My Brand New Three Cylinder thrashing machine

[Clarice]

The Latest....Mazda UK have contacted Mazda Europe who have issued the bulletin that piston slap is to be expected under some start up conditions with the new CX-5 engine which has been completely re-engineered from the old one.

Really so Mazda now build in obsolescence not design it out.Next step will be to contact someone with abilities to make others accountable because had I wanted a three cylinder tractor with attendant rattling engine I'd have bought one not spent £30.000 on a CX-5

[twabrigs]

That is a very disappointing response. Having googled piston slap it seems 'normal' to some extent but if it's happening to the extent that it is audible then surely that's metal on metal that is going to wear and go beyond the accepted tolerance?

I guess if it does fail at some point you do now have an audit trail back to them saying what it is and not to worry.

[Clarice]

According to the person at Mazda UK who admitted he was not technically minded, I was contacted on 17/05/2018 to be informed that Mazda Europe had put out a bulletin that in certain conditions the 2.2 diesel ( again according to the Non Technically Minded person ) which has been extensively redesigned with new pistons and internals etc etc. will have piston slap when starting,

Oh!! so piston slap sounds like the pistons have heavy metallic knocking going on does it as it AGAIN started on three with the engine revs rising to 1800RPM.

It feels to me that Mazda have designed a major problem into this latest engine offering which they have yet to identify, I thought progress was to design out problems not the other way around so as they will not listen to me I will take this further with someone else who enjoys rocking the boat with manufacturers of faulty goods.

[Clarice]

Hi TWA,

You are correct in your paper trail  assumption ( or computer input in this case ) Having worked in the Motor Trade and acquiring a Motor Vehicle Technician status albeit back in the 1970's I have heard many examples of Piston Slap and this does not sound like any I have ever heard , it sounds like no oil is getting around the engine ( Yes I have checked and their is plenty ) with the result it sounds like 2 heavy bells crashing together on the offside of the engine together with audible 3 cylinder firing. I understand that these engines have chain driven counterweights and am wondering if these might be the cause along with duff injector (s ) but as it doesn't do it EVERY time it is a frustrating problem.
 
If the engine gives out totally then they can pinpoint it but as stated I don't spend that amount of money to cure someone else's screw up I am not a guinea pig for Mazda.

[Clarice]

Took recording of rattling diesel to independent Motor Vehicle Technician..... His response on hearing this start up rattle... Expletives deleted of course, the oil strainer is blocked and the oil is not getting around the areas it needs to. When i told him it had covered less than 3000 miles. expletives deleted take it back to the garage or write to the CEO of Mazda UK and reject the car. It appears that the oil pressure is not pulling through quick enough to get the metal parts from each other hence this heavy rattle on start up.
My stimation is big ends hitting the crankshaft journals

As far as I am concerned if Mazda do not get their act in order I will plaster this all over the internet and cause a lot of grief for the Marque.I have advised one person already NOT to buy a CX-5 Diesel and will continue to do so when asked.

Take me to Court because i would welcome it especially as a major manufacturer cannot admit to having designed and built an engine that has a flaw and further to that it is not the first time these Shyactiv diesels have been found wanting.

Mazda the ball is in your Court.

[twabrigs]

I'd try rejecting the car first, not fit for purpose.

[Clarice]

Recordings of Clarice clattering into life along with other recordings 2 taken on the same day as she also rattled into life whereby no clatter. These have been forwarded to Mazda UK for investigation. According to Salesman the Garage are bound by Mazda themselves as to course of action taken which they cannot baulk or they become responsible for what is a manufacturers problem.
Awaiting outcome , if not positive then will take action myself accordingly via alternative route.

[BigAl]

Back in 2013, I had an issue with not being able to get tyres for my first CX5 175 sport-nav (at the time Toyo were the only manufacturer who made that size who Mazda "approved") Toyo had none available in the country. Out of frustration, I contacted What Car who ran a piece on it, contacted Mazda, etc. Mazda then "approved" a different make and covered the cost of the three I needed to keep me going until I could fit a full set of Toyos. At the same time they also did a story on another CX5 owner who had a persistent gearbox rattle, they helped him reject the car and get a replacement.

May be your next step if they don't play ball...

Alan

[Clarice]

Latest...........\you will love this, Lodge Garage called for us to take Clarice to them on the instruction of Mazda UK......for a COMPRESSION TEST ?
I know there is nothing amiss with the top end and informed the Technician at Lodge that in my estimation the Oil Pump has a relief valve which is not functioning correctly all the time in that the pump cannot produce the pressure to keep big ends from the Crank Journals which is causing this heavy rattle and effectively will wreck either the big end bearings and/or the Crank but as a cusomer what do I know, well 13 years in the Motor Trade as a fully qualified technician and followed by 28 years in the service of her Britannic Majesty as a Police Officer before I retired some 5 years ago.
Next I will do what Big Al has suggested and the CEO of Mazda UK will also be e-mailed regarding this absolute shambles relating to this most expensive thrashing Machine and the inability of his own house to sort it out.

