Mike's 2018 CX-9 Signature

[sm1ke]

Watch out for the Coolant leak at cylinder head, it’s not a matter of if but when and it can catch fire

I'd appreciate it if you didn't spam this, or any other thread, with your unrelated comments. You've already started a thread about this, keep the discussion there so it doesn't detract from other topics. It will also be easier for you to keep track of replies if there are only one or two threads. Posting the same message in multiple threads is spamming, and those messages will be dealt with as such.

Further. while I can see that the CX-9 in the video you posted did catch fire, you have no evidence or proof to make a statement like "it's not a matter of if but when" and "it can catch fire". The video was posted without context, and lacking a lot of important information. It's good to be aware of it, but without more information or reports of the same issue, I find it more likely to be a one-off, highly unlikely situation. I'm going to post this same reply in the thread you started.

 

[sm1ke]

I too struggled to get the pads into the clips. Had to walk away, maybe why it's easy to get frustrated and get it in bent. Once it goes in it's clear that it's in.

Are you reusing the rotors, new pads?
Did you machine finish or just simple replacement?

Could you be experiencing some rust jacking of the caliper bracket metal under the clips? Do you replace the little metal clips or reuse the old ones?

My routine is pop the clips out, (mechanically) wire brush the bracket where the clips reside and then a light file to remove any remaining corrosion. Coat the fresh metal with some anti-seize or grease and install new clips (or your old ones if your kit doesn't supply new hardware)

I learned about rust jacking after struggling to get new pads into the brackets of a Ford focus many years ago.

You know, that's probably what it was, the rust jacking of the caliper on the surfaces that the clips rest on. I didn't wire brush or file down those surfaces. Thanks for the insight!

I reused the Powerstop rotors, and used the new pad clips and slide pin boots that the pads came with.

 

[Z31]

In an effort to keep the original brakes feeling nice, I've been disassembling brakes every 20,000 kms, cleaning, lubing, etc. It's pretty much required to do min once per year in Canada/rust belt or you greatly shorten the life. Will see how long they last, but original pads/rotors still look great at 60k

I will say the front pads on the CX-9 are a bit awkward to install, but what i'm doing now is taking off the bracket and starting the pads off the vehicle, then reinstalling. Seems an easier way to prevent getting grease on the friction surfaces by accident. Also gives me an opportunity to apply a thin layer of grease to all the metal/metal surfaces.

I've been using Pastelub for metal/metal surfaces, underneath the clips (to hopefully prevent rust-jacking), on the back of the pads, and super thin amount on the pad ears (i know this is debated, but if you're cleaning every year, then I think it is the better option). Nice to apply on hub/rotor surface also. Little goes a long way.

And for the caliper slide pins, I've been using Motorcraft XG3A Silicone Brake Lube for a while. This stuff has been a game changer. Similar to Sylglide, but it doesn't seem to ever break down.

 

[Fawiek]

Could you be experiencing some rust jacking of the caliper bracket metal under the clips? Do you replace the little metal clips or reuse the old ones?

My routine is pop the clips out, (mechanically) wire brush the bracket where the clips reside and then a light file to remove any remaining corrosion. Coat the fresh metal with some anti-seize or grease and install new clips (or your old ones if your kit doesn't supply new hardware)

I learned about rust jacking after struggling to get new pads into the brackets of a Ford focus many years ago.

It's possible. I usually metal brush wire with a drill attachment though, so unlikely.

I always use new clips.

 

[Fawiek]

Nice, are they as good as ppl say they are? I was on the fence as I have dedicated winter tires, and the cc2 looks like winter tires too. The highway and quiet driving and the additional grip is the selling point

Just wanted to confirm, these tires are fantastic! Road noise is nil, turning, braking, driving through wet rain feels very sturdy. No complaints. Oh, and the vibrations are reduced significantly.

 

[youri]

Car and driver did a good review of them here:

What I liked in the review is that it is the first time that i see a review that compares all-weather tire to dedicated summer tire and dedicated winter tires (scroll to the end of the review). Because they are often the best in reviews in their own category, but i was always questioning how they performed compared to dedicated winter tires. Now the only thing i don’t know for sure is how they compare to all-season tires, (like the well loved on this forum pirelli AS3 plus )

Tested: Best All-Weather Tires for 2025

All-weather tires from Bridgestone, Goodyear, Michelin, Nokian, and Pirelli battle it out on dry, wet, and snow-covered surfaces to see which is the ultimate evolution in all-season rubber.

www.caranddriver.com

 

[madar]

I too struggled to get the pads into the clips. Had to walk away, maybe why it's easy to get frustrated and get it in bent. Once it goes in it's clear that it's in.

Are you reusing the rotors, new pads?
Did you machine finish or just simple replacement?

I never had that problem except the last 2 times I installed pads which were Akebono. The first went into the front of my wife's Scion. I thought, what the heck, must be a fluke set, had to file them down a bit to get them to fit. The second set went into the back of my CX5, and they were a real bear to get in, had to actually grind off about a 1/16 of an inch to get them in and I'm not happy about how they went in, now I'm thinking no more Akebono for me. I put a set in the front a few years ago and they went in fine. I walked away quite a few times for that last installation.

