2018 CX-5 Low Speed Transmission Hesitation/Jerk/Lurch

Figured Id follow up since my appointment, which was a total waste of time.

The customer report was:strange behavior when shifting from first to second when cold

That in and of itself annoys me because I specifically said there is a shift flair. Something someone in the automotive service business should know is a term.

The techs notes where that he couldnt replicate the issue and that skyactiv engines idle high for a few minutes when cold

When I asked what engine idle speed has to do with the transmission shifting, the response was that there is no issue.

I then asked if the fluid level was checked like I had requested. Oh yeah, it was and its fine.

I Just checked the plastic panels that would need to have been removed, no finger prints or markings at all.

What a joke.
 
Figured Id follow up since my appointment, which was a total waste of time.

The customer report was:strange behavior when shifting from first to second when cold

That in and of itself annoys me because I specifically said there is a shift flair. Something someone in the automotive service business should know is a term.

The techs notes where that he couldnt replicate the issue and that skyactiv engines idle high for a few minutes when cold

When I asked what engine idle speed has to do with the transmission shifting, the response was that there is no issue.

I then asked if the fluid level was checked like I had requested. Oh yeah, it was and its fine.

I Just checked the plastic panels that would need to have been removed, no finger prints or markings at all.

What a joke.

Wow, what a joke of a dealership. Maybe ask to do a tech ride along.

I will bring up the shift flair the next time I am at the dealership. I tried using Mazda radar cruise control in heavy traffic and noticed that the lurching or clunks are still happening.
 
Oh ok. That does happen in traffic - seems like it's hesitant to shift when I get to around 18 mph and then it shifts down and the car starts engine braking. I have had it where the car does start "wobbling" or oscillating a little bit in these conditions.

When I had the rental 2018 CX-5, I would manually shift into manual mode and hold the car in 2nd in stop and go traffic.

My driving habits in stop and go traffic are to use the brakes as least as possible and to maintain movement. The MRCC is a bit agressive in stop and go conditions.

THAT is a perfect description of what happens to mine! wobbling and oscillating.

So, are we lead to believe that this is NORMAL behaviour for this car?
 
THAT is a perfect description of what happens to mine! wobbling and oscillating.

So, are we lead to believe that this is NORMAL behaviour for this car?

I hope not. It is getting pretty annoying.

Here's a diagnostic table:
Mazda Transmission GW6A-EL and GW6AX-EL Quick Diagnosis Chart.PNG

I think there's two issues being discussed in this thread:
1. Engine Flare/Slip or Shift Shock when upshifting or downshifting and when the accelerator pedal is depressed --- marked up with red
2. "Judder/Shift Shock" when the torque converter clutch (TCC) is operated --- highlighted in yellow



Can we add a poll to this thread or start a Google doc form to gauge what the issues are?
Model, Year, Transmission, and issue according to the quick diagnosis char
 
Can we add a poll to this thread or start a Google doc form to gauge what the issues are?
Model, Year, Transmission, and issue according to the quick diagnosis char

You might want to include something about the fluid level. "Is it full [either from factory or topped off] and do the symptoms persist?"
 
Here's a diagnostic table:
View attachment 221668

I think there's two issues being discussed in this thread:
1. Engine Flare/Slip or Shift Shock when upshifting or downshifting and when the accelerator pedal is depressed --- marked up with red
2. "Judder/Shift Shock" when the torque converter clutch (TCC) is operated --- highlighted in yellow

Where did that chart come from? If nothing else, perhaps it will help some of us describe the issues we experience with words the dealer should understand. In the past I have always felt that many things were lost in translation between the service advisor and the technician.
 
You might want to include something about the fluid level. "Is it full [either from factory or topped off] and do the symptoms persist?"

I know this is going to come off as a big ass whine from me, but I'm totally new to this vehicle, and I can't find any reliable documents that show me HOW to bloody-well check the transmission oil.

I know its tucked somewhere under the air filter housing, but I just wish I had some documents to follow.

I don't want to mess anything up, and my dealer has been extremely unhelpful "It's not supposed to be checked, there's no dipstick" and then when I tell them I have a forum-full of people who claim that it can be checked, he stares at me like I have 2 heads. LOL

I guess I'll try to find some documentation on the engine compartment somewhere and Ill muck around it this weekend.
 
I've experienced this on my '17. Based on years of experience driving a manual I would say this is due to the tq converter being locked as it feels like being in 1st at parking lot speed but not letting out the clutch at all. My bet is it's somewhat normal and just Mazda's expanded use of the lockup isn't perfect. It does let their auto feel more DSG like which I think is good while being smooth most of the time. FWIW my GTI with a DSG is usually smoother in this scenario as I believe it slips the clutch a bit. The main place where I think the Skyactiv AT is most consistently smoother is probably the lower gear downshifts when coming to a stop.
 
I know this is going to come off as a big ass whine from me, but I'm totally new to this vehicle, and I can't find any reliable documents that show me HOW to bloody-well check the transmission oil.

I know its tucked somewhere under the air filter housing, but I just wish I had some documents to follow.

