First-time Mazda owner | 2017 CX-5 GS

[delctrl]

Hello to all Mazdas247 members!

As the title suggests, this is my first Mazda as I just bought my father’s 2017 CX-5 GS. It only has 100,500 KM and it’s very clean!

I found your great community while surfing the web for advice and recommendations.

I’ve already ordered an interior LED kit to replace the original light bulbs. I also ordered some LEDs for reverse/backup lights and the license plate ones. The last thing I ordered are front hood struts dampers.

I’ve already run the MZD-AIO-TI tweaks. But as I’ve read more and more, I’d like to go with the firmware upgrade and the CarPlay/Android Auto retrofit module. As I have seen in other posts, I would need to contact ASH8 for help! I’ll do it over the next days/weeks.

I might order a set of speakers to replace the ones in the front doors as well, as usually stock speakers are not known to be that great!

Do you have any suggestions, advice, or recommendations on things to mod/change?

Cheers!

 

[Jmaz]

Two suggestions:
1) spend a little time listening to the stock speakers before assuming they are lousy. I was surprised how good they sounded for being stock. You may want to defer purchase for a while.
2) When changing to LED interior lights, use something non-metallic to pry the stock bulbs out. Even with the ignition off I shorted across the bulb contacts and had a fuse blow (on my 2014 it was #54 -- 'room fuse'- in the fuse box in front of the battery). Result was no gauges, no start, door locks or power windows.

 

[delctrl]

Two suggestions:
1) spend a little time listening to the stock speakers before assuming they are lousy. I was surprised how good they sounded for being stock. You may want to defer purchase for a while.
2) When changing to LED interior lights, use something non-metallic to pry the stock bulbs out. Even with the ignition off I shorted across the bulb contacts and had a fuse blow (on my 2014 it was #54 -- 'room fuse'- in the fuse box in front of the battery). Result was no gauges, no start, door locks or power windows.

Thanks for the advices and I will definitely take those into consideration especially for the non-metallic tool one! And I will take extra care.

As for the speakers I will definitely wait for a while… l will put in some music to give those a try !
thanks again!

 

[erhayes]

Make sure the bass unit in the spare tire area is connected. Mine was not. Another dealer inspection failure. Ed

 

[yrwei52]

Hello to all Mazdas247 members!

As the title suggests, this is my first Mazda as I just bought my father’s 2017 CX-5 GS. It only has 100,500 KM and it’s very clean!

I found your great community while surfing the web for advice and recommendations.

I’ve already ordered an interior LED kit to replace the original light bulbs. I also ordered some LEDs for reverse/backup lights and the license plate ones. The last thing I ordered are front hood struts dampers.

I’ve already run the MZD-AIO-TI tweaks. But as I’ve read more and more, I’d like to go with the firmware upgrade and the CarPlay/Android Auto retrofit module. As I have seen in other posts, I would need to contact ASH8 for help! I’ll do it over the next days/weeks.

I might order a set of speakers to replace the ones in the front doors as well, as usually stock speakers are not known to be that great!

Do you have any suggestions, advice, or recommendations on things to mod/change?

Cheers!

At 100,500 km / 62447.8 miles and 7 years, you might consider to replace the ATF and the gear lube in front transfer case / rear differential if your 2017 CX-5 GS is an AWD. For ATF change, you can do simple ATF drain-and-fill 1 ~ 3 times, or take down the pan to change the filter cartridge inside.

Check the condition of serpentine belt and tensioner (very prone to leak), and replace them if necessary. While you’re there, change the water pump stretch belt at the same time to save the labor cost. Get an OEM water pump stretch belt or you’d have a hard timer to put it on as those aftermarket water pump stretch belt such as Gates is a bit smaller. Get an OEM or INA belt tensioner for better fit.

Another area you can check is the Oil Control Valve on top of the engine with cover removed. It’s also prone to leak.

Search the forum to find a TSB for noise from front suspension on 2017 CX-5 since 2017 is the first MY for 2nd-Gen CX-5 and certain parts in there are also prone to have problems.

Getting a 2017 CX-5 is a good choice for a used car. The SkyActiv-G 2.5L NA engine in your 2017 CX-5 is the same as Gen-1’s which doesn’t havd cylinder deactivation like those 2.5L NA with CD used in 2018 CX-5 and newer. And the 2.5L NA with CD has been having some major problems with one recall for fallen rocker arms. The oil leak from cracked head, although it may not be happening too often, is also a major issue which’d cost you an arm and a leg to fix it without warranty.

