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Mazda CX-7 AC problems

tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
in Mazda
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  • nycdragonnycdragon Member Posts: 14
    Found little smoke (or moisture) from air vent while air conditioning was on 1st level and outside temp was around 82 F during one of the trips today. Since the smoke had on oder and it was gone after next start, I may ask dealer to look at it later together with the other problems I encountered earlier. Just wondering whether you guys had similar experience.
  • zoom49zoom49 Member Posts: 76
    Found little smoke (or moisture) from air vent while air conditioning was on 1st level and outside temp was around 82 F during one of the trips today
    That may be condensed water vapor due to low fan speed setting. This is common if fan speed is low and outside humidity is high. This does not explain and smell though.
  • nathan777nathan777 Member Posts: 2
    Have anyone experienced any air conditioning issues? I test drove a CX7 on a very hot day, around 96F, and the air conditioning had some problems keeping the vehicle cool. It took a long time to cool down the vehicle.
  • carlitos92carlitos92 Member Posts: 458
    It's been around 100F here ever since I picked my CX-7 up, and I've found that the auto A/C works acceptably well in recirc mode. (Actually, I originally set it to 68F, but found it got too cold! - 70 is my sweet spot, apparently) Sure, it takes a while to cool down a hot interior (mine's black) if you've got no sunscreen and leave the windows closed, but I would expect that with any car.

    What's got me puzzled is that when recirc is off, I've discovered the A/C is completely useless. I've enjoyed riding around with the recirc off and sunroof cracked in every car I've ever owned, but when recirc is off in the Mazda, it's unbearable on hot days. It's all very ironic since the owner's manual stresses two or three times that "recirc" should only be used for cooling down the car and that the "normal" M.O. should be with recirc off. :confuse:
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    Compared to a lot of other vehicles I've driven, the A/C in the CX-7 is weak. On really hot days, in rush hour, bumper-to-bumper traffic, the A/C, even in recirc, won't cool the CX-7.

    Vince.
  • kinggoopkinggoop Member Posts: 15
    eep.. nope haven't found that yet.
  • nycdragonnycdragon Member Posts: 14
    Not sure it is normal or ... I found warm air from the air vent even though the temp control is on coolest (without A/C on) after the car was driven and stopped for a while (Engine is still warm). You can obviously feel the air from vent is much warmer than outside and usually it lasts about 10 mins or so. Or you can turn on A/C to get rid of it. I believe that might have impact on A/C performance if your engine is warm due to previous trip.
  • nifty56nifty56 Member Posts: 279
    I have a Mazda3 and have the same issue. My car does the same. So Mazda hasn't learned from the 3 A/C issues and it appears the cars are the same in regards to the Weak A/C.
  • carlitos92carlitos92 Member Posts: 458
    It actually got cool enough for me to turn A/C off today and I noticed same phenomenon. I had never had recirc and A/C off together before. Thought maybe it had something to do with the cowl air intake being so close to the intercooler heat, etc., but maybe if it affects the 3, it is something else. At any rate, it was downright uncomfortable to leave the vents open, so I closed them and enjoyed the cool air coming in the open windows and sunroof. Weird.
    -c92
  • nycdragonnycdragon Member Posts: 14
    Just found water dropping under the car after A/C on when the car was parked. Is this normal?
  • wjbushsrwjbushsr Member Posts: 135
    All a/c's drip water, its from the condensation thats built up from the outside of the unit.
    Its normal... ;)
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    Concur with wjbushsr's comments. Just go to any shopping center on a hot day and look under most vehicles...little puddles of water.

    Vince.
  • speedsecspeedsec Member Posts: 9
    I had some A/C problems too, and it took three trips to the dealer to get fixed. First they said everything was within tolerances, then they said it got cool for them, and finally it took me showing them the difference in side-by-side tests with the CX-7 loaner car to see that there was a problem. They evacuated the system and recharged it, and that did the trick, it got about 5 degrees cooler. They said that it must have been moisture in the system that was the problem, and that some of the other cars seemed to have a similar issue, so they were going to have to watch it.

