of loop at this moment about how to adjust the problem at this time. I also brought up that the angle of the driver side light is lower than the passenger side so I request them to check on it, the adviser told me that its normal to have the driver side light aim a little bit lower than the passenger side since they are trying to avoid the strong beam shooting into opposite direction, does this make sense?">link title
  • carlitos92carlitos92 Member Posts: 458
    Yes, the angle of the headlights being different is normal. There are already posts on this.

    The ABS does a self-test at a certain mph in both forward and reverse; it is unrelated to the transmission shifting, but often appears to be about at the 1-2 shift point. I hadn't heard about the driveshaft TSB, but the ABS noise is a normal happening, and sounds like a clunk from the engine bay. There are posts on this, too.

    -c92
  • petercx7petercx7 Member Posts: 20
    Got back the car yesterday, apparently the dealer did find an article from mazda's service support database to advise that clunk was due to ABS test, the article also suggest them not to attempt any kind of repair to it. I just hope they are right about this.
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    Push the warranty issue. If they claim the "klank" is "normal", and not to fix it, then get it in writing. If the klank will indeed NOT harm the tranny NOR affect the performance, then I suppose you can live with it. My gut feeling tells me otherwise, though.

    Me? I've got 30K miles on mine, bought it in June 2006 and I DON'T have that noise. So, I'm not willing to say it's normal.

    Hope all works well for you! Vince.
  • carlitos92carlitos92 Member Posts: 458
    Bet you do TOO have the ABS noise... :P

    -c92
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    Well, guess you'll have to journey out to Leesburg, VA and see for yourself! :)

    Vince.
  • carlitos92carlitos92 Member Posts: 458
    Meet me halfway? Memphis? Would be a great MPG test, lol...
  • astegmanastegman Member Posts: 171
    Just to add my two cents, I also get that "klank" every morning when I start the car and back out of my garage and then move forward down my driveway. It's been that way pretty much since the day I brought the car home (Aug. 2006). I was under the assumption that it was indeed the antilock brakes. In my car, it's not that audible - I actually detect it more through my feet. It's rather fleeting and has also never occurred when the car's sat all day at work and I move forward into first gear.
  • 022540022540 Member Posts: 31
    On Oct. 5th our CX-7 will reach its 1st birthday in our family. It has been a great vehicle.
    We now have about 6500 miles and lately I notice that the vehicle does not shift from 5th to 6th gear with out some direct manipulations to the gas pedal.
    I have the rpm's and speed, it should be in 6th gear , but I have to let off of the gas pedal and it moves into 6th gear.
    It is as if , it was stuck and by moving your foot for a second, it allows it to shift into the proper gear.

    It appears that my in town mileage has dropped considerably, from 17-18 down to 14-15mpg. Highway mileage is still 25+mpg.
    I will have to get maintenance before Dec. and I will have the issue addressed.

    My wife and I both love the CX-7 and have been very happy with our decision to purchase. :):)
  • sweetpeassweetpeas Member Posts: 2
    I had jerking issues with my CX-7. Ask the techs to look at the belt on the car. It took the techs in Dallas 16 days to find discover that it had nothing to do with the computer settings.

    Here's what the district manager told me:
    · The drive belt had been installed 1 tooth to engine side over the edge of pulleys, this caused the belt to be torn off at about 1/6 width (1 tooth).
    · Some pieces of belt materials and fuzz stuck/touched the crank position sensor and trigger wheel and would then interrupt the crank sensor signal momentary. (approximately 50 milliseconds)
    · The Powertrain Control Module would detect the momentary loss of signal from the crank sensor and would kill the fuel injection, which was causing the jerking

    Replaced belt and sensors affected. :shades:
  • triplem1triplem1 Member Posts: 4
    Hello Everyone,
    I am very close to buying a new '08 CX-7 (also considering the Edge). However, the problems mentioned in this thread are very alarming - does anyone know if these problems have been addressed on the new '08 models. Can anyone comment? I have not noticed this problem on my test drives (but definitely notice the turbo lag) but perhaps I will try again and see if it is present. Thanks for the feedback.
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    Don't be alarmed. You're dealing with very isolated instances of that problem, a minute percentage of owners out the thousands who've bought the CX-7. Of course, that's not reassuring if your the owner of problem vehicle :blush:

    As for the turbo lag, it is MINOR! I've got 32K miles on my CX-7 (bought in June 06). You simply make allowances for it.

