MPG & power mods

Flity34

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2015 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring
2015 CX-9 Grand Touring package. I love my CX-9 but the MPG is horrible and I could always use more power. Does anyone have info on engine, trans, exhaust, or anything that would increase my MPG and power? PLEASE!(boom05)
 
2015 CX-9 Grand Touring package. I love my CX-9 but the MPG is horrible and I could always use more power. Does anyone have info on engine, trans, exhaust, or anything that would increase my MPG and power? PLEASE!(boom05)

1. Use ethanol-free 91 octane fuel if you’re looking for better power AND better efficiency

2. For a turbo engine, the only real power mod you can make is a downpipe with ECU tune.
 
1. Use ethanol-free 91 octane fuel if you’re looking for better power AND better efficiency

2. For a turbo engine, the only real power mod you can make is a downpipe with ECU tune.

(no)Sorry Mr Molestor, again that is INCORRECT

The 2015 CX-9 came with the old Ford 3.7L v-6, there was no turbo on it.


For the original poster, the EPA est mpg for your CX-9 if it is FWD is 17/24mpg and 19 combined. If it is AWD it is 16/22/18 respectively.

How many miles are on the vehicle?

What are your current MPG's you are observing?

Is everything running correctly?

No codes when OBD2 memory is read?
 
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2015 CX-9 Grand Touring package. I love my CX-9 but the MPG is horrible and I could always use more power. Does anyone have info on engine, trans, exhaust, or anything that would increase my MPG and power? PLEASE!(boom05)

There really aren't any mods available for the Ford 3.7 - there were some folks on this forum who did some airbox drilling, but I don't know if that really does anything other than add some induction noise. You could go find a Ford Edge forum and see if anything was ever developed for those cars...

If you are approaching 60,000 miles, replace the spark plugs, change the air filter, etc.

What mileage are you getting? I get about 18.4 mpg - this is the lifetime average over about 80,000 miles.

Ethanol-free gas might get you about 0.5 mpg extra or so which is probably not worth the price premium.
 
There really aren't any mods available for the Ford 3.7 - there were some folks on this forum who did some airbox drilling, but I don't know if that really does anything other than add some induction noise. You could go find a Ford Edge forum and see if anything was ever developed for those cars...

If you are approaching 60,000 miles, replace the spark plugs, change the air filter, etc.

What mileage are you getting? I get about 18.4 mpg - this is the lifetime average over about 80,000 miles.

Ethanol-free gas might get you about 0.5 mpg extra or so which is probably not worth the price premium.

Funny how everyone calls it a Ford engine, I guess none of you have quite grasped the concept of how a business partnership works and what Ford/Mazda did to save each other from bankruptcy, but lets leave that aside for now...

OP. Assuming your engine is in healthy condition (etc.doesnt burn oil) then I would do the standard maintenance like the previous poster mentioned and then start working on your exhaust plus get an ECU tune. Remove your secondary cats, change your mufflers to borla, and either keep your factory resonator or get an aftermarket one. I have no idea what sort of exhaust system Mazda decided to go with while making this MZI motor, apparently some design elements are not so good such as the water pump location but it is all around a relatively good engine design and the 3.7 in the mustang sounds lovely with exhaust work.

First off, use ethanol-free 91 octane fuel. You will get the most power/efficiency compared to any ethanol-blend 94 octane fuel which is more expensive. Next get an ECU tune. You might also want to find someone to tune your transmission if theres anyone out there thats done that and change your transmission fluid.

Other then removing your primary cats and getting an ECU tune so that the car runs right, there really isnt much else you can do with an NA motor.
 
Funny how everyone calls it a Ford engine, I guess none of you have quite grasped the concept of how a business partnership works and what Ford/Mazda did to save each other from bankruptcy, but lets leave that aside for now...