    On a similar note, I would agree that the A/C is pretty weak if it's not on recirculate. Unless it's at night, there's pretty much no time of the day in the summer that the fan's not on "two" and the recirculate button isn't on. The A/C has been my biggest disappointment in this car!
  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    Hi:
    Have noticed two problems recently.

    1- Just climbed Mt. Whiteface Alt. 4,800ft. Began to notice an odor of combo hot oil and rubber on the drivers side. It soon disappeared.

    2- Does anyone else get their feet roasted from the firewall?
    That will be great in the winter, but now?

    Thanks for any suggestions.

    NMK
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Began to notice an odor of combo hot oil and rubber ...

    Was that on the way up or on the way down?

    tidester, host
  • nmknmk Member Posts: 111
    To Tidester:

    About 1/2 way up, stopped because my wife was a bit ill because of the washboard road and she was driving. I noticed this as we swapped driving positions.
    I left her at a rest table and continued to the top. Checked again and it disappeared.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Have you checked your engine's coolant level? It's possible your engine was overheating. You may have a defective thermostat or clogged radiator.

    Have any other CX-7 owners experienced anything similar?

    tidester, host
  • cx7rediccx7redic Member Posts: 18
    Nothing similar, but my cx7 GT has 650 miles on it. Some times i can smell either burning of the engine and or other materials but smells more "break in" than anything else.
  • speedsecspeedsec Member Posts: 9
    Here in Texas it's only now getting cool enough to not have the A/C on, and I have noticed the same phenomenon--the air coming out of the vent is warm even when it is cool out side. It was in the 50s the other day and I had to turn on the A/C and back the temperature off of the coolest levels, otherwise it got too hot.

    I'm beginning to think this is also why the A/C, when it is not on re-circulate, performs so patheticly in the summer. I'm glad for this forum so that I can see that it's not only my car! I'm taking it in next week when it's cool again to get the dealer to tell me what's up. We'll see if they own up to anything!
  • carlitos92carlitos92 Member Posts: 458
    I'm in Texas too, and just completed a 2500-mile trip around the state when it was mostly in the 60s. On the freeway, I didn't notice the same problem. It may be that at long jaunts at 80 mph there is enough air movement to keep the engine compartment where it needs to be to get cool air in the passenger compartment. In fact, if anything, I thought the A/C system was a little too conservative with the compressor. There were several times it wasn't needed, but the computer brain wanted to keep it on anyway.

    I did notice that my "winter" thermostat setting on the auto A/C will have to be a few degrees different than the "summer" setting, but it's the same story at my home, so I can't blame Mazda for that.
  • airsickairsick Member Posts: 2
    Read about this in the manual. Does anyone know how to turn this "ECO" mode on or is it automatic?

    Thanks!
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    ECO isn't something you control...it's part of the environment controls.

    "Selection of A/C and A/C ECO is
    done automatically. Although air
    conditioning and defogging ability is
    reduced, the A/C ECO function is
    designed to economize use of the air
    conditioning system."

    Vince
  • pctechpctech Member Posts: 43
    Living in upstate NY, I've noticed this exact problem since day 1. Have not yet been back to the dealer (some distance away) but will definitely mention it at my first oil change. I like getting fresh, ambient-temp air (with A/C off) from the vents and it's impossible with this car. I'm thinking the door that mixes heated and ambient air never gets to a position that avoids the heated air. I sure hope there is a fix as this is not acceptable on a $30K vehicle! :(
  • satz24satz24 Member Posts: 10
    hi all

    looking at buying a CX7 in Australia. I'm most concerned about the issues with Airconditioning performance (or lack thereof).

    I've seen some posts that talk about it being ineffective when not using Recirc.

    And also have seen that it blows warm air when on fresh-air (non AC)

    Is there any way of bypassing the 'auto- ECO' setting? I saw someone's post about the ECO setting on the Mazda coming on automatically but diminishing cooling performance.

