First of all, here's how to run the wires for your camera.
Here are the list of tools you will need - these are not optional:
One of those plastic panel pieces (two would be better).
One Phillips head screwdriver.
One 10mm socket, with extension.
Electrical tape.
6 Pack of beer (the higher the gravity the better)
Gatoraide.
Paper towels.
Flashlight.
Drill.
Registration.
Driver license.
Proof of Insurance.
I read on other threads, this project can be done in the rain, during your lunch hour. I needed 3.5 hours to 'complete' the task. Here's a list of the way things should be done as well as a few things that should NOT be done.
Choose a nice cool, dry evening. Once the sun goes down, and the humidity kicks up, your freshly waxed CX-5 gets slippery! A warm humid night is not the time to install your camera. And you might want to leave your dog inside. Mine wanted to watch, so he came outside with me.
First, empty your glove box. You don't have to empty your glove box, it will be done for you at a later point, so go ahead and do it now, particularly if you have a random assortment of screws in your glovebox that look like the screws you'll be taking out for the radio. Do not take everything out of your car, leave your wallet, registration and proof of insurance in your car.
Follow these instructions for removing the back door covers. I would suggest either printing this out or writing it down. I apparently have dyslexic mechanical abilities and did this in the opposite order of the link listed above. My method is to be avoided at all costs. And those little push-tabs, don't place them on the black back mat, unless you want to look for them in the driveway later (flashlight). This part is fairly simple. even if you do it backwards. I can't wait to see how it looks tomorrow in the daylight.
The Devil's Appendix. That's what I now call the rubber boot where the wires come through the gate, into the body of the car. The Devil's Appendix in this post, about at the bottom of post #2. If you're following my order of this project, this will be the hardest thing you'll have done so far. You need to fish the cable through this 4 inch section of flexible rubber tubing. It sounds easy, it looks like it should be easy, but this part of the project caused more frustration and cursing than any part of the project thus far. After an unimaginable amount of time trying to get the wire through the tubing, I tried to take it off. Eventually, I discovered it's easier to reach your hand inside the cavity of the door and push it out - it's pretty easy after you figure out that little magic trick. I eventually used a 'milking' motion to grab, milk and pull. I wish I could better describe this method, but once you're doing it, you'll see what I mean. Then follow the rest of the directions in this post. The closer YOU follow it, the better your results and time will be.
Take a break and enjoy a beer - you've earned it, the sun is getting low now and you're nowhere near completion. Let your mind dissolve into bliss as the amber essence of the gods tickles your liver and washes away frustration. The dog is now back inside, when I cuss, he usually goes to his crate, so he's really confused and it's hot as hell outside now. Resist the urge for a second beer - you have work to do!
The second picture of this post is critical. See where that screw needs to be taken out? Maybe you should just loosen it and NOT take it all the way out like I did. As I was fishing the cable through this piece is when I heard the strange little clinking of some metallic object falling into the body below. Bahumbug, I will worry about that later. The rest of the post is just a continuation of fishing the cables up to and along the baseboard (I have no idea what they're really called). It's one of the easier parts of the whole project and having the panel tool really helps! I do suggest a non-black panel tool, as I lost mine multiple times on the black carpet when I set it down.
Hurray! You're at the glove box. Remember how I said to empty it? Well, this is the time where it empties itself if you haven't already. It sort of stays in place a few magical seconds and then dumps the entire contents into the floorboard of the passenger seat - that's where I put all the tools and screws and panel push-tabs. Now, there's a huge mess of business cards, receipts, your proof of insurance and registration. Move the items you're not using to a box that you put on the porch and then move the items you are using to the back cargo area on top of the all black mat. There's no way this can go wrong.
Now it's time to take apart the dash and access the radio. Here's an excellent post on how to access the radio and remove the trim. That long skinny, shiny piece is actually easy to remove with the panel tool, and it only took me five minutes to fin it - again. The trim around the radio, that's little harder to get off and required a little more force than I wanted to use. I don't really know how I managed to pull it off, it was like seas suddenly parted and it floated off - crazy. There are two phillips head screws holding the radio in and they're easy to get off. The 10mm bolt is a different story. I had a long handled screwdriver with socket attachment. I couldn't manage to get the bolt out with the screwdriver, but this is where I first used the electrical tape to cover the first cut. Nothing feels quite like having a piece of plastic rip off the skin just behind the cuticle on your thumb. So, I went inside to get the socket, with both extensions and another beer.
