What have you done to your CX-5 today?

[jadmt]

Changed diff and transfer case fluid. Easy job.

 

[7eregrine]

I bought some Blizzaks mounted on steelies.

And then we got snow for about 2 weeks in November and December. And that was it... They sat in the garage and gathered dust. LOL

Confused. You took them off after December?

 

[karlt10]

I'm in Iowa and our winters are getting shorter and shorter, dryer and dryer. We had 2 good snowfalls around Thanksgiving to 2nd week of December. And then nothing but couple of dustings since.

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

Ordered some near 100k mile maintenance parts.. not many with free shipping still and local dealers don't seem willing to price match. Nothing wrong with current tensioner but just a matter of time...and making job easy on myself with a little less RTV to scrape on the AT pan.


Ordered from Med Center

 

[stack316]

Finally had temps high enough to apply the weathertech bumper topper

Before/after/comparison to my blue 21 cx5 with an eBay carbon fiber protector

Lower front mesh grille installed

Installed:

VIOFO A229 plus to ‘25 CX5 Premium Plus
Had no luck getting the power using the VIOFO hardwire kit, so ordered a DONGAR 10-A adapter and installed to the back of the rear view mirror…so simple and works great for those of us that won’t use parking mode

Car came with low wall all weather mats which lacked coverage, upgraded to
3DMAXspider Kanu front and back, much nicer coverage and look

Order OEM truck liner, not a fan of the 4 pieces , wish I ordered the 3DMAXspider for the trunk. My bad

Tymate wireless TPMS

American flag license plate frame

Waiting for temps to increase before installing:
WeatherTech bumper topper
Lower front mesh grill
Door sill protectors
Fortin One car starter

Lower front mesh grill installed

 

[wmdlyon62]

Changed diff and transfer case fluid. Easy job.

I just had the diff and transfer case serviced too! I also had the transmission fluid and filter as well as he oil changed.

Lower front mesh grille installed

Lower front mesh grill installed

Those lower grills are such great, easy, and inexpensive upgrade! If I'm not mistaken, they were the very first modification I did to my 5.

 

[gtbigup]

This.

First time doing it on my CX-5. Love to easy access to the filter. Amazingly the same filter cup to remove it, is the exact fit I just bought from my local motorcycle dealer for my 25 Honda Goldwing filter. Its a bike master, and while I no longer have the part number from the package, inside the wrench says 65/14

 

[GFrosty]

Did headlight surface restoration and protection on the headlights, today. Used the Cerakote Ceramic Headlight Restoration kit #AH-HLKIT. Well, one of the headlights, anyway. (Only had time for one of them, today.)

Instructions are, basically: clean off as much of the surface gunk as possible, with the included wipes; sand with 2000 grit and lots of water; then sand with 3000 grit and lots of water. Could have gotten some 6000 grit, but didn't bother. In my case, I then followed up with the Menzerna 3800 final polish, to ensure the last of any micro-swirls and hazing was eliminated. Fully flush the lens surface with lots of water, wiping with several different clean microfiber cloths; then dry completely, including every nearby crevice. Apply the single ceramic wipe across the lens, then let dry a couple of hours. I watched it for 1hr to ensure no gunge from the nearby trees wafted onto the still-wet surface.

Turned out amazingly well. Impressed. The coating is supposedly a "lifetime" coating. We'll see, but it is about as transparently clear as I can detect, now. Compared to the previous ugly haziness from UV damage to the lens's coating, it's absolutely night and day.

Photos of both lenses -- one untreated, one coated and finished. Apologies for the size of these things, but any smaller and the detail and clarity wouldn't be so obvious.

Untreated RH side lens:

Coated and finished LH side lens:

 

[N7turbo]

Did headlight surface restoration and protection on the headlights, today.

I highly recommend clear ppf on the headlights to keep them that way.

 

[zx10guy]

Did headlight surface restoration and protection on the headlights, today. Used the Cerakote Ceramic Headlight Restoration kit #AH-HLKIT. Well, one of the headlights, anyway. (Only had time for one of them, today.)

