New 2018 GT owner

Our 2008 Santa Fe finally died on us. Tried out about 6 or 7 SUV's and the the CX-9 GT was the first car my wife walked away from saying "I LOVE IT." So as of last night, we're the new owners of a 2018 GT!

Little did I know that I was going to wind up going down a rabbit hole of things I need to upgrade or tweak to get it just perfect. Already on my list is:
  • Adding CarPlay. This is a high priority for me.
  • Adding a Nav card, since it didn't come with one. Thinking about just doing an aftermarket one instead of OEM??
  • Getting a second keyfob. Somehow it only came with one of them!
  • Adding roof racks. We have a Yakima skybox and would like to use that for camping and tailgaiting.
  • Disabling the speed limitations on the infotainment system. I work in IT, this doesn't seem crazy difficult.
I think that's it for starters.... Anything else I should be looking into as a new owner???
 
First, welcome to the boards! Congrats on the new car.


The spark plug change interval is shorter than some other cars (40k mi).

There is also a recently announced TSB regarding an engine coolant leak issue that stems from cracks in the cylinder head. It seems that this issue is becoming more common as the years go by, but not all engines will exhibit this issue - its just something to be aware of.

If your brakes clunk or squeal, a TSB exists for this as well. There is no safety concern associated with the noise, it's just an annoyance.
 
TSB for bumper crack

TSB for info screen with spider cracks


Since you'll be adding carplay which you can use your Google map, wouldn't adding Navi card redundant? But I guess since your family is the outdoor type, maybe no phone reception.
 
TSB for bumper crack

TSB for info screen with spider cracks


Since you'll be adding carplay which you can use your Google map, wouldn't adding Navi card redundant? But I guess since your family is the outdoor type, maybe no phone reception.
Two reasons:
1) For times when we don't connect the phone for some reason (or out of reception).
2) So it will add more information to the heads up display. Maybe that's fluff, but I think it's pretty geeky cool :)
 
First, welcome to the boards! Congrats on the new car.


The spark plug change interval is shorter than some other cars (40k mi).

There is also a recently announced TSB regarding an engine coolant leak issue that stems from cracks in the cylinder head. It seems that this issue is becoming more common as the years go by, but not all engines will exhibit this issue - its just something to be aware of.

If your brakes clunk or squeal, a TSB exists for this as well. There is no safety concern associated with the noise, it's just an annoyance.
Much appreciated! Will keep an eye out for those things...
 
Much appreciated! Will keep an eye out for those things...

Just a note, the nav SD card is basically just for the Traffic Sign Recognition, I think. An aftermarket card should work just fine, but confirm with the seller you're buying from just in case.

If you're using Google Maps, you can download offline maps to your phone so that you'll always have a navigation option. These maps will always work, regardless of whether or not you have a cellular signal, since they are saved on your phone, and the navigation directions are based on your GPS signal. I've been using offline maps since I found out about the feature a few years ago - worked great for my trips to Mexico, Hawaii, and California. I live in Canada and didn't spend a dime on roaming data charges.
 
Just a note, the nav SD card is basically just for the Traffic Sign Recognition, I think. An aftermarket card should work just fine, but confirm with the seller you're buying from just in case.

If you're using Google Maps, you can download offline maps to your phone so that you'll always have a navigation option. These maps will always work, regardless of whether or not you have a cellular signal, since they are saved on your phone, and the navigation directions are based on your GPS signal. I've been using offline maps since I found out about the feature a few years ago - worked great for my trips to Mexico, Hawaii, and California. I live in Canada and didn't spend a dime on roaming data charges.
I do use offline maps frequently... but that also requires a level of foresight I don't always have :) I know I don't NEED the Nav on there. But I hate having a feature built in that doesn't work fully LOL. So I'll probably still activate it anyway.
 
I do use offline maps frequently... but that also requires a level of foresight I don't always have :) I know I don't NEED the Nav on there. But I hate having a feature built in that doesn't work fully LOL. So I'll probably still activate it anyway.

I mean, the aftermarket card is pretty inexpensive, so you might as well, lol. (y)
 
All you need to know to disable touchscreen lock. You will need access to the connector, might as well do that while you install carplay

 
All you need to know to disable touchscreen lock. You will need access to the connector, might as well do that while you install carplay

Holy cow, that is AMAZING! Which tweaks have you done? And any reccomendation for how to get started with making sure the firmware is updated correctly?
 
Haven't really have the need for it since they released the official Apple CarPlay upgrade before I bought my 2018 GT. I am happy with that. So I know it exists but haven't installed it myself.

This AIO tweak used to be really easy to install, you could just install it through the USB port, but in CMU software version v59.00.502 and higher the CMU is locked down. You need to access the CMU physically and connect directly to it to unlock it. (See details at this link: Serial Connection ) For my need it wasn't really worth it.


If you are going to do the AA and CarPlay install yourself, you need to gain access to the CMU, that is why I suggested doing both at the same time. Here are steps for that install: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Also, check out the ressource section for other "How-to" and guides.
 
Welcome to the forums! The others have covered what to watch out for pretty well. Shame yours didn’t have a second remote. I don’t understand how people lose those.

Sounds like you like tech so may I suggest a Fortin Evo One remote start and Comma.ai? I am still trying to convince my wife to be ok with Comma.ai; she doesn’t trust a third party advanced driving system.
 
I'll be looking into the Fortin Evo One. But Comma.ai isn't going to happen LOL

I've been looking for info about how to update firmware. Seems like most of the old threads are linking to things that have been taken down. Anybody have a current set of instructions?
 
I'll be looking into the Fortin Evo One. But Comma.ai isn't going to happen LOL

I've been looking for info about how to update firmware. Seems like most of the old threads are linking to things that have been taken down. Anybody have a current set of instructions?
I believe Mazda is going pretty hard after people that host that firmware. Not sure if you’ll be able to find it
 
Hmmm.... so if I want to add Carplay, am I wrong that I need to update the firmware??
You are correct. You will probably need an update. What firmware are you on right now? Good luck finding the correct firmware on the internet. Mazda has been taking the links down
 
If you are in the NA region and need firmware update files (.up files) just send me a direct message with the firmware version you're looking for (and confirm that you're looking for NA region) and I will help you out. The other people here are correct - Mazda went hard issuing DMCA takedowns for those hosting the files. This is why I will not just post a link on here but instead send the files directly to those who need it if they reach out to me.
 
My current firmware is 59.00.546 NA N

So should I just try to upgrade it to the most recent version then?

Just trying to wrap my mind around all this. Is this right?

1) Upgrade Firmware
2) Get CarPlay hardware
3) While CarPlay is getting installed, install Tweaks via serial port
4) Finish CarPlay installation
5) Enjoy all the new things.
 
I would wait for CarPlay to be installed and then before buttoning everything back up, install tweaks. I’m sure that’s what you meant, but just had to say it
 
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