The sun is now completely gone and 95% humidity has caused a nice layer of dew to settle all over the outside and most of the inside of your car. The second beer actually tastes better. I am now more relaxed, at ease and ready to continue my quest!
This 10mm bolt must have been put in by the Hulk using Thor's hammer! Am I really going to have to use a break bar?! The radio was added by the dealer as part of a 'tech' package to the Sport CX-5. Next time I am in for service, I am going to see which former strong-man/linebacker works there, I will be sure to NOT make him angry.
Well, everything is connected, so let's start the car and see if this really is plug-n-play. Vrooom. Reverse - and sweet mother of all things holy - it actually works and I didn't have to splice a single wire! Now it's time to put this bad boy back together and permanently mount the camera, which I threaded through the license plate light.
I actually opted to drill a hole for the camera. It came with a hole bit included and the fit is perfect! Now tp snap that license light back in ... yeah, this is proving to be rather difficult. I'm trying to get a good grip and push down on the light, but the metal is now wet with dew. My hand slips, the door lifts, as I fall, delivering a very nice uppercut, which caused to to fall into the back of the cargo area, pulling all of the screws and push-tabs onto the black gravel driveway. The dog, who was watching from the glass door, goes back into his crate.
Find all the pieces you dropped. A good flashlight is essential. I actually found every piece - shocking, but true. I didn't lose a single piece and for that, I am rather proud of my search and recover skills.
Click, snap, and twist - it's all back together. Except for the one screw that came from the panel where the back seatbelt is. I guess that sound was the sound of some clip or something falling into the abyss. I search and search, but I can not find this piece. If you happen to know what this pieces part number is, please let me know as I am rather certain it's gone forever and is also some part critical to the rear passenger side seat belt. This shall be where my mother-in-law sits for the foreseeable future. All the pieces are back together!
What's that bolt in the are under the radio. Damnit! It's the 10mm bolt. #@#$(7*^$!!! There's no way in hell I'm going to take this whole thing apart again tonight. I will let it rattle. Screw this - hahaha, a pun.
Testing. I am still in shock this thing actually works. It only took me 3.5 hours and my sense of accomplishment is high. The picture is a little grainy, being it's midnight, so I opt to test this in the local grocery store parking lot where there are plenty of lights and yellow lines to check accuracy and positioning. After multiple times backing around the parking lot, getting out of the car to see where exactly the bumper will be at the red line, that's when the blue lights come on. It seems, that backing around the grocery store parking lot at midnight, getting out of the car and then continuing to drive in reverse all around the parking lot is frowned upon.
This is when you flash back to your registration, proof of insurance and wallet all sitting in a box on your porch. Being an older white guy, I have to say, I've never had an officer approach me with such trepidation. Was it the continual reverse driving, the getting out of the car and jumping up and down and cheering, or maybe my sweat soaked shirt and hair. It's the only time I have ever heard a policeman 'break the ice'
Officer: Hello sir, how are you doing this evening?
Dawhoo: I am fine, I just finished installing a reverse camera in my car and was out here testing how it work and ...
Officer: Do you have an ID on you?
Dawhoo: Uhhh, no, it's in a box on my porch, along with my registration, proof of insurance and dignity. When I was fishing the wires through the footwell, I had to loosen the glove box and it ended up dumping everything on the floorboard and I put it all in a box ...
Officer: Have you had anything to drink this evening Mr Dawhoo?
Dawhoo: Uhhh - yes, but what you're smelling is the alcohol I've already sweated out. I have had 2 beers in the last 3.5 hours - seriously. I'm going to have a lot more after I get home and start writing about this on the Mazda 24 ...
Officer: You know your plates don't match this vehicle?
Dawhoo: Oh, I just got the car last week and the dealer hasn't pushed the registration yet, I transferred the tags from my other Mazda, which was white. I know my driver license number, my insurance number and I live less than 1000 yards from here I would be happy to ...
So he runs my license number and follows me to the house, where I show him my ID, registration, bill of sale, two empty beer bottles still on the porch, and proof of insurance. He had a little chuckle and drove away.
So this is how I installed my aftermarket back up camera - you may want to skip a few steps.
