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Comments
Vince.
Well, nothing but fuel efficiency...
If it's 5F outside, you likely don't need the humidity reduced THAT much, and you stand to increase your mileage by not having the compressor load on the engine.
That being said, you have to make a choice if that admittedly small fuel savings is worth twiddling with HVAC knobs the "old-fashioned" way in order to keep a temp you like. I just got back from a 1200-mile round trip and did it both ways, but couldn't compare mileage because going one way, the trailer I was towing was empty - going the other way, it was full.
-c92
We bought our 07 Mazda CX7 in July 06 to bring with us to Italy and use to travel Europe. We have loved our CX7 and have taken it everywhere. BUT, that all changed on Tuesday morning when upon exiting the highway we noticed a hot burning smell (like oil and rubber mixed with electrical). We pulled onto the base and put the car in park. This is when smoke billowed from under the hood (my children ran from the car as the smoke was so thick they thought it was on fire). After clearing it out, we experimented with the car driving with no heat fan, progressing to defrost high fan and low and behold more smoke! So we took it to the Autoport where they were surprised to see a new car with an defective AC Compressor! They temporarily fixed the problem by bypassing the unit, which helped with the smoke but it still rattles terribly at low speeds.
Now, here comes the kicker. When we bought the car we asked the dealer if the warranty was valid in Italy. The manager said yes it was, I asked him that before I sign anything he call Mazda directly and verify that the warranty would remain valid. He did this - right in front of us (or did he??). Now Mazda USA says that the warranty is void because we took it out of the US/Canada. Not that it matters too much because we are at 38000 miles.
The point in posting this is that we noticed about 5 months ago that the ac was getting dimmer and that the air wasn't pushing through as strong. Since it was fall, we thought we would figure it out in time. Reading all of your posts that you have notified MazdaUSA, makes me wonder why when I called them today they stated that they hadn't heard of any AC problems and that I will be stuck with the likely $1,000 (if I am lucky!) bill. If the unit is recalled later I can submit a "request" to be reimbursed if we meet all the requirements.
Other than this recent episode though, I wouldn't trade my CX7 experience for anything. I am just hoping this will be resolved satisfactorily.
Thanks for listening to my rant.
However if it is run for any period of time with a low refrigerant charge the life will be greatly shortened. When we use our systems in defrost mode, or auto climate it is more difficult to realize that the cooling is below normal. Weak A/C output can be a sign that the refrigerant charge is low. This will cause the compressor to short (rapid) cycle on the low pressure switch and burn up the compressor in a few weeks.
NOT...!!
Bean-counters have struck,....AGAIN....!!
The "warm-air" problem you are describing, experiencing, now exists throughout the automotive industry, going back to the turn of the century, even in many upscale vehicles such as the Porsche 911/996 and Lexus RX series.
The hot water, engine coolant, flow control valve to the heater core no longer "exists". Most new systems now rely exclusively on the reheat/remix blend door/vane to regulate the level of heat the airflow cooled by the A/C evaporator gets before it flows from the system outlets.
Engine coolant is close to 200F and therefore so is the heater core. A heater core packed VERY TIGHTLY under the dash inside the air distribution plenum. Leave the vehicle parked for a brief period after the engine coolant is in the normal operating range and of course the "elements", A/C evaporator included, surrounding, within close range, of the heater core will fairly quickly get HEAT SOAKED.
Drive along with the A/C off expecting reasonably cool incoming airflow from outside and the airflow temperature will be raised due to the radiant heating from that ~200F heater core nearby. Even worse if you should leave the temperature control setting at anything other than MAX COOLING. Only with MAX cooling will the blend door be completely closed preventing even a small portion of the incoming outside airflow from being heated.
The DIY solution for my '01 AWD RX300 was quite simple. Go to Home depot and purchase/install a water flow control valve and manually shut off the flow to the heater core during the cooling season.
To get the best fuel and A/C efficiency during the cooling season always use recirculate mode, MAX cooling (reheat/remix vane/door FULLY closed), and then use, adjust, the blower speed to regulate your comfort level.
On the other hand if the system refrigerant charge level were just barely above the low pressure shutoff/disable level the A/C compressor might run continuously, even with low cooling demand, and never cycle "off", never reach the high pressure shutoff point.
