What have you done to your Mazda5 today?
- Thread starter Rockin03mp5
- Start date
"Generic Chinese scissor lift" purchased from "generic online retailer". Under $1600 delivered to my door.
Seriously, they are all the same. I chose to pay less and buy the cheaper version and take my chances with lesser warranty, instead of the exact same Bendpak unit where the unit is the same and the only difference is a longer warranty but the lift costs 40% more for that warranty peace of mind.
Seriously, they are all the same. I chose to pay less and buy the cheaper version and take my chances with lesser warranty, instead of the exact same Bendpak unit where the unit is the same and the only difference is a longer warranty but the lift costs 40% more for that warranty peace of mind.
- :
- 2008 Mazda5 GT
Passed an 18" wheeler in windy country road with rolling hills and lots of blind turns. Put her in M2 and discover the rev-limiter at ~7.1/7.2k ish. Waited a good while for the window of opportunity only to have the truck turn off the road about 500 ft down the road. Haha (doh).
Ride quality was suffering so I finally bought the matching Konis for the front. I also installed StopTech slotted rotor and pads while in there. I love it and the ride improvement was profound vs. my stock 75k mile struts. They weren't leaking, they just weren't working as well. Now I'm reminded why I bought this van.
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Attended the second of four straight nights of Pony League baseball games. My oldest son doubled down the line and scored.
My younger son and daughter's soccer seasons are over. A couple weeks of baseball playoffs till I can get her detailed. 4500 mile vehicle shouldn't be this messy! Good thing I got the all weather floormats (a bargain at $52 from Avondale Mazda in Phoenix by way of Amazon).
Tomorrow: travel for work in very rural PA through the Allegheny National Forest. The roads out there are a blast to drive on!
My younger son and daughter's soccer seasons are over. A couple weeks of baseball playoffs till I can get her detailed. 4500 mile vehicle shouldn't be this messy! Good thing I got the all weather floormats (a bargain at $52 from Avondale Mazda in Phoenix by way of Amazon).
Tomorrow: travel for work in very rural PA through the Allegheny National Forest. The roads out there are a blast to drive on!
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I need to find that deal!
- :
- 2009 Mazda 5 Sport
Removed the old splitter I had and installed a smaller gentler one.I'm still on the fence about painting this one but I will see how it grows on me.
Where did you get this splitter? Looks good!
Lunch break. Haven't run into any unexpected problems yet. The stock manifold and "downpipe" are quite large and difficult to get out. I'm going to need to unbolt and remove the cowl to get it out the rest of the way. I've got the RMM and PMM disconnected, the engine is down and forward, and I still don't have clearance.
Been a while since I've updated. Not much has gone on. Been in press cars and traveling the last few weeks. Finally got my care package from Alpine in that consisted of an INE-W957HD double din, PDR-F4 4-channel amp, KTP-445U 4-channel plug and play amp, SPR-60c componetns and SPR-60 coaxials. The reason I went with an Alpine setup is because everything is simple and compact. The components use inline filters for a simpler installation and the tweeters fit into the factory openings without much modding. I just wanted a simple setup that is affordable and will deliver a noticeable improvement, which doesn't take much because the factory Mazda setup sucks on the 5.
So I swapped out the Sony XAV-602BT for the INE-W957HD. I used an iDataLink Maestro RR interface that gives me OBDII and steering wheel controls so the gauges will display. Unfortunately I didn't get a shot of the nav after it's installed, but here's a shot of the harness and my dash apart for the time being.
P1100348 by tuanies, on Flickr
P1100349 by tuanies, on Flickr
Next up was the front speakers. Curse Mazda for using crappy clips that break easily. I half broke a few but they were all salvageable except one. I need to order a bulk pack of them soon just in case. Nevertheless, the door panel was very easy to take apart. There's two screws and everything else pops off.
P1100350 by tuanies, on Flickr
Look at that cute dinky little paper cone 6x8 speaker!
P1100352 by tuanies, on Flickr
Compared to the new mid. Alpine includes 5x7/6x8 adapters with the SPR-60C, which was nice.
P1100353 by tuanies, on Flickr
Tweeter
P1100355 by tuanies, on Flickr
All installed. The reason I went with the Alpine Type R was because it used an inline filter for a crossover for the tweeter. This simplifies wiring and I don't have to mount a large crossover box.
P1100357 by tuanies, on Flickr
The front was easy, but the rear speakers were slightly more annoying. I only popped off the side panel enough to get access to the rear speakers since I'd have to remove the third row to pull the entire panel off. It's the same dinky 6x8
P1100358 by tuanies, on Flickr
Just like the front ones but coaxials. However, they do not come with the adapter plates like the components. I suggest just getting the 5x7/6x8 pattern if you plan on replacing your rear speakers. Fortunately I had adapter plates I ordered from car-speaker-adapters.com that did the job.
P1100359 by tuanies, on Flickr
P1100360 by tuanies, on Flickr
Rear speakers installed
P1100362 by tuanies, on Flickr
My initial impressions are good. The new tweeters have a lot more detail and clarity than the factory ones. The bass has a lot more warmth and depth. The INE-W957HD I'm still trying to figure out but so far I like it for features, but the touch screen isn't as responsive as the Sony was. But its nice to have OBDII gauge displays so I can check my coolant temp, instant MPG (I have the ScanGaugeE for average MPG), battery voltage and intake temperature. It was a fun install and looks completely factory and that's what I was looking for.
