Enable touchscreen while in motion *not a hack*

[ColoradoDriver]

Disagree. Completely. I think we as a species are getting hung up on the fact that...it's a SCREEN.
OMG! SCREENS ARE BAD. DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE. YOU'LL KILL SOMEONE.
While I, of course, agree that you shouldn't look at your phone while driving, we have now equated the screen in our car to being the equivalent of the phone screen. SCREEN = EVIL. It's simply not. My car screen isn't going to make me take my eyes of the road for 10 seconds like reading or replying to a text might. It's no different then running the heater or the in dash old school radio.
Y'now what the #1 cause of crashes was in the 70's? Same thing it is today: distracted driving. Looking down to mess with the radio or switch out the 8 track tape.

Well said.

Car manufacturers can **** right off with nannies. Something will always distract someone.

 

[mjh15]

Disagree. Completely. I think we as a species are getting hung up on the fact that...it's a SCREEN.
OMG! SCREENS ARE BAD. DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE. YOU'LL KILL SOMEONE.
While I, of course, agree that you shouldn't look at your phone while driving, we have now equated the screen in our car to being the equivalent of the phone screen. SCREEN = EVIL. It's simply not. My car screen isn't going to make me take my eyes of the road for 10 seconds like reading or replying to a text might. It's no different then running the heater or the in dash old school radio.
Y'now what the #1 cause of crashes was in the 70's? Same thing it is today: distracted driving. Looking down to mess with the radio or switch out the 8 track tape.

Thank you thank you THANK YOU!!!!! I just joined this forum after reading the thread. A few days ago I came "this" close to pulling the trigger on a Mazda 3 GT manual (I drive an auto now and really miss stick), but the touchscreen thing just infuriates me. I'm afraid it will be a permanent annoyance when I drive the car. To the other posters, I can add a few data points regarding other brands. Hondas (Civic, Accord) for years have been entirely touchscreen, to the point of even removing the volume knob (which they are finally restoring now after years of backlash). And my 2016 VW Jetta is also touchscreen driven, and is completely active while driving except (I think) for entering addresses into the nav. The VW infotainment is flawless; you have a series of big radio preset buttons at the bottom of the screen to change stations with the radio (5 at a time, and you can swipe the screen to show ten more), to pause/rw/ff with bluetooth and music, and even to select folders, albums and songs on the SD card (which they also helpfully provide). Hard buttons are on the side to adjust inputs, and they have volume and tuning knobs. It's simple and it just freaking works. Unfortunately, they are getting away from providing stick on all but the most basic trims.

I do find it interesting, though, how much people do seem to like the Commander knob despite the touchscreen nannying. Here's a couple questions:

1) When you want to change radio stations through favorites, it looks like you hit the star button, then what? It looks like you get a list of stations, and then you spin the command knob until you get the one you want?

2) If you are listening to your phone through bluetooth, is there a way to easily pause play, or jump forward or back 30 seconds using the knob? I listen to a lot of podcasts.

Thanks for any suggestions, I've been scouring Mazda forums trying to get more tips about the Commander knob. It is literally the only issue giving me pause about buying the Mazda3.

 

[7eregrine]

1. You can hit the star button and it will bring up your list. You can scroll and click that way. I use the steering wheel forward back buttons for that though unless there's a specific favorite I want. Then it's wheel. The buttons on the wheel take you through them one at a time.

2. Is more app dependent. With Spotify those buttons advance to the next podcast episode. Annoying. I think on Stitcher it's a 15 sec hop. podcast a few times a week lately and could look into this more if no one has a more specific answer.
I don't think I've actually tried the knob during a podcast. That would kick serious ass if you could rewind with it. Kind of doubt.

 

[TinyTires]

The Podcast function concerned me too.
No worry. Its a dream with the knob. I use it with the usb (havent tested Bluetooth).
Whole in Podcast mode: I push the knob (to 12 oclock) and it presents a progress bar which can be forwarded (push to 3 oclock) or set back (push to 9 oclock) 10 or 15 seconds. You can also twist the knob; each click turn is approx 15 seconds forward or back.
Buy the car... youll love the commander knob.

 

[mjh15]

The Podcast function concerned me too.
No worry. It*s a dream with the knob. I use it with the usb (haven*t tested Bluetooth).
Whole in Podcast mode: I push the knob (to 12 o*clock) and it presents a *progress bar* which can be forwarded (push to 3 o*clock) or set back (push to 9 o*clock) 10 or 15 seconds. You can also twist the knob; each click turn is approx 15 seconds forward or back.
Buy the car... you*ll love the commander knob.

Thank you so much for the response. Great to hear the commander knob has little built in functions; I've had a lot of trouble finding out that kind of detailed info. Is there a pause functionality built in somehow? You've certainly told me enough to test drive it again.

If anyone reading those knows of any detailed rundown of the commander knob functions (beyond the basics that dealers and Mazda posts), I'd love to see it. One of the things I'm finding with Mazda is that there are a lot of message boards people post on, and I feel like I'm missing a mother lode of info somewhere.