    There's no way for me to test this at present as it's coming into winter here. But our summer (Nov- Apr) is very hot

    many thanks as I'm really worried about this and it's probably enough to make me wait for the Rav4 V6 which is not due for 3 months at least (but I suspect would have a good AC system)

    S
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    Yes, it's a concern of many CX-7 owners. Some parts of the U.S. get blistering hot, as well. You didn't mention which model you were considering. The Grand Touring model has the automatic environmental controls. When the ambient temp is quite warm, the system automatically shifts into recirc and stays in that mode. Max cooling isn't achieved until the car has been running for a few minutes. If the car has been parked, it helps to open the windows for a bit and allow the interior air to vent, until you start feeling some chill air coming from the vents, then close the windows. Another tip: keep the cover over the cargo area closed. It does help, in that you don't have to cool so much space. You also may want to put a screen up over your front wind shield while parked - that helps to keep the hot sun out of the interior.

    As a another resource, you might want to try http://www.mcx7.com/. There's a section devoted to Australian drivers of CX-7's. You might want to post your question there.

    Vince.
  • satz24satz24 Member Posts: 10
    hi vince
    thanks for the reply

    The model I'm considering is the 'luxury' one, so has the Climate Control

    Guess I really wanted to check whether the AC system was any worse than any other modern passenger car?

    My Toyota Camry's AC is quite good, though I still keep windows down for a few minutes after startup. But I don't think I ever need to use 'recirc'. (it's only a manual AC system)

    What about the issue of warm air coming through the vents (when the AC is not on)?

    cheers

    Satz
  • carlitos92carlitos92 Member Posts: 458
    There have been posts about that already around here, but in a nutshell, yes, it's true: The air that comes in the vents when the compressor is OFF seems to be 10 degrees F higher than outside air. So, for me, it has to be at least 60 or below outside to turn off the AC.

    You'll need recirc on the CX-7: I live in Texas, where it gets hot and my black leather soaks in heat through the huge windshield. A screen helps considerably, but the CX-7's system is pretty well taxed and underperforms other systems I've owned. I'm not giving up on it yet... but can understand why they may be so conservative with the recirc mode in the auto climate units...

    -c92
  • koroshiyakoroshiya Member Posts: 2
    I have had the same AC issues that most of the posters have been frustrated with.

    I finally went to my dealer and FINALLY resolved it. After they upgraded all the software in my car, it is now super cool even when it is 90 degrees F/ 33C outside.

    The service manager said many of the earlier batches of the CX7 had old software revisions which likely did not control the AC temperatures properly.

    I have also noticed slight improvements on the automatic gear shifting responses.
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    "After they upgraded all the software in my car, it is now super cool even when it is 90 degrees F/ 33C outside."

    Koroshiya,

    Do you happen to have the TSB number for that problem with the A/C? I just spoke with my service guy and he says he not aware of any "software upgrade" that regulates the A/C.

    Thanks, Vince.
  • ncb81ncb81 Member Posts: 7
    I want the TSB number also. I just bought mine last week and the A/C is weak. Vince where do you bring your car for service in NOVA?

    Thanks,
    Nel
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    Brown's Mazda in Fairfax. Excellent service. Incidentally, I had the car checked and they did say the climate controll assembly was the culprit and is a warranty repair under TSB 07-004/06. Link to TSB: http://www.mstore2000.com/PDF_Files/07-004-06-1700.pdf

    Vince.
  • satz24satz24 Member Posts: 10
    Hi Vince

    glad to see the AC issues were rectified. I read thru the TSB and it seems to say that only cars built before Oct 06 were affected.

    Was your's built before then or after?

    cheers

    Satz
  • vbbuiltvbbuilt Member Posts: 498
    I've had my CX-7 since June 06, so it qualifies.

    Vince.
  • dallascx7dallascx7 Member Posts: 6
    I am glad to find these posts discussing the CX7 A/C

    I am worried about A/C issues especially in the back seats.
    We live in texas and my 20 month old son gets really hot if no direct air circulation hits his face and neck.

    Did anyone have a bad experience being too hot in the back seat??

    Appreciate all feedback.

    Thanks
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    When I have my CX-7 loaded on a hot day in So. Cal., I run the A/C on recirc, fan speed 4 and direct the three center vents to the rear seat. So far, no complaints.

