What have you done to your CX-9 today?

[sm1ke]

Very clean install!

The black trim looks amazing, I'll need to do mine!

Thanks! The coating does a decent job of hiding minor oxidation and scuffs too.

I forgot to mention the rubber piece on the inside of the liftgate that's kind of sagging down between the hinges. It's missing 3 clips. They look like the push-clip plastic fasteners for the body trim, but they have a small nub at the end instead. Gonna have to find a few of those clips to replace them.

 

[sm1ke]

Vinyl wrapped a few small interior trim pieces and installed them.

 

[sm1ke]

Applied some of that ceramic trim coating to the engine cover. I'm hoping this will make it easier to clean.

I also ordered a pair of exhaust tips. Just need to work on getting the OEM tips off. I don't think they're screwed onto the pipe, but they don't want to come loose after giving them a few good yanks.

 

[shawnee]

Applied some of that ceramic trim coating to the engine cover. I'm hoping this will make it easier to clean.

View attachment 344505

I also ordered a pair of exhaust tips. Just need to work on getting the OEM tips off. I don't think they're screwed onto the pipe, but they don't want to come loose after giving them a few good yanks.

A good few yanks always makes me come loose Other than that, always good to see @sm1ke work on his car

 

[sm1ke]

A good few yanks always makes me come loose Other than that, always good to see @sm1ke work on his car

Looking a bit more closely at the tips, I think they may be spot welded to the piping, so these 2.5" inlet tips won't work. I'll be returning them today. I ordered a pair of 3" inlet tips, which I know for sure will slip over the OEM tips.

 

[sm1ke]

This weekend I got a few things done. Got the front windows tinted to 35%, installed a pair of LED reverse light bulbs, and replaced the slightly damaged SkyactivG emblem on the liftgate with a new one (Note: the OEM SkyactivG emblem is a pinned emblem that will leave 2 small holes if removed). I may actually remove the new emblem to properly polish that area, then reattach it. It's smaller than the old one, and I can still see the outline of the original emblem.

I also took some time on Saturday to polish the car. It isn't perfect, but it's like 80% there. I'm happy with maintaining it at this stage since the paint already has some imperfections from the last 3 years, like touch ups from rock chips on the hood, a small scratch that was made worse with touch up paint on a door, and a bit of wear and tear on the rear bumper from loading and unloading stuff in the trunk.

The flake in the paint really pops out now. Here's a quick video showing a before and after.

 

[shawnee]

Just had my front lower control arms and sway bar links replaced at a Mazda dealership. My CX-9 is currently at a little over 96,300 miles and still going strong. Haven’t had any issues with the car *knock on wood*.

After the install, I had the car aligned. Not sure what the issue is, but the steering isn’t centered (car keeps pulling to the left). I went back and got it aligned again, the issue is still there even though everything, according to the computer, is aligned.

Going to go back to the dealership and have them recheck the control arms and sway bar links and see whether they were installed properly.

 

[Speed3.5]

I always ask for print out of the alignment, you'll have something to compare before and after.

 

[sm1ke]

Payam and Terry over at Burger Tuning sent me some extensions for the second MAP sensor connector at the intercooler. This essentially makes disconnecting and reconnecting the JB4 much easier, though once it's installed there's really no reason to uninstall it unless you need to troubleshoot an issue or bring the car in for dealer service or recall/warranty work. Thanks again Burger Tuning! Can't wait to get this reinstalled on my 2022.

 

[Fawiek]

Payam and Terry over at Burger Tuning sent me some extensions for the second MAP sensor connector at the intercooler. This essentially makes disconnecting and reconnecting the JB4 much easier, though once it's installed there's really no reason to uninstall it unless you need to troubleshoot an issue or bring the car in for dealer service or recall/warranty work. Thanks again Burger Tuning! Can't wait to get this reinstalled on my 2022.

View attachment 344594

Thoughts on the Jb4 for the CX9?
I was thinking about it but then I saw how many ppl sold theirs privately and had second thoughts. Curious to see if anyone has pulls compared to another cx9, one with one without.

