Does anyone know, or can refer me to a place, where I can find out how the CX-7's F/AWD operates/works..??

Is it by chance simply an Escape/Marinr/Tribute system...?

 

It is shared with the Mazda 6 only. Not a Ford product.

It has 3 auto modes from normal, sport, ice which it moves between automatically.

It will put up to 50% of the power to the rear wheels.

When not needed it leaves 100% power on the front tires

It's operation is transparent to the driver as it just hooks up and goes.

 

DO NOT buy an AWD CX-7 of any year for any reason!!

Alpha Wolf... I got very different info from the MazdaUSA Regional Engineer

The CX-7 AWD system is cheap and broken. See posts about a vibration issue...

The MazdaUSA Regional Engineer described the system to me in detail. They used the cheapest and simplest AWD system available... really, only a hydraulic clutch in the rear differential that grabs when the spin rate is different from the front wheels.
He said there are NO controlling electronics, no cooperation with the traction control system or anti-locks, nothing... and you get 100% front or 50/50. It doesn't have a clue what is happening to the car.
Do NOT compare this to any REAL AWD system (like the Torsen system in Audi)... it ain't that good.

Yes, the car is totally cool. Until you are traveling down the highway between 65 and 75 mph and it starts to vibrate like a paint-shaker. You think you have a square wheel!
I have been doing battle with Mazda for almost a year now and am in the process of getting a lawyer. For Mazda, the "customer experience" is to take your money, smile and run.
MazdaUSA has declared that this is "normal" for an AWD CUV to vibrate at highway speeds... BOLOX!! Everyone who has ridden in it disagrees and I've tested a lot of other makes... none of them do this nor have I been able to find a post anywhere for any car with this problem!
Oh, and the one thing they did fix... a large number of them have a defective tail-shaft that also vibrates at highway speeds (Mazda admitted to this). Once they replaced that for me, they decided they were done whether the car was fixed or not.

Also, any of you reading this that have a AWD... I need to hear from you. I am trying to build my case with Mazda that this is not an issolated problem or "normal" as they have classified it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3D5Tm40T4I

F/awd information is at about 12 minutes in.

Looks as if Mazda (or its sub) supplies the F/awd system for the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner since the description fits both.

 

I agree fully with Maavalous. DO NOT BUY A CX-7 AWD. I bought an '08 brand new last year and now it has around 18k miles on it and i need new tires already. Right around 15-16k miles it started to shake around 60mph. Brought it to a dealership and they are blaming it on the drive shaft, so they are replacing that, but they say the tires are normal wear and tare, which to need brand new tires at 16k miles is rediculous. I talked goodyear into giving me new tires for half price, but they will still cost me $500. Goodyear is saying that mazda is using the wrong tires for the car. I have a friend that had the same problem and replaced her tires at 15k and said she hasnt had problems since then, I believe she now has 40k on the car. The mazda dealership has nothing to say other than they agree that I shouldn't have to replace tires already, but mazda is not doing anything for anyone.

 

Tires are a separate issue. OEM tires are generally not the best.
However, my car has AWD and 31,000 miles and I am still on the OEM rubber.
It has a lot to do with a 3,600 lbs of car. If you brake hard and corner hard routinely the weight of this car will wear tire a lot quicker than a 2,000 sedan you may be used to.

Buy better tires, drive easier when possible.

My AWD has no vibration, not issue and it works. 31,000 miles.

I would like to see some official documentation on what your "engineer" said. Does he have design drawings and spec sheets from Mazda you can post to prove what you stated?

 

I have an 07 cx7 awd, bought new in december 2007, wife drives alot of highway miles, have 65k on the car, it's on it's 3rd transaxle and Mazda says they're done, (this was all while still under warranty , by 35k miles)

We love the car, but have had too many issues.....

2 radios, (just quit working)
3 transaxles, (2nd one leaked immediately when it was installed and test driven )
a/c compressor
VVT replaced recently, when picked up vehicle and at idle when you wack the throttle the valves or timing chain rattle, they want me to drive it a while and see if it "disappears". I left it there and refused to take it with the rattle, it didn't do it till they worked on it, it's a new rattle not one from the vvt on startup..

Shouldn't they have replaced the timing chain when doing the VVT tsb? the TSB doesn't say so, but I'm wondering if they should have done, and charged me obviously, I doubt the parts are all meshing with 65k miles on the timing chain and a new camshaft gear.............

All service done by Mazda till now.

It ate the tires off in 15k like the previous post, but have goodyears and are doing much better now. Don't have the vibration on the highway. Hoping that's not next.

Mazda dealer telling me they wish they could help but since I didn't buy it there but at another dealer, (recently relocated to a new town).

 

Well, I have to say I'm a little surprised by Terry4c's experiences. I put 17,000 on mine and the tires wearing fast (all OEM tires do) and the AWD vibration were the only issues I had. It burned about a quart between changes... but I hear that's pretty normal for that engine.

BUT...
In the end, Mazda conceded that it was vibrating but that they could not do anything to fix it. That it "might" be addressed in future models (read 2011 or later).

So, I loved the car so much I traded for a 2010 FWD CX-7 GT. WOW! It's like they actually finished the car. I miss the AWD... more so when I travel in the north I'm sure... but otherwise it's a VERY different car in a lot of subtle, and cool, ways. At 1,000 miles, it is one sweet ride

I will miss the AWD... and will have one again in the future from some manufacturer (no bets on it being Mazda). I can't recommend the AWD to anyone until Mazda makes some significant change (Torsen would be nice). For now, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this 2010 will stay a sweet ride for a while

Stay tuned...

 

i got an 07 gt awd with 27000 m original tires and no problems with the awd and no problems at hwy speeds
i wounder how many cx-7 have this problem.

 

tjg,
First, I am surprised you say yours has 27,000 and original tires? At 17,000 my Goodyears were a mm short of the wear bars. There are posts all over the various boards about OEM tires not even making it 15,000. The prior owner must have been driving it like it was made of glass... I drive mine like I stole them

In any case, the AWD...
The AWD operation isn't the issue. It operates as well as can be expected from the way it's designed. Watch out for it pushing your front end on slick turns... bang against the far curb is possible if you step into it. Not a "flaw" just the way a lot of the F/AWD systems work. The CX-7 can't utilize a modern transfer case (like the Torsen) cause there's no driveshaft. Simple example, Audi is R/AWD so it has 60% rear full-time and up to 40% front (with some cool balancing with the ABS for highspeed cornering) similar to race car setups. That's another long discussion...
In any case, my issue was with the system causing harsh vibration at speeds from ~65 mph upward and really bad at the worst spot... around 70-75 mph. From my research, a percentage of all AWDs have the issue but no real idea how large that % is and, clearly, not 100%.
A lot of whether you know you have it or not would, also, be perception. If you drive on a lot of county roads at low (safe) speeds the pavement or gravel would drown out the mechanical vibe... you get the idea.

So, end of the day, I love my 2010 FWD... drives WAY better overall and no vibration at all. If your 2007 isn't giving you a massage... then GREAT! You'll love your car... go wear those tires out