2020 CX-5 Signature: Are Homelink buttons active with car powered off?

On of the major annoyances I've heard with a Toyota RAV4 was that the homelink buttons would still function even if the car was locked, powered off, and no key nearby. Someone could break a window and open a garage door using the homelink buttons. My current car does not have that flaw. When the car is locked and off the buttons have no effect. Can anyone tell me how the CX-5 homelink buttons work? Are they disabled when car is locked?
 
I just went out to the garage to check our 2018 cx5. With the car off (locked or not locked) the Homelink much to my surprise still worked! You are right, if parked outside your home this could be an issue!
 
2019 signature ... Home link works all the time, sadly.
 
I've owned nearly a dozen vehicles since 2006 with Homelink - one Infiniti, several Hondas, and a couple of Mazdas. The Homelink is always powered on all of them.

The garage door can just as easily be opened with a handheld remote clipped to the sunvisor. In fact, it's probably even easier because a thief could steal the opener from your vehicle and visit your home while you're away. I can't think of anyone I know who actually removes their GDO remotes from their vehicles.

If you're worried about someone opening your garage door while the vehicle is at home, just "lock" the garage door - most have a button or switch to do this easily.
 
Last edited:
Most people who use the Homelink function will park their cars in the garage, but for those who don't, it's best to either lock the garage door when you come home, as mentioned above. If this isn't possible, instead of using Homelink, carry your garage door opener in with you when you come home.
 
Maybe it's something with the "premium" brands then since my buddy's Porsche Macan does not have it always powered and he had said the X5 he drove didn't have it always on either.

Yes, there are workarounds such as locking doors and such, it's just annoying that we'd have to get in to that new habit when our current vehicles don't have this issue. Just would have preferred if it was designed better.
 
Nothing wrong with the design, IMO. If it was a genuine problem for all buyers, it wouldn't be so prevalent on other brands, whether they are considered premium or not. For some, having constant power to the Homelink mirror is preferable as they can tap into the mirror to run dashcams 24/7 for security. It allows for a very clean-looking, easy to install setup. It would also be annoying to have to turn the car on just to open/close the garage door. Again, just my opinion.
 
..... Just would have preferred if it was designed better.

sounds like a great entry for this thread:
 
I'm not sure how having the locked doors matter since you could just break in and unlock the doors manually. The safest thing would be to only have it work when the key fob is in the car. But then you'd probably have other people complain that it works that way. I guess you could have a setting to turn that ability on or off in the car settings which would be fairly safe since you could only change it if the car was on.

That being said, this isn't the biggest deal because what are the chances a burglar is aware of homelink and is going to think "aha I can break into this car and if I'm lucky and they have homelink programmed I can get into the garage"? A determined burglar isn't going to break in hoping the homelink works, they would just break into the garage via brute force if that's their target. And some smash and grab lowest hanging fruit burglar isn't thinking of the big picture, they're just grabbing the change you left in the console and whatever bags you left in the car.

Anyhow, here is someone on a prius chat talking about clipping and patching the wires in their mirror to change it from the always on line to the line that only gets power when the car is on:
I have no clue if that would work in the CX-5.
 
Anyhow, here is someone on a prius chat talking about clipping and patching the wires in their mirror to change it from the always on line to the line that only gets power when the car is on:
I have no clue if that would work in the CX-5.

Nice, good find. It will require some DIY work (or hiring someone with the capability to do it), but it looks like this might be a solution to the problem posed.
 
My guess is they want it active all the time to allow you open the door prior to starting the car as you don't want it to be running in a closed garage. Sure, you could just press the start button with your foot off the brake to enter "acc" mode and open it prior to starting the car, but that is an extra step.
 
This can be changed actually.
When installing the Gentax mirrors, there are TWO power lines. One for auto-dimming, and the other for Homelink. The instruction calls for connecting to constant 12V for Homelink, and switched 12V for auto-dimming. That is why the Homelink works even with engine shut off.
That said, you can rewire it so that both power lines connect to switched 12V.
 
My guess is they want it active all the time to allow you open the door prior to starting the car as you don't want it to be running in a closed garage. Sure, you could just press the start button with your foot off the brake to enter "acc" mode and open it prior to starting the car, but that is an extra step.
I came to say this. I mean HELLO. I use my buttons in my car all the time when the car is off. This is as it should be. Why would you have you car unlocked anyway to allow someone to just open your car and press your homelink buttons? This from a guy who sometimes leaves his windows down in the driveway and my door in the garage is not locked.
 
I came to say this. I mean HELLO. I use my buttons in my car all the time when the car is off. This is as it should be. Why would you have you car unlocked anyway to allow someone to just open your car and press your homelink buttons? This from a guy who sometimes leaves his windows down in the driveway and my door in the garage is not locked.
Some people have a safety first approach, others have other priorities, maybe a convenience first approach. For a secure approach, the buttons should not work when the car is off. I would think everyone would agree that the buttons always being powered on is not secure. Sure, you can give reasons for it being insecure, but that doesn't change that it is insecure. Others may have their priorities, but I want to prioritize being secure.

It's not about leaving it unlocked or 'allowing' someone to just open the car. You might be fortunate in where you live, but there are definitely areas where people break windows to get in to cars parked in driveways. They will dig through the cars looking for anything they can steal & sell. If they found a garage opener or a working homelink button, they'd then go rummaging around the garage as fast as they can before making a run for it. At least with a separate opener you can easily remove it from the vehicle on the rare times you park outside.
 
This can be changed actually.
When installing the Gentax mirrors, there are TWO power lines. One for auto-dimming, and the other for Homelink. The instruction calls for connecting to constant 12V for Homelink, and switched 12V for auto-dimming. That is why the Homelink works even with engine shut off.
That said, you can rewire it so that both power lines connect to switched 12V.
Happen to have any links to videos or clear wiring diagrams of how to change the wiring on the factory installed mirror in the CX-5 Signature?
 
Some people have a safety first approach, others have other priorities, maybe a convenience first approach.
I firmly believe having the buttons always active provides an absolute inconsequential threat.

I also don't live in a high crime area today.

However...
I did. For 11 years. My car was gone through every spring for 10 years. Almost like clockwork. Sometimes in the fall, too, but always in the spring. Weather warms up, hoodlums go (what we called) car knocking. Not once has anyone in my neighborhood in the time I lived there had a hoodlum open the garage with an opener or a homelink. These dbags are looking for change and gps units and any other valuables. and they are looking to move to the next one quickly to not get caught and get as much loot as possible. Most of us had detached garages so it would be even easier to get into a garage undetected. Now maybe you live in an even higher crime area. I'm doubtful of that. But maybe. ;)

Don't get me wrong, things were stolen from garages...When people left the doors open.
 
I firmly believe having the buttons always active provides an absolute inconsequential threat.
It really is just personal view on things, and we can each have our own opinion. To me, the security risk is the same as having a 'break glass in case of emergency' type box mounted next to your front door with your house keys clearly visible inside. I would theorize that most people do not lock the door from the garage to their house, so having access to the garage is access to the house.

Again, some have a safety first view and others have different views/priorities. For me, the homelink buttons always being active makes them a feature I would never use, at least not without secondary mechanisms to ensure security .
 
Back