Here are the list of tools you will need - these are not optional:
One of those plastic panel pieces (two would be better).
One Phillips head screwdriver.
One 10mm socket, with extension.
Electrical tape.
6 Pack of beer (the higher the gravity the better)
Gatoraide.
Paper towels.
Flashlight.
Drill.
Registration.
Driver license.
Proof of Insurance.
I read on other threads, this project can be done in the rain, during your lunch hour. I needed 3.5 hours to 'complete' the task. Here's a list of the way things should be done as well as a few things that should NOT be done.
Choose a nice cool, dry evening. Once the sun goes down, and the humidity kicks up, your freshly waxed CX-5 gets slippery! A warm humid night is not the time to install your camera. And you might want to leave your dog inside. Mine wanted to watch, so he came outside with me.
First, empty your glove box. You don't have to empty your glove box, it will be done for you at a later point, so go ahead and do it now, particularly if you have a random assortment of screws in your glovebox that look like the screws you'll be taking out for the radio. Do not take everything out of your car, leave your wallet, registration and proof of insurance in your car.
Follow these instructions for removing the back door covers. I would suggest either printing this out or writing it down. I apparently have dyslexic mechanical abilities and did this in the opposite order of the link listed above. My method is to be avoided at all costs. And those little push-tabs, don't place them on the black back mat, unless you want to look for them in the driveway later (flashlight). This part is fairly simple. even if you do it backwards. I can't wait to see how it looks tomorrow in the daylight.
The Devil's Appendix. That's what I now call the rubber boot where the wires come through the gate, into the body of the car. The Devil's Appendix in this post, about at the bottom of post #2. If you're following my order of this project, this will be the hardest thing you'll have done so far. You need to fish the cable through this 4 inch section of flexible rubber tubing. It sounds easy, it looks like it should be easy, but this part of the project caused more frustration and cursing than any part of the project thus far. After an unimaginable amount of time trying to get the wire through the tubing, I tried to take it off. Eventually, I discovered it's easier to reach your hand inside the cavity of the door and push it out - it's pretty easy after you figure out that little magic trick. I eventually used a 'milking' motion to grab, milk and pull. I wish I could better describe this method, but once you're doing it, you'll see what I mean. Then follow the rest of the directions in this post. The closer YOU follow it, the better your results and time will be.
Take a break and enjoy a beer - you've earned it, the sun is getting low now and you're nowhere near completion. Let your mind dissolve into bliss as the amber essence of the gods tickles your liver and washes away frustration. The dog is now back inside, when I cuss, he usually goes to his crate, so he's really confused and it's hot as hell outside now. Resist the urge for a second beer - you have work to do!
The second picture of this post is critical. See where that screw needs to be taken out? Maybe you should just loosen it and NOT take it all the way out like I did. As I was fishing the cable through this piece is when I heard the strange little clinking of some metallic object falling into the body below. Bahumbug, I will worry about that later. The rest of the post is just a continuation of fishing the cables up to and along the baseboard (I have no idea what they're really called). It's one of the easier parts of the whole project and having the panel tool really helps! I do suggest a non-black panel tool, as I lost mine multiple times on the black carpet when I set it down.
Hurray! You're at the glove box. Remember how I said to empty it? Well, this is the time where it empties itself if you haven't already. It sort of stays in place a few magical seconds and then dumps the entire contents into the floorboard of the passenger seat - that's where I put all the tools and screws and panel push-tabs. Now, there's a huge mess of business cards, receipts, your proof of insurance and registration. Move the items you're not using to a box that you put on the porch and then move the items you are using to the back cargo area on top of the all black mat. There's no way this can go wrong.
Now it's time to take apart the dash and access the radio. Here's an excellent post on how to access the radio and remove the trim. That long skinny, shiny piece is actually easy to remove with the panel tool, and it only took me five minutes to fin it - again. The trim around the radio, that's little harder to get off and required a little more force than I wanted to use. I don't really know how I managed to pull it off, it was like seas suddenly parted and it floated off - crazy. There are two phillips head screws holding the radio in and they're easy to get off. The 10mm bolt is a different story. I had a long handled screwdriver with socket attachment. I couldn't manage to get the bolt out with the screwdriver, but this is where I first used the electrical tape to cover the first cut. Nothing feels quite like having a piece of plastic rip off the skin just behind the cuticle on your thumb. So, I went inside to get the socket, with both extensions and another beer.
