What have you done to your CX-5 today?

Replaced the rear brake pads and rotors on our 2016.5 touring. 92,500 miles on the original brakes and the rear still had LEFT 4mm/4mm (outer/inner) and RIGHT 3mm/4mm thickness remaining. Probably could have gone another 20k miles but it's developed a slight pulsation while braking that is beginning to get annoying so wanted to get some new rotors on. I like Raybestos brand components ...Element3 Coated Rotors 981008FZN and Pads EHT1846H

The job itself was pretty straight forward and easy. I followed the procedure for placing the rear EPB in "maintenance mode" and just used my thumbs to push the piston in by hand to fit the new pads. The two caliper bolts are 14mm as well as the two bracket bolts (need to remove those to replace the rotor.) Caliper slide pins were still free moving and boots in good shape.

I was a little worried how hard it would be to pop the rotors off (untouched since new) but they came right off by running a bolt in the little threaded "pilot hole" (Idunno what you call it). I don't know what size bolt it is but it's got to be pretty common because I had a lot of that size in my "spare bolt jar".

Key points:
Make sure you get the EPB in "Maintenance Mode"
Knock off any corrosion in the channels for the pad clips so the new ones fit in properly.
Don't turn the piston any and just push it straight in by hand, just enough to fit over new pads.
I knock the rust off with a wire brush/sand paper and slather a little anti-seeze compound where the rotor contacts the hub to make removal easy next time.

If your thinking about doing your brakes yourself I think these were pretty easy to do. You could literally do it with one 14mm crescent wrench, a hammer, and piece of sand paper. No reason to pay a shop a bunch of money to do this.
 

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Replaced some anti rattle clips that I didn't have on hand when I changed the pads a while back. But I only bought the fronts by mistake. Also added more fill to the trash rear diff mount. It'll be filled eventually.View attachment 226323
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Was looking at replacement bushing for when the time comes a while back, I have read they can be problematic at times on an otherwise reliable vehicle, came across this.



New item coming soon: https://www.superpro.com.au/whats-new/138-mazda-cx-5-rear-diff-bushing-upgrade-spf5108k

Maybe you will find it useful
 
Wouldn't bother. Not worth the effort to remove it (rear diff comes out). Filling around the already ripped mount makes it stiffer than stock anyhow.
I see! Hopefully this’s not a common problem for our AWD CX-5 and it’s trashed only because of your aggressive driving style. ;)
 
Well, it's just very flexible rubber. It's only a matter of time, if you look closely you might see tears in the "arms" that make up the mounting body.
 
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Time has come to replace the 2+ years panasonic oem battery, which has started the path to slow death in the AZ heat and not enough driving lately. Only 350 CCA measured even after full charge and the car starts very slowly.

If anyone is interested, the AGM "X2 Power" Group35 (Northstar re- brand battery) is a straight fit and size over the OEM.
Even the battery box fits like a glove on it.
battery plus has 20% off and 20$ rebate till end of Sept.
Hopefully this one will last much longer than the smaller/mini Panasonic that Mazda has put in. (pic below)

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Not sure I need a $250 battery in Phoenix. Even if it came with a 60 month warranty it's going to go bad within 3 years in Phoenix, and you only get 1 replacement. Costco price on a group 35 is $78.99.
 
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220 after all discounts and cashbacks.
lets call it an experiment for me :)

I would prefer OEM one but they are in the 170 range and not even Japan made. Probably same jci flooded one that one can buy from costco.
one of the problems in AZ is also losing electrolyte in the super heat and fast sulfatization.

We can't compare costco (jci recycled parts) flooded batteries to odyssey or northstar deep cycle AGMs.

My research shows different story for the northstar battery and the odyssey batt operating temp range, the time it loses charge sitting idle, deep cycles etc. but only time will tell how it would perform.
If it gets to 4+ years mark I'll be happy.
 
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I may be naive, but I don't think the Interstate batteries on the shelves at Costco is made with recycled parts, but either way, a $220 battery is going to be just as dead as a Costco battery in 3 years.
 
220 after all discounts and cashbacks.
lets call it an experiment for me :)

I would prefer OEM one but they are in the 170 range and not even Japan made. Probably same jci flooded one that one can buy from costco.
one of the problems in AZ is also losing electrolyte in the super heat and fast sulfatization.