[Clarice]

Contacted What Car for their input having given the story of Woe along with the recording of a 3 cylinder Thrashing machine engine. Will await outcome.

[Clarice]

Picked up Clarice yesterday from the Garage having had the compression test completed which showed.....surprise , surprise that nothing was amiss and all cylinders were well within tolerance of each other.
Something I could have told them was a waste of time, they are looking at the wrong end of the engine. Contacted Mazda Customer relations who were less than helpful over this issue. The staff member Stuart when informed that we suspect an oil pressure issue indicated that they would authorise the sump to be removed.. GET THIS....At OUR expense ( £116 ) and only for a photograph to be taken of the bottom part of the engine.No strip down for confirmation of my thoughts.
I presume to confirm that the bottom end parts are all in the right position AND if any oil leak resulted then we would have to deal with Lodge Garage over it as it would be their problem not Mazda's.
Having seen the CEO's statement regarding Mazda's customer service and having dealt with Mazda's UK customer service department it appears that they are not on the same song sheet even by a Country Mile.

[Clarice]

E-mail sent to Jeremy Thomson CEO Mazda UK yesterday regarding this saga. Will await any outcome but indicated that I was far from happy with the CX-5 and Mazda's response and actions so far.

[Anchorman]

So having downloaded the two incidents of three not four cylinders doing their job we have been contacted by the Garage following these two captures being forwarded to the big cheeses at Mazda,who have indicated that a procedure will be made to aileviate the problem. Less than 2000 covered

We have now taken Clarice back to the Garage for this to hopefully be sorted out, along with the leather capping on the back offside door which is turning white at it's closure point at the rear end of the door, the dirty mark left by the mechanic on it's last trip on the drivers side 'A' Pillar internal capping.

The front proximity sensors to be checked as well because on two separate occasions whilst parked at the front of a queue with nothing in front they have  gone off  looking like the sound bar indicators of a graphic equaliser going up and down.

It's beginning to remind me of the Friday Night heaps that FORD used to be famous for back in the day

Mine does the 3 cylinder start up (2018 model with 1900 miles but did it since new).  I initially thought it was air and it seemed better after I bled a bit out but its back again.  It has the most spine tingling metallic knock with it when it does it.  I was thinking of putting an ohmmeter on the glow plugs but they are partially buried so it will have to wait until I get chance.

As for the front parking sensors, I’ve had 3 Cx-5s, a 16 (which was stolen), a 17 and an 18.  All 3 of them set the parking sensors off at the same set of lights with nothing in front (Hyde Rd, Manchester).  I can only assume there is some sort of radio signal at that particular light???  Doesn’t do it anywhere else.

[Clarice]

Hi Anchorman,
If your 2018 CX5 does this 3 cylinder start up then refer to Mazda Customer services and e-mail Jeremy Thomson the CEO, it will of course get put down to his 2nd in command Tracey Lines who I am now corresponding with and they are loaning me another CX-5 for 2 weeks for a comparison check on start up noise.

I already know that there will be a marked difference as the previous Mazda3 we had with the same engine NEVER made any such noise in the 3 years we had her. I suspect the loaner will not display anything like the same noise so we can push this further and ultimately reject the vehicle but you have to allow them to address the issue 3 times before this action is taken

The Kid in Customer advice stated that Mazda have changed the internals of the latest Skyactiv diesels to which my answer was that Mazda have introduced a problem to this engine with this attempt to accelerate warm up of the engine and Catalyst.

Already sounds to me that there is more than just my engine cold start up which is problematic, but, until those of us with this latest introduced failure give Mazda UK a real hammering over it then the company will not listen to individuals only groups.

You can highlight it to 'What Car' as I did because the more complaints they receive over this the more likely they will begin to look into it and start running articles over Mazda as a company for introduction of technology poorly thought out and badly tested. Then failing to address this with customers who have spent  a lot of money on a vehicle that fails to live up to the Hype.

This is not the first time Mazda have introduced engines that did not stand up to endurance ( I am one of the few who was in a Mazda Garage when the rotary engines gave big problems with seals that broke up requiring engines to be stripped down at 20,000 miles in the 1970's )

If possible video via smartphone each start-up both good and bad of your CX-5 which is a pain but without evidence Mazda will NOT do anything other than state it is piston slap but from what you describe it sounds like mine and that was more like piston break up but do not do anything to the vehicle yourself or you invalidate your warranty and they like nothing better than to wriggle out of that area.

[Clarice]

Clarice at Lodge Garage today for oil to be drained and kept in clean container and for sump removal and photographs to be taken ( Authorised by Mazda UK ) will await for any furtherance to this.