So IMMHO it would be this latter case, the A/C compressor running continuously, even with low cooling demand that might result in premature compressor failure.
Yes, turning off the A/C during the "heating" season might not result in anything more than improving FE and.....
SAVING YOUR LIFE....!!
When the A/C is operating in a climate conducive to dehumidification (most wintertime climates are NOT!) the A/C evaporator vane cooling surface area, all 10,000 square inches thereof, will ALWAYS remain covered with a thin film of moisture. If you should happen to cycle the A/C off, or it should cycle off unbeknownst to you, the result might just very well be desastorous.
Since operating the A/C when the OAT is near or below freezing would result in freezing up the evaporator and blocking all airflow most, if not all, automotive A/C compressors are disabled below about 35F. Additionally the ability for A/C functionality for dehumidification is purely a function of the outside climate, a real WILD CARD, that.
Below about 45F the possibility that the use of the A/C will be of help in defogging the interior windshield surface, or as an aid to keeping it from fogging over, is a function of the Rh, Relative Humidity, of the local atmosphere. Since the A/C can NEVER reduce the temperature of the incoming airflow below 32F, and that only likely at the LOWEST blower speed, the dewpoint of that atmosphere must be unusually HIGH, by wintertime "standards".
If you are experiencing windshield fogging just a few miles down the road on an early "coolish" morning you can blame that on "yesterday's" use of the A/C. Worse yet, use it as an "AID" to defogging and then switch it off (both will often happen automatically, with no indication to you of A/C operation, when you first use and then turn off the defrost/defog/demist function) and you will soon get a re-occurance of windshield fogging.
Personally I disable my A/C compressor capability throughout the winter months and rely only on HEATING the windshield to remove condensation or prevent same.
That ALWAYS works and with no ILL, DANGEROUS, after effects.
Whereas, as you correctly point out via the heat shield suggestion, the other hot objects can only pass their heat to the system airflow via radiation and even that only through another metal object, the firewall/cowl (heat shield..??).
Block the water flow and see for yourself.
could someone describe to me the type of heatshielding and where exactly you installed it, to prevent the heatsoak from turbo and exhaust?
I tried some flat thin reflective ceramic heat shield directly over the turbo heat shield, but that seemed to make little or no difference at all...
cheers
satz
When "underway", traveling, the engine compartment airflow would make the radiant effects, insofar as heating the HVAC intake airflow, pretty much negligable. On the other hand when the vehicle is stopped I could well see that the resulting heat soaking of the firewall would contribute substantially to the overall heating of the intake cabin airflow.
But I still stand by my solution, block the coolant flow to the water heater core and see if that doesn't alleviate the problem such that it is down to an acceptable level.
Like the RDX I found the center dash/instrument panel too busy/complex.
There was no fuel computer nor a boost guage, a bit puzzling, that.
The salesman said that the fuel computer was likely a part of the nav package but the brochure doesn't indicate so.
The '08 actually had two highly reflective heat shields, both mounted to the firewall. The higher one was clearly intended to reflect the turbo's radiant heat away from the firewall, and the second somewhat larger one was to reflect the catalytic converter's radiant heating effects.
It didn't appear to me that anything more effective than what was already there would be viable. Maybe a thicker or more effective "panel" of insulation behind the existing highly reflective heat shield.
I took the tim e
One just never thinks that something so tried and true like AC can be an issue on a modern car. BTW my other 2 cars are same refrigerant and they cool much better, so it's not that.
I found some threads about this issue with some post that mimic my experience of seeing air that is barely cool, luke cold. However, I must assume that mazda has sold many of these SUVs so if this was as bad a problem as I experienced there should be many times more posts, but there are not. Is the weak AC a normal thing on this car? Or is it something experienced only by some owners?
Any Dallas owners want to chime in? I remember one year we had 100 days of over 100 deg weather...so it gets hot.
My purchase is now on hold until I can learn more about this issue.
Thanks
Pancho
:mad:
To test just how cold, really COLD, the system airflow can be turn the temperature control to MAX cooling and the blower speed to one of the lower ranges.