 

[N7turbo]

Huh. The OEMs are Akebono, as well as the ProACT ceramics I installed. Both were identical in shape and size and I didn't have any issues installing them. My CX-5 Turbo shares the front brakes with the CX-9 (and I doubt that rears differ much, many parts are shared to save on costs).

 

[sm1ke]

It was quiet for a while, but I've got a new issue. Hopefully I'm on the right track to get it resolved though.

Over the weekend, the car's engine temp readout was showing higher than usual. Normally its right at 90 degrees and stays there when the engine is at normal operating temp, but it started climbing higher and higher. I noticed that at one point, if I had been driving the car for about 10 mins or so, and came to a stop in traffic, the temp readout would climb high enough (over 120 degrees) that the red engine temp warning light would start to flash on and off. It never went into the red, and it never climbed higher than that. Additionally, once I started moving again and accelerating, the temp readout would quickly drop back down to 90 by the time I reached 50 km/hr.

I've been keeping an eye on my coolant level, and it's remained consistent. No visible coolant leaks or smells. I don't think it's the thermostat because the upper coolant hose is hot when the engine is warmed up, the engine temp hasn't actually gone into the red, and I don't have a CEL. I think that the issue may be a faulty engine temperature sensor (Part number SH0118840). As a side note, I've been noticing that the car sometimes cranks longer than it normally does. Originally I thought it might be spark plugs or the battery going out, but it seems that the faulty sensor can also cause long cranks. Just to be safe, I decided to order both the sensor and the thermostat and replace both.

It turns out that the Mazda OEM replacements for both the temp sensor and the thermostat are only about $20 higher than the cheaper aftermarket alternatives from RockAuto, so I went with OEM this time ($104 vs $86). Parts should be available for pickup by Friday, so hopefully I'll have this resolved this weekend.

 

[sm1ke]

Video of the issue:

 

[Mazdiod2]

How many miles at this point?

 

[Silly Wabbit]

Definitely not normal. Hope your diagnosis is correct. Keep us posted!

 

[sm1ke]

How many miles at this point?

It's at 138k kms (~85750 mi)

 

[Agape_365]

It was quiet for a while, but I've got a new issue. Hopefully I'm on the right track to get it resolved though.

Over the weekend, the car's engine temp readout was showing higher than usual. Normally its right at 90 degrees and stays there when the engine is at normal operating temp, but it started climbing higher and higher. I noticed that at one point, if I had been driving the car for about 10 mins or so, and came to a stop in traffic, the temp readout would climb high enough (over 120 degrees) that the red engine temp warning light would start to flash on and off. It never went into the red, and it never climbed higher than that. Additionally, once I started moving again and accelerating, the temp readout would quickly drop back down to 90 by the time I reached 50 km/hr.

I've been keeping an eye on my coolant level, and it's remained consistent. No visible coolant leaks or smells. I don't think it's the thermostat because the upper coolant hose is hot when the engine is warmed up, the engine temp hasn't actually gone into the red, and I don't have a CEL. I think that the issue may be a faulty engine temperature sensor (Part number SH0118840). As a side note, I've been noticing that the car sometimes cranks longer than it normally does. Originally I thought it might be spark plugs or the battery going out, but it seems that the faulty sensor can also cause long cranks. Just to be safe, I decided to order both the sensor and the thermostat and replace both.

It turns out that the Mazda OEM replacements for both the temp sensor and the thermostat are only about $20 higher than the cheaper aftermarket alternatives from RockAuto, so I went with OEM this time ($104 vs $86). Parts should be available for pickup by Friday, so hopefully I'll have this resolved this weekend.

Out of curiosity what is the acidity reading on the coolant.

 

[Fawiek]

It was quiet for a while, but I've got a new issue. Hopefully I'm on the right track to get it resolved though.

Over the weekend, the car's engine temp readout was showing higher than usual. Normally its right at 90 degrees and stays there when the engine is at normal operating temp, but it started climbing higher and higher. I noticed that at one point, if I had been driving the car for about 10 mins or so, and came to a stop in traffic, the temp readout would climb high enough (over 120 degrees) that the red engine temp warning light would start to flash on and off. It never went into the red, and it never climbed higher than that. Additionally, once I started moving again and accelerating, the temp readout would quickly drop back down to 90 by the time I reached 50 km/hr.

I've been keeping an eye on my coolant level, and it's remained consistent. No visible coolant leaks or smells. I don't think it's the thermostat because the upper coolant hose is hot when the engine is warmed up, the engine temp hasn't actually gone into the red, and I don't have a CEL. I think that the issue may be a faulty engine temperature sensor (Part number SH0118840). As a side note, I've been noticing that the car sometimes cranks longer than it normally does. Originally I thought it might be spark plugs or the battery going out, but it seems that the faulty sensor can also cause long cranks. Just to be safe, I decided to order both the sensor and the thermostat and replace both.

