2016 CX-5 1st HUGE issue, stuck on highway - Need Help

[bmninada]

At 70,000 miles and for few weeks observed a bit of sluggishness when accelerating. Normal culprits like engine oil, air filter, MAF sensor - cleaned/change/reviewed/sprayed.
Local dealership told anyways due for S/plug replacement at 75k so I decided to do it myself. Pretty easy and changed all 4 with their premium (not value) line.
Started car. After going 500 to 800 ft suddenly car started to shudder a bit. Then when I am attempting to accelerate - jerked violently. Very soon engine light came on, the traction not working came on, tire pressure light came on and weird messages appeared like smart city/forward collision errors - disabled. Very soon car barely could be accelerated or driven. In any smallest uphill it literally started to struggle.

Fearing something worse, I stopped in a safe location. Thankfully in car had the wrenches, etc. and after it cooled down re-opened and checked. Everything looks correct. No fuel/oil in the plugs, etc.

I attempted to start - and again for first 500 - 800 ft all okay and then the same stuff as above happened. At this point in time not taking risks I had already turned and was coming back home.

I stopped, waited for 20 min, and then drove - same behavior. Initially just the engine line came on but very soon the shuddering and all the warning lights/messages came on.

I am unable to figure this out. The only discernible change is replacing the spark plugs. I took them out twice and put them back in. My local trusted mechanic I called - he said it could be ignition coil or programming got haywire for some reason. Without attaching OBD sensor he can't assist. He asked me to bring the car in. I am really worried and he suggested I tow it rather than drive it in.

 

[bmninada]

To give some idea of what shuddering, etc. - its like when transmission fails to click for few and you feel that sudden jerk. Another point I noticed - with passage of time (i.e. driving) even when I stop in a traffic light I start to feel the car vibrate. The check engine light initially solid starts to blink.
This car NEVER, EVER gave me a single issue for +9 yrs. I religiously change transmission oil every 30,000 miles even at dealer. I also change the front/rear differential oil. Engine oil - I change with ONLY Mazda GF-5 every 7000 miles and only use Mazda filters.

 

[Silly Wabbit]

Step 1 double check your connections
Step 2 is the pull the codes

 

[bmninada]

Does anyone has the diagram of which wires go to which plug? Passenger to driver.....

 

[bmninada]

 

[bmninada]

Step 1 double check your connections
Step 2 is the pull the codes

I'll pull the codes tomorrow. the scanner is in my wife's car and she's away.

 

[Moonlighter]

While plugs come pre-gapped these days, you DID check the gaps, right?

 

[bmninada]

While plugs come pre-gapped these days, you DID check the gaps, right?

No - these are bought from Mazda Med Center. Also they aren't their value brand.

 

[HyFlyer]

Traction control, TPMS, SCBS are all from the ABS system.

How's your battery status? Do you have a charger you can put a good charge on it? Did you have any battery terminals off? Tightness of the connections? What's your voltage car off and car on?

I don't think it's your new spark plugs but if you run out of things to check, could you put the old ones back in to rule that out?

 

[HyFlyer]

Does anyone has the diagram of which wires go to which plug? Passenger to driver.....

I don't think you could've hooked the spark plug wires up wrong and driven a few miles normal ... It would've been rough or unable to run from the get-go I would think of wrong.

 

[bmninada]

I don't think you could've hooked the spark plug wires up wrong and driven a few miles normal ... It would've been rough or unable to run from the get-go I would think of wrong.

Actually I stand corrected. Right now decided to give it 1 last go, from my home. Literally within 500 ft. I get the shudders and by another 500 ft. all the lights in dashboard comes on and car literally looses all acceleration + torque. [Corrected my post, THANK YOU]

 

[paris1]

My guess is one or more of the coils was damaged in the process of changing plugs.

 

[bmninada]

My guess is one or more of the coils was damaged in the process of changing plugs.

Let me pull the codes tomorrow and let's see.

 

[cz5gt]

Suspect spark plugs or coils.
Spark plugs can easily crack nowadays by a drop to the ground even in a the box or by overtighten. Put your old ones and see how it goes.

 

[N7turbo]

Bad plug.

 

[Mazdiod2]

These strange events are why I'm reluctant to work on plugs/coils/sensors, etc because I have learned when it was running basically ok and then I try to improve it, it is almost something I did wrong, or what I did offended something more delicate than I expected.

These days it if has a code I might try, but if not I don't jump in because the parts are reliable usually the codes tell the problem. no problem = something else-mechanical?

When I think the car is sluggish, or has a cold, or any time of slight change in running I try to chase down things like last fillup brand and quality of fuel issues, low tire or dragging brakes, and wait a while --in case some might clear what clogged might fix it self.

If it still seems consistant, and doesn't have any distinctive patterns, like speed etc. I run a careful fuel economy test and look for other possible causes.
If the FE is truly below normal , after considering adjusting for temperature, the weather, I start thinking about plugs, etc.

If yours is NA, those plugs can easily go double the recommended 75k, but they can 'clog' or something but they are designed to be self cleaning and self clearing the electrodes.
Usually a decent highway trip for the entire at the speed limit (like 75mph) shows an improvement and is by design (I've read).

So it's sad but you might have messed a sensor,etc. Coils are sensitive these days and I haven't changed one yet, because I'd probably just buy a new set to be prepared to replace, not clean. All of those things can be tightly screwed in after 70k mi., so just removing them is like asking for trouble, is probably why I'm afraid to proceed.
I sure don't want to risk having to have it towed because I can't get to the parts store

 

[AL Cx5]

Where did you buy the spark plugs and what brand?

Check the gap on the plugs.

Check the porcelain to see if it's cracked. I cracked the porcelain on a plug before I bought a spark plug socket for these tiny plugs.

I would pull the codes and put the old plugs back in it and see if works to rule out a bad set of plugs.

If it's a coil pack, it will run ruff because one cylinder will not be firing.

Look over all the wiring and see any sensors are loose. Not likely but worth a 5 minute check.

 

[bmninada]

Where did you buy the spark plugs and what brand?

Check the gap on the plugs.

Check the porcelain to see if it's cracked. I cracked the porcelain on a plug before I bought a spark plug socket for these tiny plugs.

I would pull the codes and put the old plugs back in it and see if works to rule out a bad set of plugs.

If it's a coil pack, it will run ruff because one cylinder will not be firing.

Look over all the wiring and see any sensors are loose. Not likely but worth a 5 minute check.

MedCenter Mazda. They are the OEM type not the Mazda value line.

I will pull the codes and then put the old one in. I suspect its not the coil since second time when I pulled the plugs and put them back in, each had the distinct coloring of the electrode indicating it did fire.

 

[bmninada]

Traction control, TPMS, SCBS are all from the ABS system.

How's your battery status? Do you have a charger you can put a good charge on it? Did you have any battery terminals off? Tightness of the connections? What's your voltage car off and car on?

I don't think it's your new spark plugs but if you run out of things to check, could you put the old ones back in to rule that out?

Battery is 6 weeks old. Its fine with battery. Terminals are in great condition.

 

[Moonlighter]

MedCenter Mazda. They are the OEM type not the Mazda value line.

What is special about those plugs that the gap doesn’t need to be checked??

Anyway for what its worth I think there’s a bad connection or corrosion in the wiring somewhere. Eg an electrical issue.