New CX-5 user, got some questions please chip in

[rennlistuser3]

I just bought a red 2016 CX-5 and so far love it a lot.

I have a few questions for you more experienced users if you please:

Q1: Someone told me that if I leave climate control on auto all the time and never shut it off before turning off the car, that this will eventually damage air conditioner with time. Anyone heard of this before?

Q2: I have the LED headlight, and when I turn the car on,the headlights do this "auto-adjustment" routine every time. It worries me that the headlights will eventually malfunction with such repeated use every time you start the car. Are my worries justified? or should I just ignore and move on?

Q3: I find the cabin has too much wind noise on highways. Anyone found an easy and cost effective way of adding more sound deadening?

Q4: Has anyone explored using much wider tires on this car? I'd probably go for that but I want to know how badly does MPG suffer due to it.

Q5: I get very little misfire on the engine while stopping at say a traffic light. It's not strong or greatly noticeable but it is there. I am running 95 octane on it. Is this normal for this vehicle? I seem to remember from yesteryear that Mazdas do this often and there's nothing necessarily wrong with them.

Thank you in advance and happy to meet all of you.

 

[jhu8]

1- Never heard of that before

2- Completely normal. I wouldn't worry about it. Nothing you can do about it anyway. I suppose you could turn AFS off and maybe it won't auto adjust then but that wouldn't be worth doing even if it worked.

3- CX5 is known to have higher wind noise than many other comparable CUVs. Stock tires certainly don't help either. Not sure of any methods but I thought I read somewhere about putting in sound deadening material in the trunk. Other than that, I haven't read much about fixing this issue. It is what it is.

4- Never occurred to me. Why are you looking to use wider tires?

5- Why are you running 95 in your cx5? Save your money and stick with 87. Car is designed to run that octane.

Congrats on joining the cx5 club! Hopefully this helps a little. I know other members will certainly chime in as well.

 

[yrwei52]

1. Leave your AC in "Auto" mode all the time should be fine although I never use "Auto" mode on my Automatic Climate Control system. The claim may have some merit but I'd not worry about it as it may show the effect after 10 years of usage.
2. The auto-leveling function of AFS will do that initialization each time we start the engine when the headlights are on. There'll be some concerns that the mechanical parts would wear out eventually. But like the AC question, I'd not worry this too much, and in the mean time, enjoy the great AFS and LED headlights during the night driving.
3. Wind noise on the highway is normal for CX-5 even if Mazda had put 9 lbs of sound-deadening material for 2016 MY to improve this deficiency. There's not much you can do as this process should at best be done during design and assembly. Getting tires rated with lower road noise certainly would help.
4. Never thought about getting wider tires but you can go to "CX-5 Wheels, Tires, Brakes & Suspension" section and find the discussions of getting wider tires. Your MPG certainly will suffer, approximately 1~3 mpg from what I've seen.
5. Misfire? Then you should have CEL right? I've never heard of this issue and it's definitely not normal. If you have suspicion having misfire, take your CX-5 in for warranty service. BTW, where did you get 95-octane gas if you're from the US? Try to use top-tier regular gas such as Shell, Chevron, or Costco and see if the situation improves.

 

[ijaen]

I just bought a red 2016 CX-5 and so far love it a lot.

I have a few questions for you more experienced users if you please:

Q1: Someone told me that if I leave climate control on auto all the time and never shut it off before turning off the car, that this will eventually damage air conditioner with time. Anyone heard of this before?

Q2: I have the LED headlight, and when I turn the car on,the headlights do this "auto-adjustment" routine every time. It worries me that the headlights will eventually malfunction with such repeated use every time you start the car. Are my worries justified? or should I just ignore and move on?

Q3: I find the cabin has too much wind noise on highways. Anyone found an easy and cost effective way of adding more sound deadening?

Q4: Has anyone explored using much wider tires on this car? I'd probably go for that but I want to know how badly does MPG suffer due to it.