It turns out that the Mazda OEM replacements for both the temp sensor and the thermostat are only about $20 higher than the cheaper aftermarket alternatives from RockAuto, so I went with OEM this time ($104 vs $86). Parts should be available for pickup by Friday, so hopefully I'll have this resolved this weekend.

Have you done a coolant flush, ever? I did mine when I had to swap out my evap coil attached to the radiator last year... Maybe about 140-150K kms at the time.

 

[sm1ke]

Out of curiosity what is the acidity reading on the coolant.

You know I didn't even think to test it, but I'll do it later today. I decided to leave the car at home until I can sort this out to avoid making the problem worse.

Have you done a coolant flush, ever? I did mine when I had to swap out my evap coil attached to the radiator last year... Maybe about 140-150K kms at the time.

Nope, I've never done a coolant flush. But I did top it up a few years ago when it looked low.

For now I'll try swapping out the engine coolant temp sensor, and if that doesn't work, I'll drain the coolant and swap out the thermostat.

 

[sm1ke]

Out of curiosity what is the acidity reading on the coolant.

Tested yesterday with a multimeter. Reads 0.09v. I think I did it right lol. According to what I've read, if it's below 0.40v then the coolant is still good.

 

[Woodguru]

Okay, so some background info on my wheel purchase. For a while I was a little hesitant on going up to a 22" wheel because I knew it would be heavier than a 20" wheel (this article was very helpful in preparing me for what to expect: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15130598/upsized-wheels-tires/). However, the aesthetic look of a larger wheel was a worthwhile tradeoff (to me). I had been trying to decide on which aftermarket 22" wheels I wanted to go with for a while, and one of the reasons I went with the Vossen VFS-2s was because of the "hybrid forged" technology they use to make the wheels a little lighter (each 22x10.5 wheel is 36 lbs). At first, it was hard to justify the price, but when Vossen ran a sale, they brought the prices down so much that it was really a no-brainer when comparing them to the other wheels I was considering (Niche Form at 39lbs and Ace Alloy Devotion at 38.5lbs). For the tires, I went with a 285/35/22 size to keep the overall wheel diameter as close to OEM as possible. I chose Nexen Roadian HP as they worked with my budget and had generally good reviews as an all-season tire.

Now, here's some interesting information. My new wheel/tire set up is actually almost 4 lbs lighter per corner! The OEM wheel/tire setup is pretty heavy. I weighed the Bridgestones when I took them off and each tire came in at 35.5 lbs. Then I contacted Mazda Canada, who told me that the OEM 20x8.5" wheel weighs 39.55 lbs.

One Vossen VFS-2 22x10.5" wheel with Nexen Roadian HP 285/35/22 tire weighs 71.2 lbs, which isn't great, but it's not bad either.
The OEM 20x8.5 wheel and the Bridgestone Ecopia HL 422 Plus 255/50/20 tire weighs 75 lbs!

I'll also note that while a 3.8 lb difference per corner doesn't seem like much, it's a reduction in unsprung weight. This should equate to a very slight increase in mileage and, most importantly, a small improvement in handling (especially when you consider the wider tires). This was a nice surprise, since I was expecting the new setup to be heavier than OEM, which would have resulted in a slight decrease in mileage and slightly more sluggish acceleration. Note that this is all speculation, based on what I've read/heard from those who made the switch to a lighter wheel setup on other cars.

Anyway, I had refurbished Mazda TPMS sensors installed, had the tires mounted, and got the wheels balanced this weekend. They're now sitting in the basement waiting for the summer. Eventually I'll get around to applying the ceramic coating (and will probably document the process and post a How-To at some point). No rush as I've still got 2-3 months of winter to get through.

I'd say most people underestimate the difference lighter tires and wheels make on a car...it's unsprung weight, which turns faster as it has less centrifugal force causing a gyroscopic effect that interferes with changes of direction. The superbike crowd I ran with put $4500 carbon fiber wheels on bikes, so I had an idea of how much difference unsprung weight makes. I had a 2002 Audi S8 track version that was light years different than the normal showroom S8. The stock wheels were stupid heavy, I was upgrading from the Pirelli tires and was noticing that the Bridgestone Pole Position tires I was going to were lighter, so I started looking at wheels...with an eye towards weight versus looks, I wanted them to look good but the weight was what I was really looking at. I saved several pounds more per wheel than I'd have thought possible with forged rims that came at a price, $900 each.

It's hard to describe how much faster and lighter the car turned, even the acceleration was unbelievably harder from a stop. That reduction in wheel weight made the car feel and handle like it weighed a thousand pounds less, literally...

...and I know for most people weight doesn't really come into play as it's about looks, but it really does make noticeable changes. For example, upsizing wheels and tires can make the acceleration of a heavy SUV up hills on the freeway seem noticeably slower

 

[N7turbo]

I advise people to look for flow formed wheels if they are concerned about weight.