Have you ever had your AWD light come on?

[Zorbick]

I have yet to see my AWD light come on. This is my second winter with my CX-5 and we've had a lot of snow and ice this year. Lots of fun times out in big parking lots and driving through unplowed subdivisions with 10+" of snow. I can get the TCS light to blink at me when I'm doing slides or aggressive launches while in the snow, but no AWD indicators.

How do you know the AWD is working? I mean, I paid more for the AWD and have slightly worse gas mileage, too, and I'm not really able to tell if it's working except for when I tell myself "yeah, the back end wouldn't feel like this if it was FWD only" but I don't have the most calibrated of butts, especially when it comes to AWD.

Will I have to do like people with the Subarus have done and wire an LED up to the differential's control circuit to get some sort of signal?

 

[yym789]

For me, I never know when the AWD is working, but who can know it?

 

[SayNoToPistons]

There is no AWD light. The DSC and TCS only engage and display during considerable variations in wheel speeds.

If you pay close attention, you can feel the differential clutch engage the rear axle. That is usually during abrupt accelerations from low speeds.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

Also if you are doing a fast, accelerating corner (highway) and you let off the gas you can tell.

 

[CX-SV]

Per the owners manual, if the AWD warning light comes on ("4wd"), there's a problem:


This warning light stays on for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched
ON.
The warning light will illuminate or flash
under the following conditions:
l Illuminates when there is an
abnormality with the AWD system.
l Illuminates if there is too much
difference in tire radius between the
front and rear wheels.
l Flashes when the differential oil
temperature is abnormally high.
l Flashes when there are continually
large differences between front and rear
wheel rotation, such as when trying to
pull away from an icy surface, or when
trying to extricate the vehicle from
mud, sand or similar conditions.

 

[speedbegone]

considering it works on demand when slip is detected, it would actually make sense to have a light for this, but there is none...

but mazda is not known for giving too much live information like that... my previous speed3 didnt have a boost gauge... and new mazda's don't have engine temp info, just a blue light that comes off when temp is ok.

On the other hand, some new mazda 3 can have facebook... makes sense

But like others have mentionned, there is a different thug from the drivetrain when it comes on.

 

[CX-SV]

No problem, no distracting light is Mazda's approach with AWD system.