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Mazda G-Vectoring Control makes driving better without you knowing

Mazda has just spent eight years developing a new technology that will make its new cars a lot more fun to drive, even if you have absolutely no idea that it's working. And subtlety's the point, Mazda engineers told us at a press event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. In fact, the effects of what they've dubbed G-Vectoring Control are so fine that the marketing and PR teams are at a loss for how to do their jobs with it. "The engineers have done their work," said Mazda Director of Communications Jeremy Barnes, "But how do we get the message across?" The basic premise is this: G-Vectoring activates only when the car's on-board computer reads simultaneous steering and throttle input. The data — including throttle position, steering angle, and, crucially, how quickly you're adjusting the steering angle — are then funneled through an algorithm to reduce engine torque, which transfers vehicle weight, adding more grip to the wheels that need it. The system will appear first on 2017 Mazda6 sedans arriving in showrooms later this year, followed by the 2017 Mazda3. Actually, "subtle" does not even begin to describe the effect. G-Vectoring Control can detect as much as one tenth of one degree of steering angle, and changes the cornering forces only 0.1 to 0.5 g as a result. "That's less than the human body can feel," explained Vehicle Development Engineer Dave Coleman. In practice, G-Vectoring reduces the steering angle at turn-in, as well as the rate at which one turns the wheel. To demonstrate, Director of R&D Kelvin Hiraishi rode shotgun with us in a specially equipped Mazda6 that allowed him to turn G-Vectoring on or off at the push of a button (production cars will always have it on). Hiraishi had us drive a number of courses, including Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca itself, while an engineer measured our steering inputs with a laptop Matrix'd into the car's electronic brain. I drove the same course several times with the same car in the same conditions, with cruise control locked and the system turned on or off. Lo and behold, with G-Vectoring activated, the engineer's output graph showed that my steering inputs were indeed reduced ever so slightly. There were two times that G-Vectoring was markedly noticeable. The first on a turn with a minor banking toward the outside, and the second was during cornering over an artificially wet section of the course — in other words, when the car was at the limits of adhesion.

Mazda recalling 190,000 CX-7s due to rusty ball joints

UPDATE: This post has been updated with additional information from Mazda. The Basics: Mazda is recalling 190,102 Mazda CX-7 crossovers built between February 14, 2006, to May 9, 2012 – model years 2007 through 2012. The Problem: Water can sneak in between the suspension ball joint fittings. If snow and road salt are common in your neck of the woods, the joints can corrode and separate from the lower control arms. That's bad if you enjoy steering your CX-7. According to Mazda, owners of affected models may notice a rattle from the front suspension due to the loose ball joint in the lower control arm fitting. Mazda describes separation of the ball joint and control arm as a "worst case" scenario "after extended operation in such condition." Injuries/Deaths: It's unknown if the rusting issue has led to any crashes, injuries, or deaths. Autoblog has a call into Mazda for additional details and will update this post with any new information. There have been no reports of accidents, injuries, or fatalities related to this recall. The Fix: Owners should report to their local Mazda service center, where techs will replace the both front lower control arms. Any work done is free of charge. If you own one: Mazda will perform some automotive triage with this recall, focusing on CX-7s that have had the longest exposure to salt and are most likely to suffer control arm separation first. Owners of 2007s and 2008s come first, followed by 2009 through 2011 models. Mazda will also focus on vehicles registered in states where snow and road salt are most common – Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. If you live in a more temperate region or own a 2012 CX-7, Mazda will perform recall work as "parts are available." Owners can contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 for additional info. Recall notices should hit the mail around October 10th. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2011 Mazda CX-7: Review View 21 Photos News Source: NHTSAImage Credit: Copyright 2016 AOL Recalls Mazda Crossover mazda cx-7

2014 Mazda6 recalled due to fuel overfill fire risk

Mazda is recalling 19,000 Mazda6 sedans from model year 2014, over concerns that the fuel tanks can be filled up too much. What is it with Mazda and fuel tanks?
The big concern is, obviously, spillage when filling up. There's also a risk that a radical temperature swing could cause the fuel volume to expand, causing a full tank to spill over without the driver knowing about it. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration bulletin, if the fuel spills over, it could end up in something called the charcoal canister, which helps with the car's emissions. If it fills up the canister, it could leak out onto the road. None of this is really desirable.
The affected vehicles were all built between October 25, 2012 and May 9, 2013. It's unclear if there have been any fires due to this problem. Dealers should have been notified by now, while owners should begin receiving official recall notifications very soon.