We can't compare costco (jci recycled parts) flooded batteries to odyssey or northstar deep cycle AGMs.

My research shows different story for the northstar battery and the odyssey batt operating temp range, the time it loses charge sitting idle, deep cycles etc. but only time will tell how it would perform.
If it gets to 4+ years mark I'll be happy.
Not sure if your new "X2 Power" Group-35 AGM battery is having any troubles to perfectly fit the protective jacket for the battery? Interstate Group-35 battery sold by Costco has a pair of little edges on the narrow side, presumably for lifting the battery easier, but they do interfere the jacket installation. The Japanese made OEM Panasonic battery doesn’t have that, so as the USA made Mazda OEM battery sold at Mazda dealers.

I switched to an EverStart Platinum AGM battery from WalMart on my BMW a couple of years ago, so far so good in the hot Texas weather.
 
How are AGM batteries holding up for you guys in AZ, NM, and TX? I noticed they are priced starting $200 and up.

I added distilled water to one of my batteries (1 year old USA OEM Panasonic replacement). I then read to not fill up to the caps so I promptly took some paper towels to soak up and remove some a few hours later. WARNING, it was highly corrosive!!!!!!! My rubber gloves melted. I'm fine and will not do that again!!!!
 
How are AGM batteries holding up for you guys in AZ, NM, and TX? I noticed they are priced starting $200 and up.

I added distilled water to one of my batteries (1 year old USA OEM Panasonic replacement). I then read to not fill up to the caps so I promptly took some paper towels to soak up and remove some a few hours later. WARNING, it was highly corrosive!!!!!!! My rubber gloves melted. I'm fine and will not do that again!!!!
Well, it’s a flooded lead-acid battery. And acid is corrosive, so handle with care! Brake fluid is harmful to the paint too.

What did you mean by “USA OEM Panasonic replacement“? If you meant a new Mazda OEM battery sold by the Mazda dealers, it’s no longer a Panasonic, but a USA made battery.

In theory AGM battery requires less maintenance and lasts longer in hot weather. I switched to an EverStart Platinum AGM battery from WalMart ($160?) on my BMW a couple of years ago, so far so good in hot Texas weather.
 
I've always kept collapsible crates in my trunks and the old ones were pretty beat up so I went ahead and got two of these for my new red 2020 CX-5 with black interior. They fit perfectly side-by-side behind the second row seats like they were made for the vehicle, with ample room left for the golf clubs.

That is until the WeatherTech cargo mat came in the mail. The lips on the edges of the mats ruined the perfect fit. Still a decent fit, not sending them back, and I'd recommend this product regardless.

Beyond that, WeatherTech laser cuts for the front seats and mud guards next time I'm at a dealer. That's it, all I need.



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Well, it’s a flooded lead-acid battery. And acid is corrosive, so handle with care! Brake fluid is harmful to the paint too.

What did you mean by “USA OEM Panasonic replacement“? If you meant a new Mazda OEM battery sold by the Mazda dealers, it’s no longer a Panasonic, but a USA made battery.

In theory AGM battery requires less maintenance and lasts longer in hot weather. I switched to an EverStart Platinum AGM battery from WalMart ($160?) on my BMW a couple of years ago, so far so good in hot Texas weather.

Just topped off the CX-5's battery right now. Made sure to add just enough to cover the metal plates then stopped. Also cleaned off corrosion on terminals using boiling water (YouTube trick I found).

Your AGM battery was in the BMW trunk so should last longer/stay cooler. I heard for cars with batteries in engine bay in hot states you can just top off with distilled water to prolong life. I check once yearly. I may get an AGM battery just to experiment which one lasts longer.
 
Off topic
True. I had to add some distilled water on my OEM one this winter but it was a bit too late I guess to save it. The oem panasonic has a visible mark on its side (the battery box also has a cutout there for visibility) and you can easily see how much to add to each cell.

Also something else I noticed with the Northstar that I put in the car- the outer layer of the battery is from some strange abs material. It doesn't get hot, nowhere near as hot as the OEM battery. Engine compartment temp here reach as high as 160F in the summer. Which is a killer not just for batteries but all kind of plastics long term and the cx5 has a lot of those in the engine bay unfortunately.
As I mentioned, for me its an experiment. Will see how it holds. Another benefit is also that it can sit idle for longer periods vs flooded and recharges faster. I do travel sometimes for months and the car just sits in the garage.
 
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