What have you done to your CX-5 today?

Coming out of the winter and then being exposed to several heavy rains, my ceramic coating was clogged up with dirt and dust which wasn't coming off with washing. And, there was no water beading on the paint and very little on the glass. The uninitiated might think my coatings were gone already, after only 6 months.

Today I hit it with a regular wash, then a 2nd wash using Carpro Descale and an ultra fine clay towel. The paint is smooth again and my hydrophobics are restored. I will repeat again in the fall.

1000020448.jpg
 
Not the best picture but today I wiped down the engine bay with DIY Detail Rinseless Wash on the first pass to remove most of the dirt, then did a second pass with Hybrid Solutions Inside Job. Removes what's left and leaves a nice finish. I love an engine that looks factory new.

1000020449.jpg
 
What is this orange element on the side of a headlight in American version of CX-5? Is it reflector or additional indicator light?
 
bob1977 said:
What is this orange element on the side of a headlight in American version of CX-5? Is it reflector or additional indicator light?
Click to expand...
US DOT regulation Federal Motor Vehicles Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. 108 since 1967 requires passenger vehicles are equipped with two front amber side marker lights and reflectors, and two rear red side marker lights and reflectors.

They’re ugly for sure, especially the front amber side marker lights and reflectors since they’re impossible to blend into the usually clear front headlight unit.
 
noeffort said:
Installed these hood struts on my 23 signature, 20 minutes, $35.00. Good bye prop rod.
Click to expand...
I installed these today but disaster struck.

When lowering the hood, one of them popped off the ball joint and the pressure of the strut trying to extend sent itself through the cowl and made a nice hole. Now I have a hole in my cowl and a strut that I can't get off.

Does anyone know how to release them from the fender?

Edit: got it off by pulling harder. Going to try this again. 😖
 
It popped off again. I think this strut is defective. It positively clicks on but won't stay on the ball. It also doesn't sound like the other one when extending. Normally you get that hydraulic strut whirr but this one sounds rough. Just my luck...

PXL_20240614_013802554-1.jpg


It went full send. Never go full send.

Another thing is that the socket on each end is plastic which I don't feel great about. And they rub against the hood bracket bolt. I don't know if that will cause any issues but it's already scraped off some of the plastic and I've only articulated it a dozen or so times.

PXL_20240614_024738477-1.jpg


I might ask for a replacement but I need to think on it. Is it cool and helpful to have them? Definitely. Do I question their long-term durability...yeah, I do.

PXL_20240614_031500272-1.jpg


The struts themselves seem too strong, even with the heavy CX-5 hood. I've traded faffing with the prop rod for having to pull the hood down with force because the struts are crazy strong. Not sure which is worse...

Edit: I found the problem. The upper strut connector rubs against the hood bracket bolt, pushing it out of the socket. I mounted it the same way most people recommended (and who never reported any problems) which is to have the bracket facing forward with the ball inward. The issue is that the bolt has a lot of play within the hole so you have to put force against it so that it is all the way to one side and clears the plastic strut connector. There are no instructions telling you this and it is not obvious at all when you are installing. Make sure the bracket is pulled forward as far as it will go. Connect the top of the strut first and move it through its range of motion, making sure it clears the bolt. And it still rubs at the bottom of the range of motion, scraping off some of the plastic. It's not a good design. I hope people see this and avoid damaging their car.

Also, now my hood is not aligned properly when closed. That will take removal of the struts and more fiddling.

What a night. Thought this would be a simple install and I ended up having more problems than anyone else. Wish I wouldn't have bothered.
 
Last edited:
Swapped to Akebono ProACT ceramic brake pads front and rear. Also pictured: Corksport springs and LYKT adjustable control arms.

PXL_20240615_201548911-1.jpg


Glad I did, too: one of the pads was not installed correctly in the clips from the factory.
 
Last edited:
N7turbo said:
Swapped to Akebono ProACT ceramic brake pads front and rear. Also pictured: Corksport springs and LYKT adjustable control arms.

View attachment 329180

Glad I did, too: one of the pads was not installed correctly in the clips.
Click to expand...
I had really good things to say after using those pads in conjunction with Advance Auto Parts store brand rotors and SL6 brake fluid. Less dust than OEM with good bite.
 
ruthrj said:
I had really good things to say after using those pads in conjunction with Advance Auto Parts store brand rotors and SL6 brake fluid. Less dust than OEM with good bite.
Click to expand...
Was that in your 2013?

Any reason for a 2023 owner to swap brake fluid?
 
Please log in or register to reply here.

Similar Thread

New Posts

Back