    Do your research, read the reviews and opinions, and test drive several vehicles. Test the electronics, check out the fit n' finish, get good prices. In the end, you'll have made the right choice.

    As for me, I've zero regrets about the CX-7. zoom-zoom !!

    Vince.
  • triplem1triplem1 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the reply Vince - that's good to hear you are a satisfied customer. I have a quick question for you (not the right thread i know) - but how do you find the comfort of the drivers seat? Based upon your miles i would definitely say you drive a lot and would be able to offer a sound opinion. I am 6'3 and feel fairly comfortable in the seat but after an extended time i'm not sure. Any feedback is appreciated - thanks again.
  • zoom49zoom49 Member Posts: 76
    triplem1

    I too have had our CX-7 for over a year @18,000 miles. I feel that the transmission is one of the outstanding features of this car. Smooth shifts and always seems to find the right gear for your throttle input. I like the way that it downshifts when brakeing on a hill so you dont have to ride the brakes. Im 6'2" myself,and can adjust the seat for good comfort. Have taken several long 8 hour trips with
    no comfort issues. It is also very comfortable to enter and exit. Hope this helps.
  • carlitos92carlitos92 Member Posts: 458
    Triplem1, I have had my CX-7 GT since July 2006 and have made a few 10-hour drives in the thing. I had no issues with the seat. I'm 6'-1".

    I agree with Vince that the really big problems are extremely isolated. The turbo lag is there, but it's not the worst I've seen, and over time, your right foot compensates subconsciously. My biggest gripes now are limited to what I think is mediocre fuel mileage, and the fact that fresh air through the A/C system gets warmed by the engine compartment when the A/C compressor is off. I thought Mazda fixed the other smaller problems for 2008. So you shouldn't have to go get a new gas cap every few months like the rest of us... ;)

    -c92
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    Must be land of the giants...I'm 6'4". No problems with the seating. It has adjustable lumbar support and it comes with the standard power seating with adjustments for tilt, recline, etc. Now wouldn't it be sweet if they added massage as well?

    I've read some posts who feel the center console intrudes to much into the leg area. That's never bothered me.

    So, I think you'll be fine!

    Vince.
  • triplem1triplem1 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks guys - I REALLY appreciate the feedback. I am hoping most of the issues are resolved for the '08's as well. Just a note, i've never had leather seats before and when i sat in the cloth seats of the cx-7 and then tried the touring model - boy, i could really tell the difference in comfort and support. My sales lady also said the GT version had better leather than the touring - anyone agree with that? Also, i'm trying to decide between the touring and GT - do you guys think the bump up is worth it? Thanks again - this forum has been great.
  • rex10rex10 Member Posts: 24
    I agree with the others that the transmission works very well. I also enjoy the downshifting feature on hills to control speed.

    I ended up with the touring, mostly because it was my first Mazda and also my first new car purchase (always purchased used cars prior). At the time I was worried about the extra gadgets malfunctioning. I also felt that the package would be more complete if it included a trip computer (as other Mazdas do) and MP3-capable stereo with RDS. After owning the car for a year I'm a little more confident with the Mazda brand, even though I did experience the ubiquitous CEL problem.

    Also, I am 6'4" and fit OK. Needless to say if I sit quite upright my head is firmly against the roof (I have the sunroof which also takes away some headroom). Legroom has always seemed fine.

