Asking about Mazda’s cylinder de-activation

[double vanos]

Man I tell you I’d love another Mazda; the prices are ok but nearly every model I like (or can afford) has cylinder de-activation, which I’ve heard bad things about. Does anybody here own a Mazda with high mileage with this stuff that hasn’t goofed up?

 

[CKN]

The actual owners report that it rarely kicks in except at highway speeds. I would find this youtube review informative-

 

[benjy]

a great vid as always from savage geese!!

 

[OneLonelyBurrito]

I have it on my CX-50, and haven't had any issues in the 15k miles I have had it. I also haven't heard of any issues with Mazda's cylinder deactivation specifically. The only thing that comes to mind is a programing issue early on, they resolved it with a recall when introduced around the 2018 time frame.

 

[Soft Cars]

Just say NO to cylinder de-activation.

 

[AZjeff]

I have it on my CX-50, and haven't had any issues in the 15k miles I have had it.

One would hope not in 15k miles.

Just say NO to cylinder de-activation.

Just say no to the brands that have been problematic in later model years. Not all have.

 

[CKN]

Just say NO to cylinder de-activation.

What year is your dinosaur?

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

I thought @bdcardinal said once that the Mazda cylinder head for the cylinder deactivation engines is the only cylinder head they actually keep in stock, indicating it’s problematic?

I do my best to avoid cylinder deactivation cars if I plan to keep them awhile. I haven’t heard of Mazdas being bad, but I don’t get on any forums but this one. Nowadays it’s either cylinder deactivation or turbo it seems…

 

[LongTime_Lurker]

Who does cylinder deactivation well?

Finally broke down and bought an S-VCM for the Pilot. Haven't had any oil burning after 109,000 miles, but the shudder was a tad annoying, and it threw a CEL for the VCM pressure switch last summer while I was towing my camper, though that hasn't returned. Figured I don't want to see how long...

bobistheoilguy.com

 

[Pew]

I'm only at ~70k miles and I didn't realize my cx5 had CD until a year after ownership but it doesn't bother me.

At 51k, the hydraulic lash adjusters did have to be replaced per TSB 01-002/21.

 

[bdcardinal]

I thought @bdcardinal said once that the Mazda cylinder head for the cylinder deactivation engines is the only cylinder head they actually keep in stock, indicating it’s problematic?

I do my best to avoid cylinder deactivation cars if I plan to keep them awhile. I haven’t heard of Mazdas being bad, but I don’t get on any forums but this one. Nowadays it’s either cylinder deactivation or turbo it seems…

There were certain years, and I forget the exact one because its Saturday night and I am tired, that has issues with head gaskets and casting porosity. I never really paid attention to the specifics until I handed out all the stuffs for the TSB that the tech gave me only to have him come unglued because the head was wrong. Then I read closer and saw the heads we stocked were only for cylinder deactivation and whatever vehicle the tech was working on didn't have it. It was a big drama thing in the shop.

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

There were certain years, and I forget the exact one because its Saturday night and I am tired, that has issues with head gaskets and casting porosity. I never really paid attention to the specifics until I handed out all the stuffs for the TSB that the tech gave me only to have him come unglued because the head was wrong. Then I read closer and saw the heads we stocked were only for cylinder deactivation and whatever vehicle the tech was working on didn't have it. It was a big drama thing in the shop.

Guess it wasn’t necessarily a cylinder deactivation problem, just something that affected those models. I still feel like cylinder deactivation is way overly complicated for an additional 1mpg.