    Just forget trying to run the the A/C on fresh air mode because the turbo seems to heat the cowl to a point where the A/C can barely overcome it.
  • astegmanastegman Member Posts: 171
    I'll put in my two cents to add that I've had no complaints from my 10 year old son about the A/C reaching the rear. As mentioned, I'll point some of the vents back there and it does the trick. It's been in the 90's here in Connecticut for several days now and the car has been cool and comfortable. We had no problems last summer either, even on vacation, when the car sat in 90+ degree heat all day. It cooled off quickly, front and back.

    The vent on the driver's side is rather weak in my car but I suspect that's just my particular car. I'll mention it the next time I have the car at the dealer for an oil change.

    Still, Mazda should've provided vents in the back. I think it's chintzy that they didn't.
  • dallascx7dallascx7 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the help

    Yes you can say that again (Chintzy that they didn't put vents in the back). My friend has a dodge magnum and it is smaller then the CX7 and it has back A/C with controls too!!

    A local dealer is offering $5500 off any CX7 2007, and they have attractive lease packages for 24 & 36 month (179/m for sport & 239/m grand touring) you can't beat that... they are trying to get rid of their 2007's most probably. So I am going to test drive one tomorrow and maybe lease it...will add DVD screens in each head rest & probably add chrome wheels too...
  • ridrridr Member Posts: 6
    Glad to read that there is a solution for the weak A/C. Is there anyone who has been able to get warm(er) vent air issue solved? While you're not running the A/C the air from the air vents is considerably warmer than the outside air. Especially when you drive slow or come to a stop. I'll be going to my dealer soon for the A/C problem and mention it too but maybe there is a known solution or TSB.
  • 1rubyred1rubyred Member Posts: 12
    Does anyone know of a fix for warm air being blown in when the a/c is OFF? My problem is the ambient air is warmer than the air outside so I'm forced to use the a/c whether I want to or not.
  • cbcatzcbcatz Member Posts: 3
    Hello, we bought our CX7 Nov/06 and really love almost everything about it but the AC/warm air vent issue, which we have had it in to Mazda dealer about 4 to 5 times and have complained directly to Mazda twice. The service manager at the dealership called after I talked to Mazda last time and asked us to bring it in one more time.
    We have the same Issue that everybody here has, the vent throws out air much warmer then the outside air, in fact even when its 55 degrees outside the vent air feels like the heater is on a low heat setting. The only way around this is to open your windows up or throw on the air conditioner. The issue I believe is this; the turbo motor warms up the motor and vent tubes so much that the air conditioner has a hard time being efficient (its not). It's especially bad after you drive the car, go in a store, and come back out and start driving again. The first few times in for service they told us there's no problem, but we persisted that there is. I read here about climate control module and our car was old enough to have that issue. They replaced it and still no better. Once, we got back in the car after it sat for about a half hour and we drove it to our next destination 11 minutes away and found that the warm air through the vents was warm the whole 11 minutes long only just starting to get a little less warm. The temp outside was cold enough that you had to keep the windows closed (maybe 55 -60). A $30,000 vehicle should not have a defect as big as this one is. Maybe if we all call Mazda USA and complain, something may get done.

    We will let the dealership look at it one more time but I don't have much faith as I believe this to a design flaw of Mazda’s and they don't want to admit it or recall it.

    Thanks, Carey C.
  • satz24satz24 Member Posts: 10
    hi cbcatz

    I have exactly the same problem as you. After parking the car swtiched off for a few minutes and then driving again, the vent air is horribly hot. This affects the AC performance as well. Takes ages to cool down.

    I too think it's the heat soaking in from the turbo. I think this is terrible as I've had turbo cars before, which had wonderful fresh air at near ambient temp and AC that was cold.