I've had mine since June 2006, GT with auto climate controls and now have 51K miles on it. Temps in the DC area occasionally get up into the high 90s with high humidity. The 7, sitting in the blazing sun, under those conditions, will struggle to cool the cabin, PARTICULARLY, in stop n' go city traffic. Sometimes it's simply better to open the windows, as the A/C simply can't cool the vehicle. Even when the settings are set to recirc. I've had the system re-charged more than once. Doesn't make a difference. Here's a tip: If you can park in a garage, that makes the world of difference. A/C has no problem keeping the cabin cool, even when it's 100 degrees outside.
If you do park in the sun, but you hit the freeway shortly after starting, the cabin does cool down in fairly short order.
I consider the A/C mediocre, when compared to other comparable vehicles under similar circumstances.
Vince
The problem with this technique is that it does not "allow" for the radiant heating effects of the heater core being constantly at 190F. You could probably improve the cooling efficiency substantially via blocking the coolant flow.
Oh, and don't EVER buy a black or even a dark colored interior. And a more reflective, HEAT reflective, "light" exterior color wouldn't hurt either.
to those who had the compressor failure, did you have any symptoms leading up to that event?
eg.. did the AC cooling get worse? Or was it always bad?
Or did it work in some situations but not in others?
cheers
S
Unfortunately the hot weather has finished downunder, but from the few hot days since the new AC went in, it does seem to have improved....slightly.
The median temp coming from the vent has cooled by perhaps 1.5 C to around 4.5C. However when the car has been parked and then driven again (when hot), the median temps are at least 3 degrees warmer, which is significant. Must have something to do with the built-up underbonnet heat, which also makes incoming fresh air at least 15 warmer than outside!
still unhappy.
Tow car to dealer, think I am replacing a belt get phone call telling me compressor locked up and snapped belt....now it makes sense....
did some digging and found out design change on the following year, so that basically proves Mazda is aware they have a major problem...
the more of us complain the more likely for a recall and thus justice as I paid out 1400.00 ..... My car has 39K just passed thru warranty in March 2009.
Otherwise I love the vehicle, only other problem I have had is the white smoke about once every six months which the dealer tells me they have never seen....
I will be filling out the NHTSA info tonight...
Always noticed on hot days here in SO Cal that the AC struggled to stay cold...
Plus a turbocharged engine might eb a bit more prone to entering this "zone".
If you discover that the above is what is happening and/or is happening to often for your comfort, you can use the max cooling mode (adjust the blower speed manually to control your comfort level) to dramatically increase the A/C system's efficiency and thus avoid the "zone".
I have experienced the so called "smoke," but that is simply condensation being blown off when humidity is high or the fans are run on low for an extended period of time. That happens in all vehicles under those same circumstances (I've owned GM, VW, Nissan, Ford, BMW) and is a physics issue, not a car issue.
Also, all cars cool down much faster in recirc mode. All cars that I've owned struggle with the high temp/high humidity/non-recirc combo. Some better with others but all within a range I'd consider reasonable for that circumstance. For the record I live in the Washington, DC area.
Mick
I have had my POS CX-7 for 2 years. I bought used, it had only 4900 miles on it. We noticed a/c problems, took it in once and they adjusted, but never really fixed. Then in April of 2008 we were leaking oil and coolant. Turns out had blown seals on the transfer case. How many vehicles blow seals at 5500 miles? That should have been a wake up call then. Now, the wife and I were driving home from the store on 4/8/09 and same thing as you, heard the loud noise and car had to nearly crawl home. Had towed to the dealer on 4/12/09 and was told the very same thing, that turbo was blown, I didn't change my oil and now it needs a new engine. They want $9400.00 plus tax to drop a new engine. Hell with them if they think they are going to any more of my money. I still owe a buttload on the car.
If you happened to have followed the year to year development of this "new" F/awd system, say on the Ford Escape, you will know that early on there was a serious over-heating problem. At one point Ford had a temperature sensor in the system and advised drivers to pull over and let the F/awd system cool down before proceeding.
So I'm fairly sure the need to cool the PTO arose out of that issue and I doubt that the overall cooling system capacity was considered before adding the additional cooling load.
Add a towing load and REALLY get into trouble, the A/C would likely be disabled continuously.