Q5: I get very little misfire on the engine while stopping at say a traffic light. It's not strong or greatly noticeable but it is there. I am running 95 octane on it. Is this normal for this vehicle? I seem to remember from yesteryear that Mazdas do this often and there's nothing necessarily wrong with them.

Thank you in advance and happy to meet all of you.

1. False. Newer cars engage the AC compressor a few seconds AFTER the engine starts so there is no drag during initial start up.

2. Automakers take that into consideration when designing the system. I've seen older Mercedes-Benz and BMW with perfectly fine leveling systems.

3. Dynamat.

4. No idea.

5. Are you in the US? If so try using a better grade fuel. If you are outside the US maybe that's i-Stop working and you didn't notice that the engine is actually off. Let us know.

 

[moJoe]

I personally feel the cabin noise isn't that bad, on par with the 13' CRV I had if not quieter. If anything the little added engine noise gives it that visceral driving exp which I think is kinda cool. It's fun to hear it esp when you flick the sport mode on, like it wants to be a little roadster.

 

[rennlistuser3]

4- Never occurred to me. Why are you looking to use wider tires?

5- Why are you running 95 in your cx5? Save your money and stick with 87. Car is designed to run that octane.

Congrats on joining the cx5 club! Hopefully this helps a little. I know other members will certainly chime in as well.

Thank you!

To be frank, I'm looking to use wider tires just because I think the current ones look dinky being so thin. Plus, as far as I know, wide tires are better for off-road in sand which is where I'll be if I go off-read.

I went for 95 octane because I thought it would boos performance. I know a lot of cars can run on lower octane but performance will be lower so I just though this would be the case with the CX-5.

 

[rennlistuser3]

1. Leave your AC in "Auto" mode all the time should be fine although I never use "Auto" mode on my Automatic Climate Control system. The claim may have some merit but I'd not worry about it as it may show the effect after 10 years of usage.
2. The auto-leveling function of AFS will do that initialization each time we start the engine when the headlights are on. There'll be some concerns that the mechanical parts would wear out eventually. But like the AC question, I'd not worry this too much, and in the mean time, enjoy the great AFS and LED headlights during the night driving.
3. Wind noise on the highway is normal for CX-5 even if Mazda had put 9 lbs of sound-deadening material for 2016 MY to improve this deficiency. There's not much you can do as this process should at best be done during design and assembly. Getting tires rated with lower road noise certainly would help.
4. Never thought about getting wider tires but you can go to "CX-5 Wheels, Tires, Brakes & Suspension" section and find the discussions of getting wider tires. Your MPG certainly will suffer, approximately 1~3 mpg from what I've seen.
5. Misfire? Then you should have CEL right? I've never heard of this issue and it's definitely not normal. If you have suspicion having misfire, take your CX-5 in for warranty service. BTW, where did you get 95-octane gas if you're from the US? Try to use top-tier regular gas such as Shell, Chevron, or Costco and see if the situation improves.

hmmm, so as I expected, wider tires will hit your MPG. I probably wouldn't go for that.

I don't have CEL. It's really not that bad. It's so faint and happens so rarely that I bet the vast majority of people wouldn't even notice it. I still have a lot of warranty left so I think I'll just ignore it for now unless it gets worst. I don't live in the US.

 

[rennlistuser3]

1. False. Newer cars engage the AC compressor a few seconds AFTER the engine starts so there is no drag during initial start up.

2. Automakers take that into consideration when designing the system. I've seen older Mercedes-Benz and BMW with perfectly fine leveling systems.

3. Dynamat.

4. No idea.

5. Are you in the US? If so try using a better grade fuel. If you are outside the US maybe that's i-Stop working and you didn't notice that the engine is actually off. Let us know.

Yeah, I thought it would be false because I know that modern German cars always have their climate control on by default and you have to shut them off yourself if you don't want them to be on all the time. My friend's car is from 2003 and plus I think his car doesn't have auto climate control. It's manual, so it would probably make more sense that he would have a failed compressor or other malfunction in his case.