 

[N7turbo]

Thoughts on the Jb4 for the CX9?
I was thinking about it but then I saw how many ppl sold theirs privately and had second thoughts. Curious to see if anyone has pulls compared to another cx9, one with one without.

Keep in mind some people will sell them if they later upgrade to a full custom tune. Like how people with lowering springs sometimes later upgrade to full coilovers.

 

[sm1ke]

Thoughts on the Jb4 for the CX9?
I was thinking about it but then I saw how many ppl sold theirs privately and had second thoughts. Curious to see if anyone has pulls compared to another cx9, one with one without.

I love it! I'd say it's geared more towards the "casual" tuner, someone who just wants to plug it in and go. With that said, the JB4 community is full of people much more experienced with tuning who are comfortable with modifying parameters, interpreting the logs, and then making adjustments to suit their needs. So really it can go either way.

I'm very happy with mine. I happened to buy mine secondhand from a user here, who had it installed on a CX-5 turbo. They sold theirs because they moved to a different car.

As far as numbers go, I did test it out with a few 0-100km/h runs, comparing Map 0 (disabled) to Map 2 (93 octane). At the time, I only had access to Shell 91, but I sent a Map 1 log to Terry and he said I could run Map 2. I thought I posted pictures somewhere, but from what I recall, Map 0 resulted in a 0-100 time of 7.2 or 7.3s. The next run with Map 2 enabled gave me a time of 6.7-6.8s. It just feels more powerful all around. Since 93 became available in my area, I've been fueling up with that, but never bothered to check the 0-100 time, and then I traded the 2018 in for the 2022. When I get it installed on the 2022, I'll try to do another comparison.

Also, I noticed that Burger Tuning recently developed their own app, meant to be used with a different bluetooth module. Normally you'd have to pay an extra $150 USD for the bluetooth option, then pay for the JB4 Mobile app (something like $20-30 USD), which was developed and is supported by Dmac Mobile. I think back in May this year, they released the JB4PRO app, which was developed in-house, and is free. It uses a different bluetooth module, which is only $79 USD. Terry at Burger Tuning says that there's no real advantage to one or the other outside of price and presentation, so if I were buying new, I'd opt for the cheaper JB4PRO option.

 

[Fawiek]

I love it! I'd say it's geared more towards the "casual" tuner, someone who just wants to plug it in and go. With that said, the JB4 community is full of people much more experienced with tuning who are comfortable with modifying parameters, interpreting the logs, and then making adjustments to suit their needs. So really it can go either way.

I'm very happy with mine. I happened to buy mine secondhand from a user here, who had it installed on a CX-5 turbo. They sold theirs because they moved to a different car.

As far as numbers go, I did test it out with a few 0-100km/h runs, comparing Map 0 (disabled) to Map 2 (93 octane). At the time, I only had access to Shell 91, but I sent a Map 1 log to Terry and he said I could run Map 2. I thought I posted pictures somewhere, but from what I recall, Map 0 resulted in a 0-100 time of 7.2 or 7.3s. The next run with Map 2 enabled gave me a time of 6.7-6.8s. It just feels more powerful all around. Since 93 became available in my area, I've been fueling up with that, but never bothered to check the 0-100 time, and then I traded the 2018 in for the 2022. When I get it installed on the 2022, I'll try to do another comparison.

Also, I noticed that Burger Tuning recently developed their own app, meant to be used with a different bluetooth module. Normally you'd have to pay an extra $150 USD for the bluetooth option, then pay for the JB4 Mobile app (something like $20-30 USD), which was developed and is supported by Dmac Mobile. I think back in May this year, they released the JB4PRO app, which was developed in-house, and is free. It uses a different bluetooth module, which is only $79 USD. Terry at Burger Tuning says that there's no real advantage to one or the other outside of price and presentation, so if I were buying new, I'd opt for the cheaper JB4PRO option.

Nice... I recall you mentioning some times on another post using the 91 octane (before 93 was available to you).
Curious to see the new numbers under 93.

 

[Fawiek]

The VC70 can was shipped out to me, though later than expected. I'm going through reviewing it, but the early marker suggests outstanding video quality. Will post the official review on this forum.