I don't want to mess anything up, and my dealer has been extremely unhelpful "It's not supposed to be checked, there's no dipstick" and then when I tell them I have a forum-full of people who claim that it can be checked, he stares at me like I have 2 heads. LOL

I guess I'll try to find some documentation on the engine compartment somewhere and Ill muck around it this weekend.

The process for the 1st gen has been documented somewhere here. You could probably use that as a reference so that you aren't going in blind.
 
The process for the 1st gen has been documented somewhere here. You could probably use that as a reference so that you aren't going in blind.

Thanks I'll try to dig it up.

Much appreciated!
 
I know this is going to come off as a big ass whine from me, but I'm totally new to this vehicle, and I can't find any reliable documents that show me HOW to bloody-well check the transmission oil.

I know its tucked somewhere under the air filter housing, but I just wish I had some documents to follow.

I don't want to mess anything up, and my dealer has been extremely unhelpful "It's not supposed to be checked, there's no dipstick" and then when I tell them I have a forum-full of people who claim that it can be checked, he stares at me like I have 2 heads. LOL

I guess I'll try to find some documentation on the engine compartment somewhere and Ill muck around it this weekend.
Here you go (from 2018 Mazda Factory Service Manual):

Transmission fluid change without filter replacement

Some 2.5T owners said theres some turbo plumbing / harness blocking the access of ATF dipstick.
 
Curious on the ATF levels. Has anyone had the jerking issue, checked the ATF level and it was low, then adding more fixed the problem?
 
There is a TSB that might apply to this:

TSBID: 116041
3019A - TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE SOFTWARE CONCERN
Last Issued: 01/30/2019
DESCRIPTION
In affected vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions, electrical noise may be detected while driving in *D* range (including *Manual* mode). Due to inappropriate control logic of the software in the Transmission Control Module (TCM), this signal noise may cause the vehicle to unexpectedly downshift, causing an abrupt deceleration of the drive wheels. The sudden unexpected downshift while driving may negatively affect the stability of the vehicle, increasing the risk of losing vehicle control, potentially resulting in a crash. No crashes or injuries related to the subject condition have been reported to date. This recall is in Not Launched Status, however vehicles can be repaired. Please make sure if a vehicle arrives at your dealership that the repair is completed.
 
took several weeks to get an appointment due to the dealer being overwhelmed with the recalls. did a test drive with tech in car. he felt the jerks. then we took a brand new vehicle out to compare 10,000 miles versus 50 miles, and the jerking was much less, barely noticeable. tech attributed it to our vehicle having 10,000 miles and normal wear. i was insistent that it be looked at, specifically the fluid level. they said they checked it and it was fine. so issue unresolved.
 
I've experienced this on my '17. Based on years of experience driving a manual I would say this is due to the tq converter being locked as it feels like being in 1st at parking lot speed but not letting out the clutch at all. My bet is it's somewhat normal and just Mazda's expanded use of the lockup isn't perfect. It does let their auto feel more DSG like which I think is good while being smooth most of the time. FWIW my GTI with a DSG is usually smoother in this scenario as I believe it slips the clutch a bit. The main place where I think the Skyactiv AT is most consistently smoother is probably the lower gear downshifts when coming to a stop.

This would be my guess. On a manual transmission in 1st gear without depressing the clutch you can have a car jerk as you let off the gas or don't accelerate, like there is play in 1st gear. The automatic in the CX-5 torque converter locks up at low speed and can act like that. This thread is a little bit nebulous, there seems to be many different descriptions of what drivers are experiencing so who knows what it might be.
 
I have a 2020 CX-5 with 2.5L Skyactiv-G with cylinder deactivation.

Car is less than 1000 miles and today I noticed there's a slight jerkiness when I transition from no pedal press to very light pedal press. A single "tick" noise can also be heard when this happens.

It was quite easy to replicate at low speed. A common scenario would be when you're travelling at low speed decelerating and accelerating on a bumper to bumper traffic.

Looking at the "Fuel Economy Monitor" screen, I noticed this jerkiness was caused by the engine transitioning from [4 cylinders idle (grayed out)] to [all 4 cylinders running (red symbol"] under the Cylinder Deactivation animation.

I thought it was the engine that doing this, but based on the thread it's more like the transmission causing it?
 
Hello Everyone. I have been experiencing unusual transmission behavior at slow speeds in my 2018 CX 5 AWD. In situations where I am slowing down and almost coming to a halt, when I press the gas pedal the car slightly jerks/lurches back and forth. This behavior is especially present when I slow down to make turns or in stop and go traffic. Also at slow speeds, when I lift my foot off the throttle the car slightly lurches. I can hear some kind of knocking or clicking sound when the transmission behaves like this. Could anyone advise me if this behavior is common or something unexpected? I have taken the car to my local Mazda dealer and they say that this kind of behavior is normal for this generation of the CX 5. I would greatly appreciate if anyone could explain this behavior or share their experiences. Thank you very much.
@sskali Can you please report back your experience since it's been more than 1y now? How many miles hand you travelled and has this problem improved or got any worse? I'm having a similar problem and could also hear the "tick noise"
 
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