Disable Cylinder Deactivation

I know the short answer is that it’s not possible to do this but I wanted to start a thread to get some ideas floating around and hopefully one day come up with a real solution. I also know there are already a few threads out there about CD in general but none focus on disabling it.

This is my biggest complaint by far about my wife’s 20 GT. While subtle, I can feel it drop from 4 to 2 when under a load. I don’t notice the change if I’m off the throttle. My wife doesn’t notice it at all but I definitely do. At first I thought it was an issue or quirk with the transmission, but then I started looking at the fuel monitor app that displays how many cylinders are firing and could draw a clear correlation between what I was feeling and when it drops to 2 cylinders.

I can also feel if go from 2 to 4, but it’s not as noticeable.
 
I know the short answer is that it’s not possible to do this but I wanted to start a thread to get some ideas floating around and hopefully one day come up with a real solution. I also know there are already a few threads out there about CD in general but none focus on disabling it.

This is my biggest complaint by far about my wife’s 20 GT. While subtle, I can feel it drop from 4 to 2 when under a load. I don’t notice the change if I’m off the throttle. My wife doesn’t notice it at all but I definitely do. At first I thought it was an issue or quirk with the transmission, but then I started looking at the fuel monitor app that displays how many cylinders are firing and could draw a clear correlation between what I was feeling and when it drops to 2 cylinders.

I can also feel if go from 2 to 4, but it’s not as noticeable.
Is your wife’s 2020 CX-5 GT subject to the cylinder deactivation safety recall?

There’re plenty of vibration complaints on CD from Mszda3 and Mazda seems to not be able to resolve the issue.

I believe this’s not an easy task to disable the CD on SkyActiv-G 2.5L unless a Mazda tuner who is familiar the ECM software. Or some smart guy who somehow can figure out something to cheat the ECM not turning on the CD like a resister on Honda’s VCM. There’re too many Honda or GM owners, and some would try to figure it out to disable the CD for business reason. Not the Mazda.
 
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Is your wife’s 2020 CX-5 GT subject to the cylinder deactivation safety recall?

There’re plenty of vibration complaints on CD from Mszda3 and Mazda seems to not be able to resolve th the sdue.

I believe this’s not an easy task to disable the CD on SkyActiv-G 2.5L unless a Mazda tuner who is familiar the ECM software. Or some smart guy who somehow can figure out something to cheat the ECM not turning on the CD like a resister on Honda’s VCM. There’re too many Honda or GM owners, and some would try to figure it out to disable the CD for business reason. Not the Mazda.
I would hope not considering it was manufactured in July 2020 and I purchased it 2-3 weeks ago.

For me, the vibration that can be felt when running on 2 cylinders isn’t bad at all, it’s the transition from 4 to 2 that bugs me.

I’m sure it isn’t easy to disable, but who knows, maybe it could be as simple as the resistor mod for some Honda’s that only impacts CD( and maybe the temp gauge?).
 
I would never purchase a car that does that or has one of those engines that turns off when you stop at lights and stop signs.
I wouldn’t want a car with the cylinder deactivation either as I usually keep the car forever. On the other hand, there’s an on / off switch for i-stop and you can easily turn it off, each time you start the engine ⋯ ;)
 
I would never purchase a car that does that or has one of those engines that turns off when you stop at lights and stop signs.
Second that emotion....lalala.
I've never driven a car with CD, but I've rented enough cars with start/stop that I would never buy one that has it.
It's all about gaining that half a mile per gallon fleet average to satisfy government targets.
It's got nothing to do with satisfying the driving experience that's for sure.
 
..and its a nice surprise when you get to change the battery and see the cost :)

somebody somewhere mentioned that CD doesnt run when the car is in sport mode.
I dont know if thats true but may be somebody with 2020 model can verify that since they have the display for CD ?
 
..and its a nice surprise when you get to change the battery and see the cost :)

somebody somewhere mentioned that CD doesnt run when the car is in sport mode.
I dont know if thats true but may be somebody with 2020 model can verify that since they have the display for CD ?
Confirmed, sport mode does not disable CD on 2020s.
 
… so we are stuck with it :)
Yep, that's the way it works with all of the new stuff the automakers do. I do need to be fair and honest about this and state that I've watched the display and can't feel anything when CD activates/deactivates.

But the bottom line for me is that I don't like anything that potentially decreases reliability and increases vehicle ownership (repair) cost, by adding something which can fail at any point in the future. However, there's no way to turn the clock back or stop what the automakers continue to do, so yes we're stuck with (all of) it,
 
Yep, that's the way it works with all of the new stuff the automakers do. I do need to be fair and honest about this and state that I've watched the display and can't feel anything when CD activates/deactivates.