Dynamat seems to reduce road noise. It seems the CX-5 has a lot of wind noise, especially coming from the A-pillars from what I can tell.

I'm not in the US. I am using 95 octane which is higher than specified. But maybe I'm being too paranoid about this misfire and it's nothing to worry about. I'll just ignore it unless it gets more serious. I'm sure I don't have i-stop on my car.

 

[rennlistuser3]

I personally feel the cabin noise isn't that bad, on par with the 13' CRV I had if not quieter. If anything the little added engine noise gives it that visceral driving exp which I think is kinda cool. It's fun to hear it esp when you flick the sport mode on, like it wants to be a little roadster.

Actually, just to be frank, as much as I absolutely love my CX-5, I had a Subaru prior to it and I so miss the rumble of that boxer engine. The CX-5 has a good sounding engine but it is more of a quite commuter. Engine sound is not its strong point.

 

[yrwei52]

hmmm, so as I expected, wider tires will hit your MPG. I probably wouldn't go for that.
I don't have CEL. It's really not that bad. It's so faint and happens so rarely that I bet the vast majority of people wouldn't even notice it. I still have a lot of warranty left so I think I'll just ignore it for now unless it gets worst. I don't live in the US.

By switching off "Auto" mode on your Automatic Climate Control system, you can manually control you AC compressor. If you don't need the AC on with nice temperature, just push the "AC" button and turn it off. Thus you don't have to be dragging the usage of AC compressor as some automatic climate system would leave the AC compressor running either all the time or longer than needed for cold air, which is mixing with heated air from your heater core to get the output air at the preset temperature.

If you're not in the US, you have RON for your octane rating. 95 RON octane is roughly equivalent to 90~91 US AKI octane. But in Europe and many other countries Mazda uses 14:1 compression ratio for its SkyActiv-G gasoline engines and the premium gas is required. In Europe or Asia using RON, 92 octane is considered as regular gas, 95 is medium grade, and 98 is premium. I'd suggest you switch to 98 octane gas to prevent any sign of misfire or knock. Check your owner's manual for your gasoline requirement.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

+1 on the 98 for RON of you have a 14:1 motor; it's specified. Also misfires don't cause a cel until they are occurring at a certain frequency (what I don't know). What does happen, is a "pending fault" is generated, which won't cause a cel but is a stored DTC of you have a obd2 device. Once the frequency requirements are met, a cel for multiple, random, or specific misfires shows up. Wider tires can give you improved grip for better handling characterisitics. You really won't get a worthy mpg or acceleration impact for simply going to a wider tire. That being said, if you want a wider tire, you probably should get a wider wheel first because the oems are 7" pizza cutters.

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

I have heard... running AC all the time or more often than not is better for AC compressor as it keeps components better lubricated within the system

 

[yrwei52]

I have heard... running AC all the time or more often than not is better for AC compressor as it keeps components better lubricated within the system

This myth is coming from the old days as owner's manual had always suggested to turn on the AC at least once for a couple of weeks even in the wintertime. The reason for that is we'd want the freon and lubricant circling around in the sealed AC system preventing the seals drying out and creating leaks. Any mechanical device such as AC compressor will eventually wear out. The more you use it, the faster it reaches to the end of its service life. Leaving the AC running all the time or more often than not when it's not needed definitely is hurting its service life. The rotary compressor has oil in there and you don't need keep it running for better lubrication. Keeping the freon circling around the system from time to time still serves the purpose of preventing seal leaks, but you don't need to keep it running all the time or more often than you need to. That's why I use "manual" mode on our Automatic Climate Control system so that I can control AC function as needed.

 

[Unobtanium]

95 Octane, or 95RON? If octane...where? If RON, use 91RON.

 

[rennlistuser3]

By switching off "Auto" mode on your Automatic Climate Control system, you can manually control you AC compressor. If you don't need the AC on with nice temperature, just push the "AC" button and turn it off. Thus you don't have to be dragging the usage of AC compressor as some automatic climate system would leave the AC compressor running either all the time or longer than needed for cold air, which is mixing with heated air from your heater core to get the output air at the preset temperature.