OP. Assuming your engine is in healthy condition (etc.doesnt burn oil) then I would do the standard maintenance like the previous poster mentioned and then start working on your exhaust plus get an ECU tune. Remove your secondary cats, change your mufflers to borla, and either keep your factory resonator or get an aftermarket one. I have no idea what sort of exhaust system Mazda decided to go with while making this MZI motor, apparently some design elements are not so good such as the water pump location but it is all around a relatively good engine design and the 3.7 in the mustang sounds lovely with exhaust work.

First off, use ethanol-free 91 octane fuel. You will get the most power/efficiency compared to any ethanol-blend 94 octane fuel which is more expensive. Next get an ECU tune. You might also want to find someone to tune your transmission if theres anyone out there thats done that and change your transmission fluid.

Other then removing your primary cats and getting an ECU tune so that the car runs right, there really isnt much else you can do with an NA motor.

Everyone calls it a Ford motor because it is a Ford motor. It has a Mazda ECU calibration. No magic there. You can find the word "Ford" or "FoMoCo" under the hood if you look for more than 10 seconds. I've seen it in more places than I can count. You can buy parts from the Ford parts catalog and they drop right in.

Your advice on modifications is going to yield about 10 horsepower. Sure you could rip the exhaust off and go aftermarket, but why? It's a crossover. This is a different version of the motor than what went into the Mustang (missing variable timing on the exhaust side, among other things). Don't assume that things done on a Mustang will have the same impact on this motor. In regards to ECU tuning, there are very few options out there - there was a thread on this forum about ECU tuning for the V6, but it seems to have petered out. I don't know if the Mazda specific tuners ever bothered to crack the CX-9's ECU. I doubt there is much left on the table, and the fact that this is a niche vehicle has combined to produce a very limited array of aftermarket parts.

Why you insist on Ethanol free gasoline in thread after thread is a complete mystery to me. Leaving aside for a minute the technical arguments for and against ethanol in gasoline, in the US, the ethanol content of gas is regulated at the state level, so it just isn't available in some places. In other places, it is only available with usage restrictions (for example "Recreational Fuel" in Florida is supposed to only be used in boats, motorcycles, classic cars, small engines, etc.). When it is available by choice, it is usually more expensive than E10 - if it is more than 5% more expensive, the mileage benefit is basically nil. I'd pay the premium if I was storing the gasoline for long periods since ethanol does have some less than ideal storage properties, but if you are filling up once a week or two, it's not worth it. Besides, ethanol does have some favorable properties (high heat of vaporization, high octane) that do make it a decent fuel additive under the right conditions. Every car designed in the past 20 years or so can cope with ethanol. Your repeated insistence that it is always a bad thing isn't supported by facts.
 
Everyone calls it a Ford motor because it is a Ford motor. It has a Mazda ECU calibration. No magic there. You can find the word "Ford" or "FoMoCo" under the hood if you look for more than 10 seconds. I've seen it in more places than I can count. You can buy parts from the Ford parts catalog and they drop right in.

Your advice on modifications is going to yield about 10 horsepower. Sure you could rip the exhaust off and go aftermarket, but why? It's a crossover. This is a different version of the motor than what went into the Mustang (missing variable timing on the exhaust side, among other things). Don't assume that things done on a Mustang will have the same impact on this motor. In regards to ECU tuning, there are very few options out there - there was a thread on this forum about ECU tuning for the V6, but it seems to have petered out. I don't know if the Mazda specific tuners ever bothered to crack the CX-9's ECU. I doubt there is much left on the table, and the fact that this is a niche vehicle has combined to produce a very limited array of aftermarket parts.

Why you insist on Ethanol free gasoline in thread after thread is a complete mystery to me. Leaving aside for a minute the technical arguments for and against ethanol in gasoline, in the US, the ethanol content of gas is regulated at the state level, so it just isn't available in some places. In other places, it is only available with usage restrictions (for example "Recreational Fuel" in Florida is supposed to only be used in boats, motorcycles, classic cars, small engines, etc.). When it is available by choice, it is usually more expensive than E10 - if it is more than 5% more expensive, the mileage benefit is basically nil. I'd pay the premium if I was storing the gasoline for long periods since ethanol does have some less than ideal storage properties, but if you are filling up once a week or two, it's not worth it. Besides, ethanol does have some favorable properties (high heat of vaporization, high octane) that do make it a decent fuel additive under the right conditions. Every car designed in the past 20 years or so can cope with ethanol. Your repeated insistence that it is always a bad thing isn't supported by facts.

