Is there a 3rd party solution for “bypassing” cylinder deactivation on the 2.5g?

I have a Honda with their 3.5 v6 which notoriously has issues at high mileage with problems stemming from deactivation. I am dealing with these issues now at 145K mi (typical). The solution to turning off this feature is an inline sensor “filter” that sends a false temperature reading to the deactivation controller (deactivation only kicks in if the engine temperature is above a certain point). It only affects the deactivation system and not any warning lights or other items related to overheating.

To head any potential long term issues off at the pass, I would prefer to turn off cylinder deactivation if possible (I have 28k on my 2020). The fuel savings are not significant in my opinion.

For those wondering, the issue with the Honda J6 engine is that when the rings start to wear and the piston is in the downstroke at the point all the valves are closed, oil can seep into the cylinder. When the cylinder returns to normal firing mode, the oil is combusted and fouls the plugs. By eliminating the deactivation feature and new plugs, the issue resolves itself. Otherwise, the fix is to get new rings. The auto manufacturers can’t deactivate the system because it defeats the CAFE standards. These 3rd party sensor filters can be removed/reinstalled in minutes for those who are concerned with warranty compliance but generally Honda dealers at least don’t seem to care if cars have these installed or not. The other reason for wanting to deactivate is in the Honda, they use electronically controlled engine mounts to counteract the vibration caused by deactivating one whole bay of the v6. They are very expensive to replace compared to regular mounts. Interestingly, Hondas also play a white noise through the car speakers to hide the sounds caused by deactivation. I don’t suspect a straight 4 would have the vibration and noise issues as a v6 would so undoubtedly moot topics for the Mazda.

 

I'm not aware of any such "deactivation" software for the Mazda.
Altering fuel and air mixture are one thing, but I would be very hesitant to introduce aftermarket software that would change other operational engineered design aspects of any daily use engine.
But that's me.

 

I know exactly what you are referring to with the J6 motor (I had it in my Acura RDX previously. I did not like that cylinder deactivation. However the Mazda cylinder deactivation is perfect. It is super smooth and I can't even tell when it engages. I haven't heard of any issues on it.

 

It’s not software. It interrupts the sensor to the deactivation module to give a false reading that the engine is cooler than it actually is. In the J6, the engine needs to be above 167 degrees to activate.

I just received the part and will be installing it. It is well documented issue and fix that has existed since around 2008. Cylinder deactivation is newer to the 2.5g and probably not a ton in the 150k+ mi range yet.

 

FYI that will be detected and placed in the ECU counters as a fault which the ECU will continually attempt to correct. It may or likely not generate the check engine light because it is in the pending file of the ECU. This type of device connected and to disrupt the normal sensor operation reporting to the ECU may affect your warranty if it is engine or ECU related. So you have been warned!

On a theorized thought based on how the monitors are reporting emission system status one or more may show as in "FAULT" based on how I was taught and understand them to report status of the Emission systems? But as I have not come across anyone that wanted to be a Ghina pig with their vehicle to test that theory that is all it is..... a theory.

 

I just don't see the point to install a cyclinder deactivation kit on these cars. I drive my Turbo model without cylinder deactivation (OEM), and then when driving a naturally aspirated engine with cyclinder deactivation there is almost no difference. There were people who had cooling issues and even engine damage in some cases with those deactivation kits in the Acura RDX and other Honda vehicles...

 

You are correct that some disabling devices that are not automatic and require user input (turning an adjustment dial based on the weather, e.g., different settings for summer and winter) can cause issues. The ones connected to a power supply as pictured above, are set-and-forget.

Callisto makes a good point and one of the reasons I posted to the forum. For the Honda J6, it is well documented that there are no issues with emission testing or error codes the way disabling deactivation works on that platform. I have no idea if the same strategy would work for the 2.5g. Frankly, I am encouraged that there does not seem to be known issues with Mazdas and they have engineered a better solution than Honda.

My motivation to disable the cylinder deactivation is not about noise or the smoothness of the engine (the Honda J6 is smooth as silk when functioning properly). Rather I want to preemptively avoid the potential issues that result as I am experiencing with my Honda. Beyond the fouled plugs, misfires have been known to cause premature coil failure (I’ve had this problem - replacing them before I understood the underlying cause). In my case the misfiring also disintegrated the ceramic insulation surrounding the spark plug electrodes. The idea of ceramic bits scraping around the cylinders and valve seats gives me shivers! 😳 And before asked, yes, my replacement plugs were OE spec.😜

 

Honda had those issues since like the early 2010's, so I understand the paranoia. But I cannot remember anyone having those same issues on these Mazda cars from the 2017 model onwards. It's ultimately your choice...

 

I pretty much know for certain that in the event of a problem with your Mazda that is under warranty if you return to a dealership, they are going to question what was going on in the ECU and that could negate any action done under the warranty.

So once again all have been WARNNED ...

ASE

Mazda Skyactiv technology is very different from other auto manufactures engines and should not be compared to other platforms

 

can you post a link on the device? very interested. is this for mazdas?

what is your experience?