 

[yrwei52]

⋯ 2) When changing to LED interior lights, use something non-metallic to pry the stock bulbs out. Even with the ignition off I shorted across the bulb contacts and had a fuse blow (on my 2014 it was #54 -- 'room fuse'- in the fuse box in front of the battery). Result was no gauges, no start, door locks or power windows.

Ha you got lucky on this one as some unfortunate 2014 CX-5 owners burned the RBCM while changing the bulbs to LEDs! Mazda had since added a fuse to protect RBCM in 2015 or 2016 CX-5. Yeh definitely use some plastic tool to pry the stock bulbs. Or even better, remove the negative terminal from battery while changing bulbs.

 

[Jmaz]

Ha you got lucky on this one as some unfortunate 2014 CX-5 owners burned the RBCM while changing the bulbs to LEDs! Mazda had since added a fuse to protect RBCM in 2015 or 2016 CX-5. Yeh definitely use some plastic tool to pry the stock bulbs. Or even better, remove the negative terminal from battery while changing bulbs.

I think it was changing the overhead dome light where I shorted it out because it didn't come out easy. I took care for the light by the rear hatch. I was a bit freaked out when those functions didn't work but where I really lucked out was reading about the "room fuse" a few weeks prior on this forum. Was overjoyed when finding it blown, replacing it and regaining everything back.
This was back in 2015, so let's hear it. This forum ROCKS!

 

[Snorting2.5]

once you change your transmission fluid and strainer, consider a tune:

CX-5 Skyactiv Tuning Kit — DRTuned Racing

Get the best performance out of your Skyactiv CX-5, and enjoy the horsepower you deserved from the beginning! This tuning kit is for non-turbo engines only. Looking for 2.5T Skyactiv Tuning?

www.drtuned.com

 

[delctrl]

Make sure the bass unit in the spare tire area is connected. Mine was not. Another dealer inspection failure. Ed

I have ckecked the spare tire area without luck, no bass unit there for me! Thanks

At 100,500 km / 62447.8 miles and 7 years, you might consider to replace the ATF and the gear lube in front transfer case / rear differential if your 2017 CX-5 GS is an AWD. For ATF change, you can do simple ATF drain-and-fill 1 ~ 3 times, or take down the pan to change the filter cartridge inside.

Check the condition of serpentine belt and tensioner (very prone to leak), and replace them if necessary. While you’re there, change the water pump stretch belt at the same time to save the labor cost. Get an OEM water pump stretch belt or you’d have a hard timer to put it on as those aftermarket water pump stretch belt such as Gates is a bit smaller. Get an OEM or INA belt tensioner for better fit.

Another area you can check is the Oil Control Valve on top of the engine with cover removed. It’s also prone to leak.

Search the forum to find a TSB for noise from front suspension on 2017 CX-5 since 2017 is the first MY for 2nd-Gen CX-5 and certain parts in there are also prone to have problems.

Getting a 2017 CX-5 is a good choice for a used car. The SkyActiv-G 2.5L NA engine in your 2017 CX-5 is the same as Gen-1’s which doesn’t havd cylinder deactivation like those 2.5L NA with CD used in 2018 CX-5 and newer. And the 2.5L NA with CD has been having some major problems with one recall for fallen rocker arms. The oil leak from cracked head, although it may not be happening too often, is also a major issue which’d cost you an arm and a leg to fix it without warranty.

This is awesome, I will have it all checked for sure. Thanks a lot!

------

As an update, I was able to replace all interior light bulbs with LEDs and the difference is huge! Upgraded the licence plates lights as well with a better kit as I didn't notice I had it included in the other kit!

I didn't realized I couldn't replace the reverse light myself as they are integrated into a unit only the dealer can replace (as they say in the doc). Will deal with those when I'll have to replace them.

I just finished upgrading my infotainement from version 59.00.446 to 74.00.324. Thanks to @ASH8 for his time and ultra detailed instructions!

Next step is looking for the best retrofit CarPlay/Android Auto module.... Open to suggestion!

Really happy with the CX-5 so far!

Cheers!

 

[delctrl]

Hey!

I read much on those cheap CarPlay/Android Auto retrofit modules and I fear to buy one that would fail on me and I have to work again on it... So I called my nearest Mazda dealer and the price seemed reasonable to me : 350$ CAD and I will have it in two days!