Instructions are, basically: clean off as much of the surface gunk as possible, with the included wipes; sand with 2000 grit and lots of water; then sand with 3000 grit and lots of water. Could have gotten some 6000 grit, but didn't bother. In my case, I then followed up with the Menzerna 3800 final polish, to ensure the last of any micro-swirls and hazing was eliminated. Fully flush the lens surface with lots of water, wiping with several different clean microfiber cloths; then dry completely, including every nearby crevice. Apply the single ceramic wipe across the lens, then let dry a couple of hours. I watched it for 1hr to ensure no gunge from the nearby trees wafted onto the still-wet surface.

Turned out amazingly well. Impressed. The coating is supposedly a "lifetime" coating. We'll see, but it is about as transparently clear as I can detect, now. Compared to the previous ugly haziness from UV damage to the lens's coating, it's absolutely night and day.

Photos of both lenses -- one untreated, one coated and finished. Apologies for the size of these things, but any smaller and the detail and clarity wouldn't be so obvious.

Untreated RH side lens:
View attachment 382622

Coated and finished LH side lens:
View attachment 382623

I used the same kit on my mother's 2002 Jeep Liberty Sport with the same results. The kit does wonders with minimal effort.

 

[zx10guy]

I highly recommend clear ppf on the headlights to keep them that way.

Yup. All of my cars have clear PPF on the headlights. I had mine done shortly after taking delivery of my 2025.

 

[Silly Wabbit]

But when the ppf fails, wouldn't it take the coating off the headlights to?

 

[N7turbo]

But when the ppf fails, wouldn't it take the coating off the headlights to?

If it's indeed a real ceramic coating, then no.

But their lifetime claim is surely false. Ceramic coatings last 6 months to a few years in real world use.

The point of the ppf is to help prevent the oxidation and scratches that clouded the headlight in the first place.

 

[zx10guy]

I've had clear PPF on the Toyota C-HR I had since new. It sat out in the elements for years with no issues.

 

[N7turbo]

Yup. All of my cars have clear PPF on the headlights. I had mine done shortly after taking delivery of my 2025.

The only reason I haven't is because:

1. They are at least ceramic coated which helps me clean the bugs off
2. The car has been driven 10k miles in 2.5 years and has been garaged a lot.

So it just doesn't see the kinds of stresses that ruin headlights.

 

[jadmt]

47000 miles on our 23 and headlights still clear as can be. i wish I had PPF the entire hood..funny how the bumper painted plastic has held up extremely well but the hood not so much..impossible to get matching touch up paint for rhodium white as well. the factory paint stick is not remotely close and a custom mixer of paint sticks said they can't get it matched.

 

[zx10guy]

I went back and forth about doing PPF on my BMW 135i. When I got the cost of doing the entire front of the car, I decided not to. It was a few thousand which if necessary I'd just have the affected areas repainted.

As to your experience with chips being more of a problem with your hood over the bumper cover, could be down to primer below and how the paint adheres to it. I do know when painting over plastic parts, there is an additive that's mixed in with the primer (or paint can't remember) that promotes paint adhesion.

In regards to getting touch up paint that matches, I've had excellent results with Dr Colorchip. I've tried it on my BMW which has a unique color called Carbon Black. In some angles and ambient lighting it looks either black or a deep dark blue. Used the touch up kit from Dr Colorchip and it was an exact match. Application was super easy too. The only way to tell the spot has touch up is due to the slight depth difference between the touched up spot and the surround paint. I guess if I want to get obsessive compulsive with it I could have gone back and built up the spot to level out the surfaces.

 

[paris1]

As to your experience with chips being more of a problem with your hood over the bumper cover, could be down to primer below and how the paint adheres to it. I do know when painting over plastic parts, there is an additive that's mixed in with the primer (or paint can't remember) that promotes paint adhesion.

May have something to do with the resilience of the plastic vis-a-vis the metal. Rock hits may be more readily absorbed by the underlying material of the former, thus preventing the paint from "breaking" as easily as it does on the metal surface.

 

[zx10guy]

Forgot to mention,

May have something to do with the resilience of the plastic vis-a-vis the metal. Rock hits may be more readily absorbed by the underlying material of the former, thus preventing the paint from "breaking" as easily as it does on the metal surface.

While I can see how this may be an explanation, the factory paint on my 135i's bumper was actually more rashed than the hood.

 

[vertex]

Changed diff and transfer case fluid. Easy job.

Any online guide you followed?