But nothing will make up for ignoring the need for regular oil and filter changes, especially with a turbocharged motor. I would NEVER buy a used car with a turbocharger absent a discussion with the previous owner to make sure that the previous owners wasn't of the "boy-racer", or "like", mentality.
With that said I am looking for some reassurance and advice:
Yesterday (May 10th, 2009) my AC compressor clutch went out on my 2007 touring CX-7 Below I have listed the facts:
1. I am 300 miles over warranty 36,300
2. I had a full (top of the line) inspection at the top mazda dealer in Omaha before the warranty expired less than a month ago
3. The dealership feels bad that this has happened and offered to pay for all labor costs
4. I have to pay parts $1,200 for a new A/C compressor clutch
My question are:
1. Should they have foreseen this problem? (I understand not all things are able to be foreseen)
2. Is $1,200 sound right for a new AC clutch?
3. Would I be safe with a used AC clutch?
Thanks in advance for the help!
CDCAMP
UPDATE: my A/C compressor went out at 36,300 miles (300 miles after warranty). Dealership said they would pay for labor because I had a full inspection 3 weeks ago on the vehicle. Below is service sequence of events:
Before I go into the summary of conversation I first want to say that all the dealership and Mazda customer service personnel were highly professional and very kind. I too was professional (IMO) and was not trying to flame them but, trying to reach a reasonable solution to the problem:
1. Dealership: Woodhouse Mazda - Omaha
1. They acknowledge that this is one of the main problems on CX-7's
2. They acknowledge that the old A/C unit is faulty (Because the new unit is a redesign)
3. They acknowledge that they do not check this problem as a "preventative maintenance" check (prewarranty)
4. They acknowledge that they have a significant markup on parts ($1,200) so "Free Labor" is just another tool used for customer service
2. Called Mazda customer service
1. They said that they might be able to file a "Post Warranty Claim"
2. While on hold he spoke to the warranty and they said the "district manager" knew the situation and approved "Free Labor" as the best they could do.
3. Mazda (Customer Service) then claimed that was the best they could do.
So in conclusion, I am out $1,200 dollars because of a faulty (Poorly designed) A/C compressor. So not only was I on the side of busy highway switching my baby and baby's car seat into my surprisingly reliable BMW 5 series (with 75,000 miles) but, now I have to pay 30% margin on new parts.... But hey the Labor is Free!! Thanks MAZDA!!
Be Warned: THIS PART WILL FAIL (Make sure it fails before your warranty is up)
CDCAMP
Exactly how would one go about doing that?
But seriously, I'm not sure there's anything you can do at this point except try to talk them into giving you a bigger break on the cost. Even if they had inspected the clutch, anything they might have discovered would likely have been designated as "normal wear."
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Check with an aftermarket shop and you may get by with lower cost parts AND labor included.
Just a quick check with Google indicates automotive A/C clutches sell for ~$100 and compressors for <&400.
As the rabbit said as the combine approached "I'm about to be REAPED!"
Not to be on Mazda's side, not by any means, but it was about this time period that many manufacturers began the switch to the new variable displacement compressors to improve FE.
And God knows the CX-7 could use some FE improvment.
Most of these vehicles, if not all, do not have any type of indication to the driver as to what or why this has happened. But in most vehicles this disabling of the AC compressor would be so temporary that the driver would take no notice.
"..every time i accelerate..."
Hmmmm...
TurboCharged engine...water cooled turbo....??
Newer variable displacement AC compressor...??
Lets suppose your engine is normally running slightly hot, on the hot side of the operational envelope. Then add the extra HEAT of cooling the turbo when you are accelerating and it could be entirely possible that the AC compressor will be disabled until the engine coolant temperature declines to something nearer to normal operating temperature.
The old fixed displacement AC compressor systems always had a reservoir for temporary storage of liquid refrigerant. The compressor only ran if/when this "reserve" was exhausted. The new variable displacement compressor can be set to compress refrigerant ONLY as fast as it is being used up.
So if the compressor is disabled even for a relatively short period the loss of cooling effects will noticed almost immediately.
But it sounds as if your engine/turbo/coolant may be always running slightly HOT.
1) The vehicle has just under 44,000 miles on it.
