CX-5 Operation on Steep Dirt Roads

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2017 Mazda CX-5 GS
I have a 2017 GS. Today was the first time I've taken it on a more serious mountain road. This road is not a 4wd road, in that it doesn't require lots of clearance or extreme traction, but it is a very steep, somewhat loose, dirt road. The car did great overall, but I didn't understand exactly what the transmission was doing at one point.

We were climbing a steep section at about 11,000'. I had put it in manual mode, 1st gear, because otherwise it wants to try to go to 2nd when it shouldn't. At one point the road became even steeper, and as I gave it more gas, it felt almost as if it was doing all it could, had no more power to give, and it was not going to be able to climb. I knew that couldn't be true, because it's not THAT steep, and every other type of crossover car gets up to that trailhead just fine.

Finally I pushed the pedal to the floor for a second and that seemed to wake it up. All of a sudden the brain seemed to figure out that I wasn't kidding, and it took off and climbed the rest of it without breaking a sweat. If I hadn't already had it locked in 1st, I would have thought it downshifted and took off the way it should. From there on it felt totally normal, just like it was locked in 1st and had plenty of power, which it did. It was like it learned that we weren't in Kansas anymore, it it did everything the way it should for the rest of the day.

So what was that? Did the torque converter finally lock up or what? I fully admit that I don't understand exactly how automatic transmissions in general, and especially these new computer driven cars work. But, I will say that the car performed admirably the whole time, other than this weird incident. The suspension is great, the clearance is adequate for this type of vehicle. When it gets more challenging than this, we take the Toyota truck.
 
The CX-5 transmission has an actual mechanical clutch with is engaged up to approximately 7 mph. Not knowing the speeds involved in the OP’s situation, that could have been what he “felt”. Or not.
 
The CX-5 transmission has an actual mechanical clutch with is engaged up to approximately 7 mph. Not knowing the speeds involved in the OP’s situation, that could have been what he “felt”. Or not.
So if we dropped below 7mph, a mechanical clutch would engage? Is that what you're saying? Could be, didn't seem quite that slow, but who knows, it was very steep, and there was a section right there where we were crawling through some ruts and rocks, so that might have been it. Thanks.
 
So if we dropped below 7mph, a mechanical clutch would engage?
CX-5’s SkyActiv-Drive 6-speed automatic uses lock-up multi-plate clutch in torque converterto transmit power at the speed over 5 mph. The lock-up clutch will engage for every gear.
 
I have noticed (on my'17) a sort of no mans land for the transmission, mostly under 20 mph and light throttle, where gradually pressing the throttle--even to nearly wide open--produces a tepid response from the engine. However, making sudden jabs of the throttle seems to spring the engine into action, and if if you are in 2nd or 3rd, kicks down a gear, and/or disengages the lockup. I think ForScan has a PID for lockup. For sure a PID for throttle opening. Might be educational to observe the drivetrain strategy under low speed driving.
 
I have noticed (on my'17) a sort of no mans land for the transmission, mostly under 20 mph and light throttle, where gradually pressing the throttle--even to nearly wide open--produces a tepid response from the engine. However, making sudden jabs of the throttle seems to spring the engine into action, and if if you are in 2nd or 3rd, kicks down a gear, and/or disengages the lockup. I think ForScan has a PID for lockup. For sure a PID for throttle opening. Might be educational to observe the drivetrain strategy under low speed driving.
That pretty well describes it. I was observing not going over the edge at the time, but I get your point.
 
So if we dropped below 7mph, a mechanical clutch would engage? Is that what you're saying? Could be, didn't seem quite that slow, but who knows, it was very steep, and there was a section right there where we were crawling through some ruts and rocks, so that might have been it. Thanks.
Yes, the mechanical clutch does that. It this what you are feeling? Don’t know, it’s just a possibility.
 
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