    I just can't work out any solution to this problem which is so bad I hate driving this car anytime it's warmer than 30C (85F)

    Today I measured the temps coming from the vents. The ambient air temp was a cool 20C, but the vent air was between 30 and 40C, which of course means you're heating the cabin rather than providing fresh cool air.
  • cbcatzcbcatz Member Posts: 3
    Well, I took it back in for the fifth or so time for that issue to the dealership after complaining again to Mazda USA and as just I thought, the service writer said that "Mazda says it’s the way it was designed and there’s nothing they can do about it". I went back to my dealer in Roseville CA. to see if they would take mine back and give me great deal on a new CX9 which doesn't appear to have the same issue and are much more expensive. But they aren't to interested in taking care of me on this issue to my satisfaction.
    He did say that if enough people complain to Mazda USA directly and if there are enough complaints they might do something about it.
    Not likely because the people at the dealership and the people at Mazda USA that I’ve talked to, make it sound like its really no big deal and what are you complaining about
    It’s only a $32,000 car anyway
  • dubsownerdubsowner Member Posts: 2
    Can anyone confirm that this occurs on the 08 models as well? Also, is anyone truly satisfied with this ride? I'm trying to decide between the cx-7 and cr-v, I like the cx a helluva lot more but the lack of reliability is kind of killing it for me... :(
  • koroshiyakoroshiya Member Posts: 2
    Not sure if it's also in the 08 model. But as for the ride itself, it's incredible, acceleration, handling, etc... drives more like a car than a SUV.

    For the AC/warm air issue, it is more prevalent if the temperature outside is more 28C/82F and sunny. When it's that hot outside, it can take the AC 10-20min to even cool down with the car running.

    As for the warm air without AC on, nothing you can really do about that. Just roll down your windows.
  • pctechpctech Member Posts: 43
    I have an '07 and, aside from the warm-air problem, which is apparently an uncorrectible design error, I am absolutely satisfied with the car and would do it again without a second thought. Yes, they could have done a few things better (MP3 jack, more storage "cubby's", etc.), but there have been no other problems. I don't get where your "lack of reliability" statement comes from!
  • cbcatzcbcatz Member Posts: 3
    Dubsowner, I don't know for sure if its happening on the new ones or not. The ride is very good, a little stiff but thats part of the sport suspension on ours, but it takes turns well and feels very stable and safe when driving. It's really nice aside from that issue. The gas mileage is about 18 average city and highway.

    Good luck
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    I think that is the norm of Mazda. I had 03 MPV van, the air is warmer than outside when it is set in vent coolest setting without AC on. Plus, the air current is stronger in the 2 center vents than the 2 side vents.
  • defreitasmdefreitasm Member Posts: 152
    I was wondering why I never experianced any of the AC issues I had heard about. I purchased mine at the end of December 2006 and my VIN number is higher than the VIN in the TSB so I guess that solves the mystery.
  • nifty56nifty56 Member Posts: 279
    I have a Mazda 3 2005 and have the weak A/C along with the vent temp being hotter than the outside air. I think the only way of checking to see if there is a heat leak from the heater core (door not closing?) that is making its way into the cabin is to diconnect the hoses to the heater core. Make a loop by connecting the 2 hoses to each other so water returns to the engine. If you notice no abnormal heat from the vents, less than before, when the switch is on outside air this could answer our problems. My compressor cycles on for about 10 to 12 seconds and off for about the next 45 to 50 seconds. I had my A/C checked by the dealer and of course all is normal, vent temp 51F within specs. How can a vent temp of 51F cool a black interior with the outside temp in the high 80s and low 90s. The compressor does not stay on long enough to build up cold air to cool the interior. I was thinking of trading my 3 for a CX7 but with the weak A/C like what I have now it is a NO buy for me..looking elsewhere ... remember always try and test a vehicle in the summer on hot days as I believe weak A/Cs is a common problem on some other manufactures...probably because of short cycle times, all in the effort in saving gas so they can get their average fleet M/G within specs. compressor off less gas being used...
  • slippertslippert Member Posts: 13
    I have the '07 GT FWD model. When I hit my auto temperature control button my AC goes on, even when it's 5 degrees outside. Should i leave it on, trusting the AC is not really working or hit the AC switch turning it off? I'm not sure how this system works when i want heat.
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