But the bottom line for me is that I don't like anything that potentially decreases reliability and increases vehicle ownership (repair) cost, by adding something which can fail at any point in the future. However, there's no way to turn the clock back or stop what the automakers continue to do, so yes we're stuck with (all of) it,
Ah, a chance to get on my soapbox again.This is exactly what I saw when looking the way things were heading back in 2014.No choice in buying what I want but faced with decreased reliability and increased cost when stuff fails.It hastened my decision to not put off buying a new car.

I didn't want things like a CVT transmission which more brands started to use (Honda and Toyota were hopping on that bandwagon),turbo, auto stop/start or complicated 'nanny' features or excess electronic doodads.My 2014 lacks refinements made in newer CX-5's but has so far avoided cylinder deactivation,electric parking brake,tire pressure sensors and costly to replace LED headlights.I'm sure there's more but I think you get my drift.

If there is another vehicle in my future it's liable to be older used.
 
Confirmed, sport mode does not disable CD on 2020s.
I'll second that. I saw these posts and checked it out just now on a 20 mile drive in my 2020 with the real time cylinder deactivation display. The frequency with which cylinders deactive in sport mode is comparable if not indistinguishable from normal mode. That's in automatic mode. I never use the paddle shifter though I doubt that makes any difference.
 
I can't feel the transition from 4 to 2 or 2 back to 4. I can assume when it changes, when the load is light, I just can't detect it.
 
Ah, a chance to get on my soapbox again.This is exactly what I saw when looking the way things were heading back in 2014.No choice in buying what I want but faced with decreased reliability and increased cost when stuff fails.It hastened my decision to not put off buying a new car.

I didn't want things like a CVT transmission which more brands started to use (Honda and Toyota were hopping on that bandwagon),turbo, auto stop/start or complicated 'nanny' features or excess electronic doodads.My 2014 lacks refinements made in newer CX-5's but has so far avoided cylinder deactivation,electric parking brake,tire pressure sensors and costly to replace LED headlights.I'm sure there's more but I think you get my drift.

If there is another vehicle in my future it's liable to be older used.
I was in the same boat in 2015, and glad to get a 2016 CX-5 GT AWD with Tech. I don’t want turbo nor CVT if possible. But I don’t mind the LED headlights as they’re supposed to be more reliable, and I want better lighting driving in the dark.

But I have to say currently Toyota is the only major car manufacture offers the things you and I want. A RAV4 can be had with naturally aspirated 203 hp 2.5L I4 and an 8-speed auto. No turbo、no CVT、no cylinder deactivation、and no auto stop/start. Toyota also has the best reliability reputation for many years. Yes Toyota does offer turbo, but that’s only on a single Lexus lineup, the NX. Yes Toyota does have CVT, but that’s on all hybrid and PHEV models for the natural of electrical motor driven design and the best possible efficiency.

Of course the styling problem is a different issue. ;)
 
I can't feel the transition from 4 to 2 or 2 back to 4. I can assume when it changes, when the load is light, I just can't detect it.
It also goes to zero cylinders. In every test scenario I've performed it kicks to zero cylinders from two or four when taking my foot all the way off the gas--coasting--so long as I'm going over 10 mph.

It may also go to zero cylinders at cruising speed when holding the gas steady or easing off. Possibly I'm feeling I'm holding steady but the system detects a slight easing.

Upon further review I have detected one scenario where the transition is not seamless. Since the system always runs four cylinders under 10 mph and zero when coasting, when coasting down through that threshold there is a slight jerk, akin to a downshift, as it goes from zero to four. I don't think this is something many folks do very often outside a test scenario. Braking while crossing the 10 mph threshold mutes the affect.
 
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Are you sure all cylinders stop firing? Only two are set up to deactivate.
That's what the cylinder deactivation display shows in my US 2020 CX-5 Touring AWD 2.5L gasoline version under the conditions already explained. And when the display shows zero cylinders firing the real time MPG gauge confirms it, burying the needle at 80 MPG.

So, either all cylinders stop firing under the explained conditions or Mazda is perpetrating an elaborate ruse with their displays and gauges. I think it's the former.
CD is designed to work between 25 to 50mph.
As explained I'd have to say that is incorrect, at least in my vehicle as explained earlier.

Maybe somebody who has this 2.5L engine in a 2020 with the display and gauge will get around to confirming what I've been saying. From what I'm reading from other posters evidently not all Gen 2 versions have the cylinder deactivation display and maybe not the real time MPG guage in the right instrument pod for all I know.
 
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