Can the Mazda5's DIS be activated?

[southpawboston]

hi all,

first post! i take delivery of a 2010 mazda5 sport MT this friday after trading in my beloved 2006 Mazda3 S touring MT. although sad to see the 3 go, i can't wait! first long trip with the family will be saturday with the 5 packed to the gills.

the mazda3 had a DIS (driver information display) built into the head unit, with which the driver could toggle current speed, average speed, current gas consumption, average gas consumption, and miles to empty. it occupied the same space as the clock, and toggled between DIS and clock using the clock button. only the grand touring trim level came with this as an advertised feature, but the lesser trim levels still had it, albeit in a locked, inactive state. i was able to activate it using a "secret" button combo on the head unit. this was published years ago on the mazda3 forum and worked for several different model years. later (08? 09?), mazda caught on to the freebie and disabled it.

does anyone know if the mazda5 has such a display? and if so, has anyone figured out how to activate it? i've been told that there is no 2010 mazda5 trim level that has this feature. was it on earlier mazda5's?

 

[njaremka]

it doesnt work on my 2008 model

 

[skyhawk]

Not in my 2006.

 

[KBrian]

The Mazda5 for N.A. has never had, and still does not have a driver information display or trip computer (hidden or otherwise).

Others on this forum have had good results with the scantool device to monitor engine functions and fuel consumption.

 

[southpawboston]

The Mazda5 for N.A. has never had, and still does not have a driver information display or trip computer (hidden or otherwise).

Others on this forum have had good results with the scantool device to monitor engine functions and fuel consumption.

yep, the scantool is an option, since all that info is there (in every car with OBDII)... just needs an interface. i'll bet that interface is there, just locked... the UK version of the 5 has the trip computer, and in the spirit of global manufacturing, i'm thinking that all the wiring harnesses are there in every regional variant of the car... and the head unit display (where the DIS would be) is probably the same in every car.

 

[jimp]

you can get a Scanguage II which connects to the OBDII, they are ~$150, and gives you more info than you can use, can read/clear CEL codes, monitor just about every engine function that the ECU monitors/controls for the most part.

 

[flcruising]

Here's the closest I could get. This was by holding down the power button (with it on radio) and pressing the ^SEEK button.


With the display info for it being there, and since the radio has a speed signal fed to it, I'd assume it could be possible. But then again, the LCD is probably the same one used for years with the DIS units or not.


The only button combinations I could get to other features was by holding down the power button and then another. If you do the power/media button combo, you get a 'PRESS KEY' message and then each button you press it gives you a description of what it does. The one I haven't figured out is preset 4, as it says 4/PROGRAM. But I couldn't get beyond that.

 

[5zoom]

Even if we can get it activated, the button to cycle through the display is a blank in our vans. I believe the blank on the right side of the hazard switch, next to the stability control button blank(unless you have a 2010) is the DISP button. At least that is what I've seen on non-NA models on the internet.

 

[flcruising]

If that's the case, then maybe I should remove the radio and inspect the rear of this thing. Even though the button isn't present, doesn't mean the harness or radio doesn't accept an input from it.

 

[AIMWO4]

Let us know! I have a DashHawk.

 

[steinwayb]

I installed an auto-dimming rear view mirror on my wife's 2006 Mazda5 Sport, because she wanted an outside temperature display (the mirror also has a built in compass which displayed N, S, etc). The first step was to go under the front of the car and remove the factory installed temperature sensor. That did get me thinking about a way to simply activate the factory installed sensor, but I could not figure out a way to do this, and it sounds like there isn't from this discussion. I am sure the display is the same and I am sure the wiring is all there. When I was repairing a stuck front power window, I had to remove the door panel. I also found speaker wires running to the triangular piece of trim on the other side of the side view mirror. I am not sure if they are active, but they probably are. So, if I really cared (but I don't) I am pretty sure I could just install some tweeters and hook them up to the factory wires and they would work. Getting back to the display issue, I bet there is a way...but I also bet that we don't be able to figure it out...unless someone out there knows someone who works at Mazda!

 

[southpawboston]

Here's the closest I could get. This was by holding down the power button (with it on radio) and pressing the ^SEEK button.


With the display info for it being there, and since the radio has a speed signal fed to it, I'd assume it could be possible. But then again, the LCD is probably the same one used for years with the DIS units or not.


The only button combinations I could get to other features was by holding down the power button and then another. If you do the power/media button combo, you get a 'PRESS KEY' message and then each button you press it gives you a description of what it does. The one I haven't figured out is preset 4, as it says 4/PROGRAM. But I couldn't get beyond that.

you can clearly see in your pic that the clock display has the DIS display built in (look at the avg/remaining/L/100km/mpg stamps). this is exactly how the mazda3's clock display looks. there were no additional buttons on the mazda3, either. on the left of the head unit, there was a button that said "clock" and next to it a button that read ":00". you would use these two buttons to set the clock. BUT, once the DIS was activated by the secret combo, the ":00" button also toggled the display between clock and DIS functions.

on the 2010 mazda head unit, there are three clock buttons: H/M/:00. i'll bet the :00 button doubles as the DIS toggle once activated.

at this point, i'm convinced that the DIS is there but disabled. the problem is that mazda isn't leaking the button combo to activate it. i remember the button combo being very complicated on the mazda3; it was not a combo that you could come up with simply by trying a few different combos.

also, each year, mazda would change the code. by '08 or '09 it became impossible to activate. so, maybe mazda did something more "industrial strength" to lock the DIS. i don't have high hopes for the mazda5 DIS. i figured i'd at least post what i knew and ask if anyone had cracked it.

 

[flcruising]

My '08 has the same clock buttons your '10 - as you can see from the pictures.

Is there a way to determine firmware?