2) Dealership tells me that the cost to repair just the compressor (which seized) is $1,400 (I do not know if this includes labor, but I suspect that it does NOT).
3) Dealership tells me that there are NO parts available in the United States!
4) Dealership tells me that there are over 300 orders a head of mine for AC Compressors. This tells me that this is a KNOW FAILURE!
5) Dealership states that even if he gets my part prioritized (as my car is non-drive able) that I can't expect to be back on the road until at least the end of June.
Oh yeah, let me mention that my battery cables have melted due to this problem.
I'm going to report this to NHTSA and find any other forum that I can to air my complaints. I can NOT afford a repair that will cost over $2,000 for a vehicle that is just over 2 years old, especially when I'm learning that this is a KNOW FAILURE.
MELTED...??
Those are pretty damn healthy cables.
The ONLY time I have seen that happen was with the ignition key stuck in the "start" position keeping the starter engaged with the engine running. The starter, accordingly, acted as an engine driven generator and attempted to charge the battery to an "infinite" voltage.
Melted the insulation off of the battery cables and the ground wire burned open.
I can think of NO other reason for melted battery cables, not even a "runaway" voltage regulator.
Good news is that the Mazda rep has agreed to pay for 75% of the cost of the repair (includes new O2 sensor, serpentine belt, AC compressor, and now a complete wiring harness/battery cable (dealership was originally going to repair this). I'm still not happy that I will have to pay up to $680, but this is better than the $2,000 originally quoted.
Plan to file complaints with NHTSA later today as I see this as a potential "thermal event," also known as a fire. If the serpentine belt would have broke, I would have been stranded on the freeway with two other adults and a dog. Luckily, I had pulled into a rest area, so we were all safe.
It's obvious that this is a common problem with the 2007 CX-7 as there are numerous complaints already on NHTSA's website.
This being my 3rd summer of A/C I was totally dumbfounded when the air started blowing warm in May 2009. Reading these posts I see I am not alone. I am ready to
go after Mazda to fix this problem especially knowing the problem is there and having so many people dissatisfied. Even though I am over my warranty, I will fight this!
I have to travel 120 miles just to get to my dealership. When I took it in to be looked at, they told me it was the compressor and it would cost $1500.00
Then they tried to sell me an extended warranty to use to get it fixed. Is that a scam or what?
Has anyone out there had some satisfaction from Mazda? I'm just now looking into what can be done. Thank you your input on this.
I drove Mazda CX-7 that I leased on 2008 September to Lake Tahoe for family camping activity on 06/12/09 from San Jose. After about 3-4 hours drive, we almost reach Lake Tahoe but air condition went off and we smelled something like burning plastic. I know something was wrong but luckily I arrived safely in camping sites.
On Saturday (06/13/09) morning when I went to gas station to add fuel, the engine generated heavy smoking and I have to stop to call roadside assistance. My CX-7 was towed to Carlson Neveda, which is about 30 miles away. I had to use a rental car to continue my camping activity and drove back the rental car back to San Jose which was 250 miles away. One week later on 06/19/09, Carlson Mazda dealer called me that my CX-7 was fixed after replacing AC compressor. I had to drive up total 10 hours round trip to get my car and return rental car. It was bad experience.
Since my car was less than 2 years old about 25k, I asked Mazda manager whether this CX-7 ac compressor problem is common or not, his answered was a simple 'no'. But I think CX-7 was a defect product and lack of quality control from Mazda.
Although I did not need to pay for repair because under warranty, I will never trust Mazda again. I hope Mazda file bankruptcy soon like other GM cars because their products should not be in the market. In my opinion, this kind of problem caused engine smoking on its belt is highly dangerous and fatal error that could cause severe tragedy on the road. This problem should not occur on a 1 year new car.
The mazda dealership wants to charge us almost 3k to fix our 2008 Mazda CX7. :mad: Apparently the service guy said that it was in fact the AC pump that failed and caused all the other problems. He said that the pump, clutch assembly, tensioner, belt, and some crank bolts need replaced. He also said the it would not be covered under the power train warranty. The gentlemen I spoke with there before, said that if the service dept. deemed that it was the AC pump that caused the problem, that it WOULD be covered. That’s why I had it towed 75 miles down there!