    I have done several long trips and it is the first car that leaves me wanting to drive more even after a long freeway haul - it's fun to drive! Among the other cars this one is compared to I think only the RDX is in the same league on that point.
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    Today I saw from Consumer Report (online version) that auto owners reported CX-7 realiabilty is much worst than average so far, though not enough data yet. CX-9 is better in realiabilty, but still below average.
  • 022540022540 Member Posts: 31
    Just got a letter from Mazda and took my GT FD to my dealer and they made several changes. Main one was dealing with transmission shiftings, etc.
    I also found that they gave me a new gas cap, but I had no problems with any of the recalls.

    My intown milage had gone down consideraly..... 14.9mpg
    but on the hwy........... I get over 24mpg.

    It was a year old Oct. 5th. Only have 6,000 miles on it but have been on several short trips and love the drive. :D
  • ritche_joshritche_josh Member Posts: 3
    Hi there. I DO NOT recommend the Mazda CX7. One thing, the car was built with mediocre quality. I purchased my brand new CX7 two weeks ago and drove 100 miles then I had all these issues. The car is pulling to the right and steering is really tough. I almost had an accident on the 405 Fwy. I took it three times in the dealership and they are not able to fix the problem. They said this is normal. I was also hearing a rythmic noise when brakes are applied to full stop. Im battling with Mazda right now, Im demanding that they undo the purchase contract as the vehicle is a lemon.

    Hope this helps you finalize your decision. Good luck
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    "Im demanding that they undo the purchase contract as the vehicle is a lemon"

    Can you keep us posted on how it goes? I've never had to deal with lemon laws so I'm curious if you're successful and what steps you had to take, to comply with your state's lemon laws.

    Vince.
  • seattleflyseattlefly Member Posts: 1
    So.. I also have Honda Accord V6 2003 Automatic Trans. and when I bought the car, it made klunk noise when it was coming from Reverse to Drive.. I took it to the dealer, they said it's testing like what any other dealership will tell us. I still have it for 5 yrs roughly on 47000 miles, never had a problem except there was a recall once.

    Now, my cx-7, 2007 model AWD sport, it makes clunky noise when i pull it out from the garage from Reverse to 1st gear and then it grinds it from 1st gear to 2nd gear... does anyone have this? I dont think this is normal.... they can test my ABS brakes but what elese they are testing with grinding??? ( gr gr gr gr 2 secs, every freaking morning)
  • eperez1eperez1 Member Posts: 1
    I recently bought my cx-7, before i read these posts of course. I have noticed the loud klunk sound on cold starts, reversing out of my drive-way and going from 1st to 2nd gear. I have taken my vehicle into the dealership twice and they say there is no fix and that it is the brakes. Has anyone heard of a fix to the noise? Does anyone know if longterm this could become a serious problem?
  • 022540022540 Member Posts: 31
    I dont know where you live, but I would get a 2nd opinion quick. Our CX-7 GTFWD has fantastic breaks, they are excellent and functional.
    When you first start out on a cold morning, you might hear some noise because of debrie on the breaks, they are completely exposed to the elements.

    Even if I had to drive to another town, I would get a second break person to look at them. You might even try a local tire center, You have either Bridgelstone or Goodyear and have them check by pulling the tires and looking at the break set up.

    Strange noises are not good and should not go unchecked.

    Good Luck on a better outcome :):)
  • 022540022540 Member Posts: 31
    I have read the manual, look up in the brochures, etc . I cannot find how many quarts of oil are needed with an oil change that includes changing the oil filter also.
    I called the dealer and the person I talked to was not sure.

    I have been using Castrol Syntex 5w 30 but this time I am going to try the new
    Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic.

    Any response would help.
  • zoom49zoom49 Member Posts: 76
    Have done ours a few times and seems to take just shy of 6 quarts with filter.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Drive forward to park the car in the evening then shift into reverse upon starting out the next morning and you will often hear sort of a "klunk" sound as the brake pads "unseat" from their overnight stuck "forward" position(***) against the rotor and then move "backwards" a very small amount in the calipers, and "strike" the caliper stops.