The amps were not installed yet. I plan on running the KTP-445U first before swapping in the PDR-F4 to gauge if it makes any difference.
In terms of what steps you should take when upgrading the factory stereo, always replace the head unit first on Mazda's. Getting rid of the crappy factory head unit livened up the factory speakers quite a bit. The aftermarket head units offer much better power. The Sony offered a noticeable improvement and the Alpine integrated amp is even better. The ability to tweak the EQ and set crossovers helps a lot too. The front speakers should be the next step, just put in components if you have the spot for tweeters. The rear speakers aren't really necessary but I'm OCD about matching so I replaced them anyways. They're mostly for rear fill or rear passengers. If you have a head unit that has XO adjustments for the rear, just cross them over high and fade it up front because the rear speakers are quite sensitive, they just aren't very good for sound quality.
So I swapped out the Sony XAV-602BT for the INE-W957HD. I used an iDataLink Maestro RR interface that gives me OBDII and steering wheel controls so the gauges will display. Unfortunately I didn't get a shot of the nav after it's installed, but here's a shot of the harness and my dash apart for the time being.
P1100348 by tuanies, on FlickrP1100349 by tuanies, on FlickrNext up was the front speakers. Curse Mazda for using crappy clips that break easily. I half broke a few but they were all salvageable except one. I need to order a bulk pack of them soon just in case. Nevertheless, the door panel was very easy to take apart. There's two screws and everything else pops off.
P1100350 by tuanies, on FlickrLook at that cute dinky little paper cone 6x8 speaker!
P1100352 by tuanies, on FlickrCompared to the new mid. Alpine includes 5x7/6x8 adapters with the SPR-60C, which was nice.
P1100353 by tuanies, on FlickrTweeter
P1100355 by tuanies, on FlickrAll installed. The reason I went with the Alpine Type R was because it used an inline filter for a crossover for the tweeter. This simplifies wiring and I don't have to mount a large crossover box.
P1100357 by tuanies, on FlickrThe front was easy, but the rear speakers were slightly more annoying. I only popped off the side panel enough to get access to the rear speakers since I'd have to remove the third row to pull the entire panel off. It's the same dinky 6x8
P1100358 by tuanies, on FlickrJust like the front ones but coaxials. However, they do not come with the adapter plates like the components. I suggest just getting the 5x7/6x8 pattern if you plan on replacing your rear speakers. Fortunately I had adapter plates I ordered from car-speaker-adapters.com that did the job.
P1100359 by tuanies, on FlickrP1100360 by tuanies, on FlickrRear speakers installed
P1100362 by tuanies, on FlickrMy initial impressions are good. The new tweeters have a lot more detail and clarity than the factory ones. The bass has a lot more warmth and depth. The INE-W957HD I'm still trying to figure out but so far I like it for features, but the touch screen isn't as responsive as the Sony was. But its nice to have OBDII gauge displays so I can check my coolant temp, instant MPG (I have the ScanGaugeE for average MPG), battery voltage and intake temperature. It was a fun install and looks completely factory and that's what I was looking for.
The amps were not installed yet. I plan on running the KTP-445U first before swapping in the PDR-F4 to gauge if it makes any difference.
In terms of what steps you should take when upgrading the factory stereo, always replace the head unit first on Mazda's. Getting rid of the crappy factory head unit livened up the factory speakers quite a bit. The aftermarket head units offer much better power. The Sony offered a noticeable improvement and the Alpine integrated amp is even better. The ability to tweak the EQ and set crossovers helps a lot too. The front speakers should be the next step, just put in components if you have the spot for tweeters. The rear speakers aren't really necessary but I'm OCD about matching so I replaced them anyways. They're mostly for rear fill or rear passengers. If you have a head unit that has XO adjustments for the rear, just cross them over high and fade it up front because the rear speakers are quite sensitive, they just aren't very good for sound quality.
Done for the night, a solid 7am to 9pm workday (45min lunch).
I got the manifold out in about 2 minutes after taking the cowl off. Should have just started with that, it was easy.
Time consuming tasks accomplished today:
1. Manifold removal
2. Brake distribution block relocation / bracket modification
3. Shifter cable bracket relocation / modification
4. Oil feed source / oil filter housing removal and installation (this was the unexpected difficulty)
Mazdaspee3 guys need to stop bitching about how hard it is to get a down pipe out of their cars:
The cowl comes out easily and give tons of room:
Done for the night:
I got the manifold out in about 2 minutes after taking the cowl off. Should have just started with that, it was easy.
Time consuming tasks accomplished today:
1. Manifold removal
2. Brake distribution block relocation / bracket modification
3. Shifter cable bracket relocation / modification
4. Oil feed source / oil filter housing removal and installation (this was the unexpected difficulty)
Mazdaspee3 guys need to stop bitching about how hard it is to get a down pipe out of their cars:
The cowl comes out easily and give tons of room:
Done for the night:
