Bouncy ride in cold weather?

L

Laurel

Member
:
2016.5 CX-5 Touring
Hey all. Here's my situation. 2016 CX-5 AWD, 20k miles on it. I left it with family for a week while I was out of town for NYE, and a family member drove it and put maybe 100 miles on it. The family member in question is heavy -- maybe 100 pounds more than I am, and to this point, I've exclusively driven the car. Over the time I was gone, our average temps went from 30-50s to below zero, pretty consistently. When I got back and started driving the car again, I'm noticing a distinct "bounce" between 50-60 MPH.

My husband said to check that snow and ice weren't hanging off the wheel wells, and they're clean.

Could this be the change from 30s to below zero? Can a hundred miles with a different driver mess up shocks/struts that much on a car with only 20k miles? Will it STOP?

Thanks.
 
I also noticed a different quality of drive in the cold. Probably frost heaves and everything is just much stiffer. I don't think the others driver contributed.
 
If by bounce you mean vibrations at the speed you mentioned, the cause might be packed snow or ice stuck to the rims. That will throw the wheel balance off.
 
yugrus said:
If by bounce you mean vibrations at the speed you mentioned, the cause might be packed snow or ice stuck to the rims. That will throw the wheel balance off.
Click to expand...

A VERY common problem in the snow zone.
 
If not done already, the tire pressure should be adjusted for colder temperatures.I've noticed bumpy ride lately but it looks like the road surface joints are "puckered up" from the cold and creating bumps.
 
Also do not forget that the cold temps mean the tread compound in the tires is stiffer, the bushings in the suspension are stiffer, the motor mounts are stiffer, the oil in the shocks and struts is thicker, etc..
 
wlong01 said:
Check tire pressure. Pressure decreases as temps fall.
Click to expand...

If tire pressures fall enough to affect the ride, TPMS will react, if fact long before you will feel it.
But if you add air, remember to recheck when temperatures rise!
 
shadonoz said:
If tire pressures fall enough to affect the ride, TPMS will react, if fact long before you will feel it.
But if you add air, remember to recheck when temperatures rise!
Click to expand...
Unfortunately that is not true with the ABS based measuring system used in the 2013-2016.5 models. If all tire pressures degrade at same pace, there is no difference in rotations to alert the TPMS. Now with the VALVESTEM based system used on the 2017 and up CX-5, this is more accurate, and can alert you when a tire reaches a certain internal PSI threshold.
 
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mazdadude said:
Unfortunately that is not true with the ABS based measuring system used in the 2013-2016.5 models. If all tire pressures degrade at same pace, there is no difference in rotations to alert the TPMS. Now with the VALVESTEM based system used on the 2017 and up CX-5, this is more accurate, and can alert you when a tire reaches a certain internal PSI threshold.
Click to expand...

I didn't know the old ones used the inferior system. I would love to see some pdfs on Mazda's current implementation. Have you got some docs to share?

Anchorman?

And that raises an interesting question: how much pressure does a CX-5 tire with 35psi @ 50F lose when it's -30??

Anybody in the cold zone willing to check and report?

And if you're not normally 35psi, please report your normal pressure.
 
mazdadude said:
Unfortunately that is not true with the ABS based measuring system used in the 2013-2016.5 models. If all tire pressures degrade at same pace, there is no difference in rotations to alert the TPMS. Now with the VALVESTEM based system used on the 2017 and up CX-5, this is more accurate, and can alert you when a tire reaches a certain internal PSI threshold.
Click to expand...
We don't get that valve stem type in this side of the world for the 2nd gen CX-5 .
 
How's that inferior system when it does what it does well, without added cost of the sensors for the seasonal rims? You're supposed to check your tire pressure regardless of any TPMS, so I don't see any disadvantage to the early system.
 
yugrus said:
How's that inferior system when it does what it does well, without added cost of the sensors for the seasonal rims? You're supposed to check your tire pressure regardless of any TPMS, so I don't see any disadvantage to the early system.
Click to expand...

I like the early system too and it works great for those whom understand how to properly reset the system when moving tires, or adjusting pressures. I think it's benefits are like you said, the ability to adapt to any wheel tire setup without worrying about sensors is one, cost and weight savings are others. The main time it is inferior is when all tires fall at the same rate, and are not properly maintained, the system can not see that all of the tires are under inflated. The other time I find it inferior, is it would not alert you to a problem or flat tire until you have already driven a certain distance, whereas the VALVESTEM based system would have alerted you before you left your parking spot.
 
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mazdadude said:
The main time it is inferior is when all tires fall at the same rate, the system can not see that all of the tires are under inflated. The other time I find it inferior, is it would not alert you to a problem or flat tire until you have already driven a certain distance, whereas the VALVESTEM based system would have alerted you before you left your parking spot.
Click to expand...

The probability of the first scenario where the cause is tire damage (all four) is minimal. It is owner's responsibility to check tire pressures and adjust according to the ambient temp. Does anyone need to be told by TPMS that it's darn cold outside? Duh...

In the second scenario both systems act the same way. Both should be driven a distance to get the readings. Sensors don't transmit all the time, only once in a while. I think my Tahoe updates every minute or so while driven. Gotta save these batteries in sensors...
 
shadonoz said:
I didn't know the old ones used the inferior system. I would love to see some pdfs on Mazda's current implementation. Have you got some docs to share?

Anchorman?

And that raises an interesting question: how much pressure does a CX-5 tire with 35psi @ 50F lose when it's -30??

Anybody in the cold zone willing to check and report?

And if you're not normally 35psi, please report your normal pressure.
Click to expand...

Of course!
 
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