Is this radio interchangeable with the Mz3?

 

[wmzda5]

I installed an auto-dimming rear view mirror on my wife's 2006 Mazda5 Sport, because she wanted an outside temperature display (the mirror also has a built in compass which displayed N, S, etc). The first step was to go under the front of the car and remove the factory installed temperature sensor. That did get me thinking about a way to simply activate the factory installed sensor, but I could not figure out a way to do this, and it sounds like there isn't from this discussion. I am sure the display is the same and I am sure the wiring is all there. When I was repairing a stuck front power window, I had to remove the door panel. I also found speaker wires running to the triangular piece of trim on the other side of the side view mirror. I am not sure if they are active, but they probably are. So, if I really cared (but I don't) I am pretty sure I could just install some tweeters and hook them up to the factory wires and they would work. Getting back to the display issue, I bet there is a way...but I also bet that we don't be able to figure it out...unless someone out there knows someone who works at Mazda!

Yes the wire harness to the tweeter loc is active, it has been done here a long time ago by guys with a base GS trim, also you could have heated side mirrors too, you need only to buy the actual mirrors with the filament, the harness is ready.

I believe the sports does not come with cc so you will not have display for amb temp. it is standard for GT trim.

 

[Silentnoise713]

hi all,

first post! i take delivery of a 2010 mazda5 sport MT this friday after trading in my beloved 2006 Mazda3 S touring MT. although sad to see the 3 go, i can't wait! first long trip with the family will be saturday with the 5 packed to the gills.

the mazda3 had a DIS (driver information display) built into the head unit, with which the driver could toggle current speed, average speed, current gas consumption, average gas consumption, and miles to empty. it occupied the same space as the clock, and toggled between DIS and clock using the clock button. only the grand touring trim level came with this as an advertised feature, but the lesser trim levels still had it, albeit in a locked, inactive state. i was able to activate it using a "secret" button combo on the head unit. this was published years ago on the mazda3 forum and worked for several different model years. later (08? 09?), mazda caught on to the freebie and disabled it.

does anyone know if the mazda5 has such a display? and if so, has anyone figured out how to activate it? i've been told that there is no 2010 mazda5 trim level that has this feature. was it on earlier mazda5's?

This is a very interesting thread. I cannot contribute but my gut tells me there is a code involved.

Any other Mazda that has DIS and uses the same radio (Mz3, CX7, CX9, Mz6?). Can check those forums to see if a code exist and give it a try. It is possbile that the faceplate of the HU looks the same but the firmware on the different years has this functionality -or not.



flcrusing – Care to play with it some more? See if you can follow any of the steps below.
http://forums.mazdaworld.org/112-mazda3/72892-how-unlock-trip-computer.html

________________________________________
Requirements:
- Mazda3 (2006-2007 it seems) with steering wheel audio controls (can be i, s, or Mazdaspeed)

Steps:

- Before you [put the key in] the engine, hold the CD and AM/FM buttons.
- Start the engine (keep holding the CD and AM/FM buttons).
- After a few seconds, you should see the display read "DIS ON" (driver information system)
- Stop the engine.
- Start the engine again.
- Touch the SET button (':00' button on 2008 including Mazdaspeed3) to see the trip computer.
- Touch the TIME button to see the time.

Your owner’s manual explains how to use the trip computer. With the ignition switch ON, press the SET button (manual says INFO button) to cycle through these 4 options.

- CONSUM CUR: Current fuel economy (calculated every 2 seconds)
- CONSUM AV: Average fuel economy (since battery was connected or resetting the trip computer, displayed every minute, to clear: hold SET for 1+ seconds until the display clears)
- REMNG: Distance you can travel on remaining fuel (must add more than 5.3 gallons to reset it)
- AV: Average vehicle speed (displayed every 10 seconds, to clear: hold SET for 1+ seconds until display clears)

 

[Davebert]

I have looked into this. The are 2 CAN bus on the M5 a High Speed(HS 500Kb/s) and Medium Speed(MS 125Kb/s). Both bus are available on the ODB2 or D-01(DATA LINK CONNECTOR2 from the workshop manual) connector.

The MS CAN bus is used for non critical functions such as the DIS, audio and climate control. According to the following web site that is trying to decode the Mazda 3 CAN bus message IDs, the information for fuel consumption and mileage are there.

http://www.madox.net/blog/projects/mazda-can-bus/

There are also IDs for writing directly to the DIS so basically someone can build a proper CAN bus interface and can write whatever message they want onto the DIS. Someone on the RX8 forum has done this it is call the Goodbox, but his motivation was to show Turbo manifold pressure.

GOOD Box

So, assuming Mazda has put this feature in the M5 and they would use the same CAN message ID on all their other model. It is pretty likely that with the proper CAN ID sent through the MS CAN bus one can enable the fuel consumption display on the DIS.

Just some food for though.

 

[flcruising]

The GOODBox looks to be an awesome item! Defintely worth $220.

It even displays DTCs on the LCD.

Too bad it won't work with the Mazda3, therefore probably us too. Booo!

 

[Davebert]

Taiwan version of the M5

Looks like the Taiwan version of the Mazda5 has the trip computer available. Here is a picture of the display:

Here is the URL of the article (in Chinese) doing mileage comparison.

http://www.mobile01.com/newsdetail.php?id=8405

So, that feature might be already in the North America version, just a matter of sending the car computer the right code to activate it.

 

[flcruising]

But that also shows an 'INFO' button right of the hazard switch that I think was mentioned being needed to activate/toggle this information.

 

[amcmike]

But that also shows an 'INFO' button right of the hazard switch that I think was mentioned being needed to activate/toggle this information.

Thought our 2009 GT has the info button. Can't wait to get home and check. If this does work, anyway to change it from metric to MPG?