Do we have a place in the forum to post the review @sm1ke ?

Hey guys...just a heads up, I posted the review of the RedTiger VC70 camera:

Thread 'RedTiger ViewClear 70 Review'

Oct 4, 2025

Hello All,

I received the RedTiger ViewClear 70 a few weeks ago (without purchase) and below is my honest review of the of the dashcam. I will get straight into it without the additional frills.

Firstly, I have extensive use with various Dashcams--I have used $500 cams (DOD LS470W) to the very cheap eBay cams. For comparison, I will compare the VC70 to the LS470W.

I have used the latter for almost 7 years that is hard wired into one of my vehicles. The video is excellent in night and day, thanks to the Sony sensor. Having used the LS470W for a number of years, it's a tough camera to...

• Fawiek
• dashcam review
• Replies: 0
• Forum: Redtiger

• 
• 

Check it out.

 

[shawnee]

Just had my front lower control arms and sway bar links replaced at a Mazda dealership. My CX-9 is currently at a little over 96,300 miles and still going strong. Haven’t had any issues with the car *knock on wood*.

After the install, I had the car aligned. Not sure what the issue is, but the steering isn’t centered (car keeps pulling to the left). I went back and got it aligned again, the issue is still there even though everything, according to the computer, is aligned.

Going to go back to the dealership and have them recheck the control arms and sway bar links and see whether they were installed properly.

So I went to back to the dealership and I was given a loaner. They gave me a 2025 Mazda CX-30 Premium Plus and good God, the headlights on the CX-30 are 100x better than on my CX-9. I have the adaptive headlights on my CX-9 and IIHS originally had them rated at G, but changed the rating to A.

According to the IIHS, the CX-30 low beams go 100m further than on my 2016 CX-9, while the high beams go almost 300m further. It’s kind of insane to think about. I know the CX-9 has BI-LED headlights, but I’m not sure whether the CX-30 has the same or a separate housing for the high beams.

As far as my steering issue, I dropped my car off on Friday at 10AM. So hopefully I get the car back on Monday, but haven’t gotten an update yet. Just praying the issue is as simple as reinstalling the control arms and sway bar links

 

[N7turbo]

I think that's the way the newer cars are going. Our ND3 MX-5 has brighter headlights than my CX-5, which are already pretty good.

 

[sm1ke]

Hey guys...just a heads up, I posted the review of the RedTiger VC70 camera:

Check it out.

I also posted my review of the F17 Elite dashcam here.

On the subject of headlights, I noticed that the low-beam cutoff on my 2022 CX-9 is different from my old 2018 CX-9. The old one had a relatively flat cutoff with a very slight step. The 2022 has more of a "hump" where the step used to be, which I believe helps illuminate further down the road without blinding oncoming traffic. I'll try to remember to get a picture of the "hump" later.

 

[shawnee]

So update on the off-center steering issue. To recap, I had my front lower control arms and sway bar end links replaced with OEM Mazda parts that were verified with my VIN. I got my vehicle back yesterday and the technician said they’re unable to recreate the issue. Went on a road test with them and the issue is still there but they basically turned a blind eye and said, “nah, that’s normal.” I’ve attached videos of my concern, as well as the alignment sheet the Mazda technician gave me.

Lmk if I’m going crazy or if you guys see the problem too

 

[njaremka]

So update on the off-center steering issue. To recap, I had my front lower control arms and sway bar end links replaced with OEM Mazda parts that were verified with my VIN. I got my vehicle back yesterday and the technician said they’re unable to recreate the issue. Went on a road test with them and the issue is still there but they basically turned a blind eye and said, “nah, that’s normal.” I’ve attached videos of my concern, as well as the alignment sheet the Mazda technician gave me.

Lmk if I’m going crazy or if you guys see the problem too

Based on those videos posted, doesn't look like there is a problem to me - appears to be driving pretty straight. Your alignment looks spot on, too.

 

[shawnee]

Based on those videos posted, doesn't look like there is a problem to me - appears to be driving pretty straight. Your alignment looks spot on, too.

You don’t think the steering wheel is off-center?