    *** Especially after a rain or wet day.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Due to newer design aspects it might be EXTREMELY important to not overfill, nor underfill, the ATF sump. Many cars now have SEALED transaxle sumps for this reason. Apparently as little as 1/8 of a quart can be the difference between over and/or under.

    To much ATF and it will be stirred, frothed, by the rotating gearset, resulting in an air/oil mixture. To little and early morning, COLD, shifting will be impaired.
  • jilliangjilliang Member Posts: 2
    :confuse: Can anyone tell me why all of the sudden, my CX-7 won't go into park? All other gears are working, car is drivable, but won't go into park.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    There is a solenoid actuated lock that prevents the gear shift from being moved FROM the park position usless you have your foot firmly on the brake. My guess would be that the lock has failed in a position that prevents you moving the shifter INTO park.

    Look for the lock over-ride (in the owners manual) and actuate it and see if you cane move the shifter to park.
  • mazdacx7mazdacx7 Member Posts: 7
    Yeah, I noticed that too, always happen in the morning and just one time, the rest of the day it does´not make that sound, so I just ignored it.
    Mine it is a year old now and has 5k.
  • jilliangjilliang Member Posts: 2
    Hi WWest,

    Thanks for your feedback! I was unable to figure it out myself, so took it in to the dealership. I did share with them your email and suggestion. They said they never heard of such a thing happening and was especially surprised at learning that I was able to not only drive the car, but remove the key in neutral - apparently you aren't supposed to be able to do this. Go figure. We'll see what they come up with tomorrow! Anyway... thanks again for your input! - best, jillian
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    If you were able to remove the key in neutral then the electrical interlock system "thought' the system was in park and that's why you could not shift into (nor out of) park.
  • bobcx7bobcx7 Member Posts: 1
    Yes, this is exactly what I get on my 2008 CX-7. In the morning when I first back up, as soon as I hit the brakes I hear a loud klunk sound (or maybe more of a "snap" sound) and I can feel the shock through the brake pedal. Then I drive forward and the first time I hit the brakes I hear the same thing.

    Then I continue driving forward and everything is fine when I hit the brakes, until the next time I put it in reverse -- then I can reproduce the cycle again. But after about an hour of this it goes away, and I can't reproduce the cycle anymore, until I let it sit overnight. Same thing again the next morning, particularly if it's cold out. On warmer days it doesn't happen as much.

    I've taken it to the Mazda dealer 3 times and they claim there's no known problem and they don't really know what it is. The first time they couldn't reproduce it after putting it on the hoist, the 2nd time they inspected the brakes and didn't really do anything, and the 3rd time they put some sort of sealer on the brakes pads and tried to charge me for it -- yeah, right. That seems to have helped for the past 2 days, but now I'm worried that they're just masking a problem that could have a long-term impact.

    Is there some part that Mazda should be replacing?
  • bcp1bcp1 Member Posts: 21
    I would also be curious about the problem. I have 12,300 miles on my CX-7GTFWD
    they had changed the module last year, but I notice it doesnot always go into 6th gear without letting off on the accellerator. I get the downshift sometimes on hills, but it is pretty flat where we live.
    My gas milage has dropped significantly since they last worked on the car which I think was Dec. 08. I made 22.5mpg on a hwy trip this past weekend, but my intown
    driving with heavy traffic has dropped to 15.1mpg which is the lowest I have ever gotten in town. I notice it spends a lot of time in 4th & 5th gear.
  • corytcoryt Member Posts: 3
    I am looking to see if anyone has experienced this. I started my car and realized I left my purse inside the laundry room which is connected to the garage, my son stayed in the car while I grabbed my purse and put his hand on the gear shift and it went into reverse - i tried to jump in and push it back up, but to no avail and it ran over me and down the driveway hitting a mailbox to stop it- i have severe injuries from it and Mazda claims they have never heard of this happening and have offered nothing- it was only three months old off of the showroom floor. The whole family is terrified of the car at this point and I need help finding if anybody else has had this happen to them!!!
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    That is horrifying. I hope you are able to recover from your injuries.