No sir, you are misinformed about the history of this engine just like everybody else. Ford partnered up with Mazda to share resources. Mazda hands over engine and chassis technology, Ford helps put it into production. Do you seriously think Ford bought 33% of Mazda so they can then give Mazda their technology? Think. That doesnt make any sense.

Anyways, you got it all backwards. The Mazda MZI engine is most Definitely a Mazda design, and the ECU is tuned by Ford. The reason why it has FoMoCo stamps everywhere is because ford designed the tiny little details that Mazda had no time for such as the dipstick and then bought manufacturing rights from Mazda so they can name the engine Ford Cyclone and make naive people like you actually believe Ford designed something from scratch. Ford would never have been able to design it on their own. Which is why the employed the help of Mazda for the duratec 2.0, 2.3, 3.0, ecoboost 2.0, 2.3, 2.7, 3.5, CD3 and CD4 chassis. You should actually look up all these things I mention and educate yourself.
 
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No sir, you are misinformed about the history of this engine just like everybody else. Ford partnered up with Mazda to share resources. Mazda hands over engine and chassis technology, Ford helps put it into production. Do you seriously think Ford bought 33% of Mazda so they can then give Mazda their technology? Think. That doesnt make any sense.

Anyways, you got it all backwards. The Mazda MZI engine is most Definitely a Mazda design, and the ECU is tuned by Ford. The reason why it has FoMoCo stamps everywhere is because ford designed the tiny little details that Mazda had no time for such as the dipstick and then bought manufacturing rights from Mazda so they can name the engine Ford Cyclone and make naive people like you actually believe Ford designed something from scratch. Ford would never have been able to design it on their own. Which is why the employed the help of Mazda for the duratec 2.0, 2.3, 3.0, ecoboost 2.0, 2.3, 2.7, 3.5, CD3 and CD4 chassis. You should actually look up all these things I mention and educate yourself.

I think you are wrong here, but I just don't care enough to argue. You spammed the forum with threads asserting this before and everyone said you were wrong.
 

Ford has a reputation to protect, And many naive people like you to trick. Ford owns manufacturing rights to build the Mazda MZI motor under its own cyclone brand name, so technically it is a motor that ford sourced... from Mazda.

Let me ask you a question here. Since all of you are so convinced that Ford is the one paying Mazda AND supplying them with engines at the same time, could you explain to me what you believe was the purpose of the partnership between the two brands, and which brand played what role during the partnership? I thought it was really logical and straight forward to understand that Ford bought out 33% of Mazda so they can then use Mazdas engine and chassis technology, but some of you believe that Ford bought a share from Mazda so that Mazda can then mooch Fords engine technology? Im just curious to hear how you think a business concept works, and why youre so horribly lost with this one.
 
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GJ Molestor is right. It is a mazda designed ford built engine. Mazda designed it and ford built it.
 
GJ Molestor is right. It is a mazda designed ford built engine. Mazda designed it and ford built it.

and it is the exact same story with almost every single other motor that Ford has in their lineup.

the coyote 5L v8, who knows who built that motor but i know ford did not design it on their own.

the little 1.5L ecoboost was designed with the help of yamaha.

the Duratec 2.0, 2.3 are a Mazda L, or MZR engine in ford tune.

the Ecoboost 2.0, 2.3 is a Mazda L/MZR engine turbocharged and tuned by Ford.

the Ecoboost 2.7, 3.5 is the Mazda MZI engine turbocharged and tuned by Ford.

The Ford CD3 and CD4 chassis (which underpins several ford/lincoln vehicles) was designed by Mazda.

Ford simply owns rights to manufacture all these engines under whichever names they chose. this does NOT make any of them a Ford design motor.
 
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