What have you done to your CX-5 today?

[jadmt]

Any online guide you followed?

No just pull the top 23mm plug and then the lower 24mm plug drain them and and fill up to the brim of the top plug..very simple job...pull your car up on some 2x4 or 2X8's (all 4 wheels so the car is level) the fill plug at the rear is tight so a short 23mm socket is required or a box wrench would work. I have a pump that screws into the gear oil container so super easy without making a mess.

 

[RedBaron]

No just pull the top 23mm plug and then the lower 24mm plug

Yeah, ALWAYS pull the 'fill' plug first, and THEN the drain plug. This is in case you can't remove the fill plug after you drained the transmission (don't ask me how I know this ).

 

[GFrosty]

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.

Almost certainly their limited lifetime guarantee is typical marketing blather. As you say, what ceramics are out there show real-world longevity quite a bit less than as long as people own their vehicles.

I'm hunting down the likely PPF candidates, now. Once had an extremely thick PFF on a Mazda Miata's 7" round glass headlights, and those worked exceptionally well for withstanding strikes by small stones and whatnot. Would prefer a thicker one that didn't fade in just a handful of years, but I've no problem re-doing the PPF every once in awhile if it does slightly fade. Better the protective PPF layer instead of the headlight lens itself.

 

[Brad-cx5]

Thigh support for the driver's seat lamenting the lack of it in our 2023 GS base model is what I have done with our CX-5 today.

 

[morgantruce]

I added a small solar panel to my 2025 CX-5. Newer cars tend to have a lot of parasitic loads drawing on the battery while the car is parked---and Mazda is no exception to this trend.

I drive my car perhaps only twice a week---and then put on extra miles to bring the engine up to operating temperature. I considered several methods of reducing parasitic loads, but decided instead to add some solar charging. I park on the street in front of my house... and the car always faces South.

I bought this https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)which blends in nicely up on the dashboard behind the car's infotainment screen. The panel included several methods of connecting to the car---including an OBT2 port connector and a "cigarette lighter" plug. I tried both methods, but settled on using the (always hot) 12-volt power connection in the armrest between the driver and passenger seats. I covered the red/black power cord with some https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned) for UV protection and appearance.

The solar panel maintains the Mazda's battery voltage very well... and does not draw undue attention to itself.

 

[N7turbo]

I added a small solar panel to my 2025 CX-5. Newer cars tend to have a lot of parasitic loads drawing on the battery while the car is parked---and Mazda is no exception to this trend.

I drive my car perhaps only twice a week---and then put on extra miles to bring the engine up to operating temperature. I considered several methods of reducing parasitic loads, but decided instead to add some solar charging. I park on the street in front of my house... and the car always faces South.

I bought this https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)which blends in nicely up on the dashboard behind the car's infotainment screen. The panel included several methods of connecting to the car---including an OBT2 port connector and a "cigarette lighter" plug. I tried both methods, but settled on using the (always hot) 12-volt power connection in the armrest between the driver and passenger seats. I covered the red/black power cord with some https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned) for UV protection and appearance.

The solar panel maintains the Mazda's battery voltage very well... and does not draw undue attention to itself.

View attachment 382790

Is there a controller to stop charging the battery when it's full?

 

[morgantruce]

Is there a controller to stop charging the battery when it's full?

Yes. It has every sort of control circuitry known to man. It will definitely not cook a battery. On the back side of the panel, there is a built in voltmeter and amp meter if you're interested in monitoring such things.

 

[GFrosty]

Replacement side mirror, the mirror itself if I can.

Looks like someone took a .22LR shot at the thing, from behind. I don't think it was while I was driving, but at highway speeds there's likely enough "roar" from the tires and car to not hear such a small round. The mirror's mostly fine, except for a "starburst" impact point at the very outside of the mirror.

Another thing for the to-do list.

 

[sm1ke]

Replacement side mirror, the mirror itself if I can.

Looks like someone took a .22LR shot at the thing, from behind. I don't think it was while I was driving, but at highway speeds there's likely enough "roar" from the tires and car to not hear such a small round. The mirror's mostly fine, except for a "starburst" impact point at the very outside of the mirror.

Another thing for the to-do list.

Just in case you want it for reference.. might not be exactly the same as the 2018 CX-9, but it should be close enough to see how to separate the glass from the housing. If I recall, the glass part itself can be ordered separately and isn't too expensive.

 

[TMetzinger]

Got Maeve (our 2019 CX-5 GT) in early March, and I've been 'baselining' her as far as maintenance goes. I had the tires replaced (Continental TrueContact A/S) and an alignment done yesterday, and today I replaced the wiper blades and pressure-tested the cooling system. I loved the Subaru Forester that Maeve replaced, but the Mazda will be a lot easier to maintain, especially since I've been working on MX-5s for decades.