    I wonder whether Mazda's position is/will be that your son set the car in motion by fiddling with the gear shift.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • bcp1bcp1 Member Posts: 21
    You need to get this checked immediately by a Mazda dealer. You are suppose to have your foot on the break in order to shift from park to reverse. Are you sure the vehicle was not in drive already. It is pretty difficult to shift from Park into reverse.

    Sure hope you were not seriously hurt. Also remember that you have a manual function on your CX-7. You move it into the manual mode and it is extremely easy to shift from one gear to the next.

    I would have a Mazda Dealer make sure that you donot have some faulty transmission, that is very dangereous.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Has anyone checked to be sure the park/brake locking solenoid assembly is fully operational...? And how well "hidden" is the manual release/bypass if the brake application doesn't allow a shift out of park..?
  • corytcoryt Member Posts: 3
    thank you to everyone who has put in helpful questions for me as this is a serious matter. I appreciate your help. In answer to tidester, they are not giving anything and maybe that is their position except that he was in the PASSENGER seat belting in-no where near the driver's seat......keep the possible answers coming as I need help getting Mazda to fix this problem!!! I ride three children around in the car on a daily basis and they are all terrified of the car since this happened.
  • corytcoryt Member Posts: 3
    how do i read message 97????
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    how do i read message 97?

    You don't. At least not until the author rewrites the message so that it conforms to the Terms of Use. :)

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • mybeccamybecca Member Posts: 6
    I just bought a 2010 CX-7 Touring. Having just moved down from a 2008 CX-9, I expected some adjustment period, but I am really struggling with the signifcant loudness of this engine. At first I just attributed it to getting used to a turbo charged engine, but as mentioned in these posts from a few years ago, when I turn it on, the engine screams and revs up to 2500 and sits there, until I tap the accelerator. If I shift into drive while it is in this mode, it shoots off like a rocket, which is disturbing in parking lot situations. I'm no car expert, so I called the dealership to ask if this was normal behavior and they said it sounds like the idle is stuck?

    Am I going to walk into the service department and they'll look at me like I'm an idiot? Is this just normal behavior for a turbo engine?

    Thanks for your educational responses.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Since your engine is so severely derated/detuned in order to accommode turbo BOOST, and of fairly low displacement volume anyway it probably takes somewhat "extreme" measures such as this to bring the catalytic converter up to operational temperatures, ~800F, in the time designated/allocated by the EPA.

    Throw in a COLD climate and thereby the need to heat the passenger cabin at the same time and....

    "....Until I tap the accelerator...."

    How soon after starting the engine will/does this work...???

    Perhaps "you" are the "switch" used to tell the system that the passenger cabin is now warm enough..?
  • mybeccamybecca Member Posts: 6
    I'm fortunately not in a 'cold' climate. My garage temp is around 60 right now and outside is low 50s.

    Does it make sense that I have to tell the car it's warm enough by tapping the accelerator?

    Is the fact that it revs up so high at start an issue or is it just the nature of this vehicle's engine?

    Thanks for the clarification.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    "..not in a 'cold' climate.."

    Yes, I know, it's about the same over here in Woodiville.

    "..Does it make sense.."

    Well, yes. Think about it, what's the harm in the engine "idling" at 2500 RPM until the catalyst is heated to operational temperature..?? Unless the driver decides it's time to "go" and taps the accelerator in order to more gently enter "drive".

    My '01 F/awd RX300 disables OD until the transaxle ATF temperature has risen to some predetermined level. Currently I drive about a mile before I feel the shift up into overdrive. In the summer it appears to take about half of that distance. My RX has the V6 so the catalyst would be expected to get to operational temperature a lot quicker that your detuned/derated I4. I would imagine that your CX-7 also has OD locked out until....

    "...an issue or..."

    Only the dealer, say Kirkland's Madza dealer. Dick Meyer, owner, might be able to answer that.
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