Engine cut out while climbing mountain pass

[jcarroll07]

Going at 35 mph I jammed the brakes and gas on my early GT and the car stopped with the engine rpm low not pulling hard, I released the brake and it paused a few seconds and then started pulling hard. It appeared to me that the brake and throttle at the same time reduced the throttle until I releaced the brake. I did not get any error lights.

I wouldn't be shocked if this were an intended feature, particularly given the big fuss given in the past few years over "unintended acceleration"

 

[MikeM.]

Don't ever brake with your left foot while engaging the gas with your right or the computer gets real confused and requires you to come to a full stop to restore power...

I tried this a couple of days ago but it didn't do anything unusual. No blinking lights or getting confused or needing to come to a stop. The car just started to slow down as I applied the brakes (I kept the accelerator pressed also) and then sped up again when I released the brakes. I have the AWD 2.0L Touring model.

 

[MMPC]

For those that are still interested…

It was very cold, and we were at 8-10,000 ft, so maybe that will change the air pressure. Not sure.

I can perhaps add to this piece of it. I drove this exact stretch of I-70 with my wife and a bunch of luggage over the New Year holiday - on my way to Ridgway from Denver. Temperatures were in the teens on the way up and in the single digits on the way back with light snow. Thankfully, we never experienced any issues with the CX-5 (leased in late November from SillTerHar Mazda) during the trip. I had premium fuel (purchased from Costco) in the tank and less than 3,000 miles on the odo. For what it's worth...

 

[particleman]

I can perhaps add to this piece of it. I drove this exact stretch of I-70 with my wife and a bunch of luggage over the New Year holiday - on my way to Ridgway from Denver. Temperatures were in the teens on the way up and in the single digits on the way back with light snow. Thankfully, we never experienced any issues with the CX-5 (leased in late November from SillTerHar Mazda) during the trip. I had premium fuel (purchased from Costco) in the tank and less than 3,000 miles on the odo. For what it's worth...

Glad you didn't have any issues. Keep an eye on it, and if anything happens, come here and tell us about it!

 

[mazdachris]

Just my opinion, of course. But could it have been the engine and transmission trying to proect itself in "fail safe" mode? Going up hill at 5000 rpm constant in 3rd for 4th gear, while wheels are slipping in snow, with thin air due to altitude. That cannot be good for a new vehicle. Snow and ice can get onto the wheel speed sensors and set off the tire pressue monitor. I remember one time when I was young and foolish I drove my 3 hard going thru the mountains of Virginia, after a long hot drive from Flordia back to Ontario. Transmission was so hot that it was hard to shift into park. Transmission never failed 70,000 k later. But it never quite felt the same. A tear down of the transmission to check for damage may be required. No way a dealer is going to do that, until you can not move, of course. Then they swap it out. IMO.

 

[mazdachris]

I would also like to add that hill assist has nothing to do with driving up hills. It holds your car, when stopped at a light, while on an upward incline, long enough for us to move our foot from the brake pedal to the accellerator pedal. This really comes in handy for people with stick. With autos, I imagine it saves wear on transmission. Basicly delays brake release for a few seconds to prevent roll back.

 

[KnurledNut]

I had the same issue three nights ago.

I was on the on-ramp to the interstate, which is slightly curved and elevated. All of a sudden at 35-40 mph I had no power, but the engine was revving. The traction, blind spot, and tire pressure lights all came on. I pulled over to a safe spot. I didn't turn the car off because I was afraid it would die on the side of the road. I waited a few minutes, played with the dash switches. Nothing would clear, but she was still running with no abnormal noises. I took off and got to work okay. Then I turned off the car and restarted. Back to normal. Now I finally found this thread. No trip to the local dealer for me since my previous issues. My next dealer is 100+ miles away, so I'll have to wait to take it in.

 

[mazdachris]

Jeeze, this is starting to sound like a common issue with the cx5 and interstates. I may have to rethink driving mine to Florida from Ontario this March.