If you're not in the US, you have RON for your octane rating. 95 RON octane is roughly equivalent to 90~91 US AKI octane. But in Europe and many other countries Mazda uses 14:1 compression ratio for its SkyActiv-G gasoline engines and the premium gas is required. In Europe or Asia using RON, 92 octane is considered as regular gas, 95 is medium grade, and 98 is premium. I'd suggest you switch to 98 octane gas to prevent any sign of misfire or knock. Check your owner's manual for your gasoline requirement.

My main concern is the compressor being turned on while the car is being turned on and this would cause drag that damages it. But if modern cars only turn on the compressor after the engine is on, than I wouldn't worry about just long term usage of the compressor.

Yes I think you're right about the 95 RON octane.

 

[rennlistuser3]

You really won't get a worthy mpg or acceleration impact for simply going to a wider tire. That being said, if you want a wider tire, you probably should get a wider wheel first because the oems are 7" pizza cutters.

Are you speaking from experience when you say that there is no worthy MPG or acceleration impact? It'd be nice if it were the case.

I don't plan to change the OEM wheels. They look really nice and I get tons of compliments for them. I was just thinking of going a little bit wider that would still be OK on the current wheels.

 

[rennlistuser3]

95 Octane, or 95RON? If octane...where? If RON, use 91RON.

I guess it's 95 RON. I was unfamiliar with this before yrwei52 brought it up.

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

My main concern is the compressor being turned on while the car is being turned on and this would cause drag that damages it. But if modern cars only turn on the compressor after the engine is on, than I wouldn't worry about just long term usage of the compressor.

This is speculation but since AC compressor is actuated by an electro clutch I would think programming today would prevent this from being engaged in a start condition.

I had this clutch seize on me and shear off on my G35x. I was surprised the main drive belt stayed on. Following this shear I could hear the entire AC system vent into the atmosphere. A fairly easy failure to point out when I laid down the broken off part onto the service desk at dealer.

yrwei52 : It may have also become a moot point periodically running as many modes automatically turn it on anyway.. IE: Defrost mode probably turns it on for almost all cars today. It's funny I thought about it this week... I think AC runs at times on CX-5 even when AC button is off. I can't remember what air config I was on but it was manual mode with AC off and air was obviously being conditioned.

 

[craigo]

This is speculation but since AC compressor is actuated by an electro clutch I would think programming today would prevent this from being engaged in a start condition.

I had this clutch seize on me and shear off on my G35x. I was surprised the main drive belt stayed on. Following this shear I could hear the entire AC system vent into the atmosphere. A fairly easy failure to point out when I laid down the broken off part onto the service desk at dealer.

yrwei52 : It may have also become a moot point periodically running as many modes automatically turn it on anyway.. IE: Defrost mode probably turns it on for almost all cars today. It's funny I thought about it this week... I think AC runs at times on CX-5 even when AC button is off. I can't remember what air config I was on but it was manual mode with AC off and air was obviously being conditioned.

The system measures humidity - I think it may turn on initially to help dry the air, even when set to heat.

 

[yrwei52]

This is speculation but since AC compressor is actuated by an electro clutch I would think programming today would prevent this from being engaged in a start condition.
...
yrwei52 : It may have also become a moot point periodically running as many modes automatically turn it on anyway.. IE: Defrost mode probably turns it on for almost all cars today. It's funny I thought about it this week... I think AC runs at times on CX-5 even when AC button is off. I can't remember what air config I was on but it was manual mode with AC off and air was obviously being conditioned.

I also haven't verified if the AC compressor is actually off during the cranking period when the HVAC is in "Auto" mode or when the AC is on in manual mode. But I'm pretty sure in manual mode the "AC" indicator (and other regions they also have additional "AC Econ" setting indicator) will truly indicate whether your AC compressor is running. You can turn the AC off by pushing the "AC" button even if it got turned on by defrost mode automatically (and "AC" indicator would be on).