Recent content by Mulligan

You can find some discussions about this (e.g., on Reddit) by googling "Permanently Disabling Telematic Control Unit".

Several years ago I bought some generic drain plug washers "compatible with Mazda Part# 9956-41-400" assuming they'd be fine. They looked just like OEM washers. Several weeks after having used one of them when I did and oil change (drain plug torqued to spec), I noticed some seepage at the plug...

I think certain colors are classic and others are trendy. I see dark blue as being among the classic colors and machine gray a trendy color. To the extent that's true, you might be happier short-term with machine gray and long-term with dark blue, so your expectations for how long you'll keep...

Here's a post showing a CDA solenoid.

Mazda's torque spec for the spark plugs is 15—20 N·m {1.6—2.0 kgf·m, 12—14 ft·lbf}. That assumes no anti-seize or other lube on the threads.

What is the date of manufacture of your car? It's shown at the top left of the placard on the driver's door jamb. I have a 2025 S Preferred without cylinder deactivation, and mine was built in April 2025. During the course of the 2025 model year, some S Preferred CX-5s got CD and some didn't...

There's a Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics YouTube video of a guy figuring out how to recover from a problem similar to what you're facing. In the video, he does a lot of trial and error, fiddles around with a scanner, and eventually solves the problem. It's not the easiest thing to follow, but...

I have Mazda (factory-installed) PE01-14-302B and 1WPE-14-30 filters and steel cup-type wrenches that fit both, so I figured I should grab my calipers and collect some measurements. I discovered that you can't assume the labeled and the actual size of cup wrenches are the same. The...

Earlier this year, when I was mulling over whether to sell my 2018 CX-5, I went through the NHTSA complaints for each model year and counted up the number of complaints related to engine problems. Then I adjusted the raw number of complaints to take into account how many cars were sold in a...

You're probably recalling a ticking problem that affected 2018 to 2021 (at least) models and was attributed to faulty hydraulic lash adjusters (HLA). There were some technical service bulletins about it, e.g., Bulletin 01-022/21 "TAPPING NOISE FROM ENGINE." Repair recommendations started with...

That's probably right. However, the temperature difference between active and deactivated cylinders likely adds stress to the head. That extra stress acting on the poorly designed (or poorly manufactured) cylinder head could be the straw that breaks the camel's back and results in a crack. If...

I was able to read "FZ" on the side of the dipstick on my 2025 when using a telescoping inspection mirror and a bright flashlight. The lettering isn't very prominent, so it wasn't easy to see. Per the 2024 manual, your 2024 probably uses A7, but based on my car and the 2025 manual, it looks...

As far as I know, the 8th character VIN method of determining whether a CX-5 has cylinder deactivation is reliable (L = without CD; M = with CD), but if you want another way to tell, look at the cylinder head. If it has one of the things in the attached picture on each end, the engine has...

A simple way to find out if your CX-5 has cylinder deactivation is to look at the eighth character of the VIN. If it's M, it has CD; if it's L, it doesn't have CD. For the 2025 model year, some S Preferred trim CX-5s have CD and some don't. At the time I was shopping (I bought mine at the end...

I owned a 2018 Grand Touring CX-5 (bought new) until about ten days ago. I have a low tolerance for risk, and what I'd read about cylinder head cracks, defective valve lifters, and occasional transmission problems in 2018s spooked me enough that I decided to replace my 2018 with a new...