The sun is now completely gone and 95% humidity has caused a nice layer of dew to settle all over the outside and most of the inside of your car. The second beer actually tastes better. I am now more relaxed, at ease and ready to continue my quest!
This 10mm bolt must have been put in by the Hulk using Thor's hammer! Am I really going to have to use a break bar?! The radio was added by the dealer as part of a 'tech' package to the Sport CX-5. Next time I am in for service, I am going to see which former strong-man/linebacker works there, I will be sure to NOT make him angry.
Well, everything is connected, so let's start the car and see if this really is plug-n-play. Vrooom. Reverse - and sweet mother of all things holy - it actually works and I didn't have to splice a single wire! Now it's time to put this bad boy back together and permanently mount the camera, which I threaded through the license plate light.
I actually opted to drill a hole for the camera. It came with a hole bit included and the fit is perfect! Now tp snap that license light back in ... yeah, this is proving to be rather difficult. I'm trying to get a good grip and push down on the light, but the metal is now wet with dew. My hand slips, the door lifts, as I fall, delivering a very nice uppercut, which caused to to fall into the back of the cargo area, pulling all of the screws and push-tabs onto the black gravel driveway. The dog, who was watching from the glass door, goes back into his crate.
Find all the pieces you dropped. A good flashlight is essential. I actually found every piece - shocking, but true. I didn't lose a single piece and for that, I am rather proud of my search and recover skills.
Click, snap, and twist - it's all back together. Except for the one screw that came from the panel where the back seatbelt is. I guess that sound was the sound of some clip or something falling into the abyss. I search and search, but I can not find this piece. If you happen to know what this pieces part number is, please let me know as I am rather certain it's gone forever and is also some part critical to the rear passenger side seat belt. This shall be where my mother-in-law sits for the foreseeable future. All the pieces are back together!
What's that bolt in the are under the radio. Damnit! It's the 10mm bolt. #@#$(7*^$!!! There's no way in hell I'm going to take this whole thing apart again tonight. I will let it rattle. Screw this - hahaha, a pun.
Testing. I am still in shock this thing actually works. It only took me 3.5 hours and my sense of accomplishment is high. The picture is a little grainy, being it's midnight, so I opt to test this in the local grocery store parking lot where there are plenty of lights and yellow lines to check accuracy and positioning. After multiple times backing around the parking lot, getting out of the car to see where exactly the bumper will be at the red line, that's when the blue lights come on. It seems, that backing around the grocery store parking lot at midnight, getting out of the car and then continuing to drive in reverse all around the parking lot is frowned upon.
This is when you flash back to your registration, proof of insurance and wallet all sitting in a box on your porch. Being an older white guy, I have to say, I've never had an officer approach me with such trepidation. Was it the continual reverse driving, the getting out of the car and jumping up and down and cheering, or maybe my sweat soaked shirt and hair. It's the only time I have ever heard a policeman 'break the ice'
Officer: Hello sir, how are you doing this evening?
Dawhoo: I am fine, I just finished installing a reverse camera in my car and was out here testing how it work and ...
Officer: Do you have an ID on you?
Dawhoo: Uhhh, no, it's in a box on my porch, along with my registration, proof of insurance and dignity. When I was fishing the wires through the footwell, I had to loosen the glove box and it ended up dumping everything on the floorboard and I put it all in a box ...
Officer: Have you had anything to drink this evening Mr Dawhoo?
Dawhoo: Uhhh - yes, but what you're smelling is the alcohol I've already sweated out. I have had 2 beers in the last 3.5 hours - seriously. I'm going to have a lot more after I get home and start writing about this on the Mazda 24 ...
Officer: You know your plates don't match this vehicle?
Dawhoo: Oh, I just got the car last week and the dealer hasn't pushed the registration yet, I transferred the tags from my other Mazda, which was white. I know my driver license number, my insurance number and I live less than 1000 yards from here I would be happy to ...
So he runs my license number and follows me to the house, where I show him my ID, registration, bill of sale, two empty beer bottles still on the porch, and proof of insurance. He had a little chuckle and drove away.
So this is how I installed my aftermarket back up camera - you may want to skip a few steps.
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