 

[7eregrine]

Because that's really about the extent of it. There isn't much more to it.

 

[smb1014]

Another nice thing about this hack is that not only does the touch screen work while the car is moving but you can also access and use the various options that got locked out when the car was in motion.

Thak you. This is what I am talking about. I HATE that Mazda treats you like a child.

 

[dunk50]

HOW do you tell which version you have 56 ? 59 ? By Year????

 

[7eregrine]

It tells you in the infotainment. Last screen I believe from memory.

 

[dunk50]

OS Version 70-00-100 NA N. I'm guessing I'm screwed and no hack for me!

 

[Avoidin Deer]

I think you're painting a bit too rosy of a picture there, my friend. Back before cell phones, do you know what the number one cause of accidents was? Exactly the same thing it is today: driver inattention from? People... looking at the radio.

@Alphadog: upon further review, yes Lexus and the Prius lock some things down.

Many Infotainment systems are a step back in that regards. I have my radio presets in my truck, and I know exactly which station is on which button. I do not have to take my eyes off the road to change channels...I reach out for the buttons and can feel which one I want to push. (The first few days in my new Mazda found me touching the climate control section when I wanted to change stations because that's where my truck's preset buttons are.) With 12 presets per FM/AM/XM bands, I rarely need to tune to any station manually.

With my CX-5 (and I imagine other vehicles), I have to look at the screen to change the station (unless we all remember the specific frequency/ID# of each station so as to use Voice Recognition "TuneTo FM106.7"). This is particularly an issue with XM, with so many choices which are usually remembered by name and not by ID# (so you are reading & digesting before selecting.) And as I've commented elsewhere, I'm finding VR to be inconsistent. It does not always load properly. And many vehicles do not have VR.

Another thing I have found to be unsafe with the "You can't do that while in motion" feature is getting weather alerts. We had tornadoes touch down in several parts of Virginia on Friday, and those cells ripped through my area. I was out on the road and the tornado warnings kept coming up on the screen...well, partial tornado warnings did. Neither I nor my passenger could select "Details" to see the full warning for our area because the car was in motion. All we could see was the initial text that fit on the screen. And so many warnings came through back-to-back for different counties in the state that the one for our locale got bumped before we could even think about pulling over to read the Details.

In the future, this may be mandated by government, but for now I imagine it's being drive by corporate lawyers.

 

[DwightFrye]

I am one of those old school drivers that doesn't like all the distractions that are available in cars today. I got my license in 1971 when about the only distraction was wedging a book of matches under an 8 track tape cassette to help align it to the heads so it wasn't playing 2 tracks at once.
I downloaded the 90 page manual for my new CX 5 navigation system but couldn't find a way to change the zoom ratio of the Nav screen with the command knob. They only way I can do it is to stop the car, touch the screen and then the + and - buttons appear. Once the car is moving they are grayed out. Is there a trick to that function ? If not I may just try the hack. Other than navigation though, I don't like using a touch screen and prefer the console and wheel mounted controls and knob. My phone is gross enough with all the fingerprints

 

[7eregrine]

Mine is hacked but I don't think that's why my knob zooms on the map.

 

[brillo54]

I'm not hacked and I zoom by rotating the command knob too.

 

[shadonoz]

I am one of those old school drivers that doesn't like all the distractions that are available in cars today. I got my license in 1971 when about the only distraction was wedging a book of matches under an 8 track tape cassette to help align it to the heads so it wasn't playing 2 tracks at once.
I downloaded the 90 page manual for my new CX 5 navigation system but couldn't find a way to change the zoom ratio of the Nav screen with the command knob. They only way I can do it is to stop the car, touch the screen and then the + and - buttons appear. Once the car is moving they are grayed out. Is there a trick to that function ? If not I may just try the hack. Other than navigation though, I don't like using a touch screen and prefer the console and wheel mounted controls and knob. My phone is gross enough with all the fingerprints

On the nav screen, rotate the knob to the leftmost option, which is "hide buttons" and push to select. Then you can rotate the knob to zoom in and out even when moving.
It's easy when you know how.

Are you in XXX Jefferson, too?

 

[DwightFrye]

Thanks shadonoz, that tip worked for zooming the nav screen.

 

[shadonoz]

Thanks shadonoz, that tip worked for zooming the nav screen.

(yippy)

 

[Chocolate]

I am bumping this thread. The touchscreen lockout is an annoyance on the 2nd gen CXs. I'd like to make this modification to my 2019, but not enough to risk bricking the system.

 

[Chocolate]

@7eregrine I'm reposting this in the main forum because it gets a lot more traffic. Glad to hear you are still using the mod, I'd never upgrade the firmware after that! They typically aren't providing any upgrades or features with the firmware updates anyway.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

I'm going to have to try this on my (new to me) 2016 Miata. It has the same version of the software that my CX has and it worked as stated on that.