Possibly a paddle shift swap into Gen 2 CX-5

[Avoidin Deer]

haha... 3-on the tree...those were fun! You're showing your age. I'd learned the art on an ancient chevy p/u. Manual steering, manual brakes and 3-on-the-tree. Years later I owned a 66 Malibu/Chevelle that had it. Sooo much slop in those linkages by the time I'd operated either of them, made for some interesting situations!

I learned to drive on a '64 American station wagon. Flathead 6, column shift, absolutely zero compression. It would bog down going up steep hills. You would downshift all the way to (non-synchronized) 1st gear. I'd tell you how much oil that thing burned, but someone with respiratory ailments who reads this might have a Cause-of-Action against me! Conversely, if you never got malaria, you might have me to thank.

My father had a penchant for offbeat cars (Simca, Vauxhall, International Travelall.) We also had a couple of Studebakers (Lark, no Golden Hawk or Avante).

He had a couple of Nash Metropolitans with column shift (front wheel drive, transverse-mounted 948cc engines). I recall playing in them as a kid. You had no idea where the gears were. It was like stirring a cup of coffee.

Good times!

 

[concept]

I had paddle shifters in my Mazda 3 and I've gotten accustomed to downshifting to slow down as you would in a stick shift. On downhills to engine brake so I don't have to ride the brakes as much. I rarely used it to upshift. It's really just personal preference. I really do miss it.
I think think what most people who haven't tried a Mazda with paddle shifters don't realize is that there's no need to shift the gear shifter into Manual mode. You can just flick the paddle shift down a gear to engine brake for instance and after you start to cruise again, the system will automatically revert back into Drive. This is what I loved the most about it.

The auto transmission in my 2014 3 is much more intelligent than the transmissions in any other vehicle I've driven. When I lift off the gas pedal for more than a certain amount of time, the transmission downshifts. This really save the brakes because I am almost always going down a hill or approaching a stop sign/light.
So with my 3, the paddle shifters are not as fun as a dual clutch trans, nor do they have a braking advantage over the excellent intelligent transmission.

 

[Sacandagadan]

Oh yea,three on a tree!Had a 65 or 6 Ford Econoline.I believe it was a 170 cu.in.6 cyl.or might of been a 140,gutless but sure had some fun In that thing! Later I had a 60s Peaugot 404 or 405? I swear it was a 4 spd.on the column...I think...hey it was the 70s!

 

[CX-5um]

I live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. As outsiders say, "Your roads are paved goat paths!!!" I drive in manual mode all the time.

I just looked at the Kenstyle site, and they have paddle shifters for CX-5s, but the descriptions say:
*For vehicles equipped with genuine paddle shifter.
*Can not be installed on vehicles not equipped with genuine paddle shifter.

I don't understand. The vehicles they list never came with paddle shifters.
I'll have to call them when I'm ready.

Pretty sure one of us already installed a Kenstyle shifter on a CX-5 with pics/instructions posted.

 

[RedBaron]

The Kenstyle shifters appear to be replacement paddle bars only. So you have to have factory paddles to replace.

 

[:: Gusto ::]

There is a video on YouTube shows u how to wire it up & what parts are needed to do it..

Considered doing it myself too... But the installation look like a huge pain..

Here..

 

[Avoidin Deer]

There is a video on YouTube shows u how to wire it up & what parts are needed to do it..

Considered doing it myself too... But the installation look like a huge pain..

Here..

Yeh, I would absolutely pay someone to do it.

I've done my own work back in the days of points & condensers and roll-down windows, but these days nothing more than oil changes and light bulb swaps.

 

[concept]

Yeh, I would absolutely pay someone to do it.

I've done my own work back in the days of points & condensers and roll-down windows, but these days nothing more than oil changes and light bulb swaps.

You can't change engine and cabin air filters? How sad!

 

[Avoidin Deer]

You can't change engine and cabin air filters? How sad!

Well, yeh, I can do that. (Got a link to a video?)

When I purchased my 1959 Autsin Healey, I swapped out the engine & transmission to upgrade from a 948cc to a 1098cc, and I swapped out the front end with a later model MG so I could have disc brakes.

But all that stuff was so straight-forward.

 

[MazMetalhead]

I would think a Jeep Gladiator would be offered with a MT, b Truck-wise, really couldn't tell you what can be equipped w/ a MT anymore.

Tacoma and Frontier are still flying the flag, and that's it. Yes, Gladiator too. Colorado, Canyon and Ram heavy duty all dropped the MT in the past year or two.

 

[Avoidin Deer]

Tacoma and Frontier are still flying the flag, and that's it. Yes, Gladiator too. Colorado, Canyon and Ram heavy duty all dropped the MT in the past year or two.

That's interesting. I don't believe a manual transmission was offered in 2005 when I bought my Canyon. Did they offer it in some narrow window?

 

[Stickygreen]

They were offered in Colorado/canyons in the newest body for a couple years, but only in extended cab/2wd/4 cylinder trim.

I have to drive a truck for work and have never been able to enjoy driving an automatic. My old truck is the very last of the manual half-tons sold stateside...2008 Ram 1500 v8 4wd with a Getrag 6-spd. Truck currently has over 360k miles and don’t ever plan to get rid of it. Newer truck is a 6spd ‘16 ram 2500 diesel, and now might have to hang on to this one a while too since they discontinued the G56 after 2018.

 

[tibimakai]

Yeah, the Kenstyle paddles, are replacement for the existing small plastic paddles. They look good and feel so good(they are most likely aluminum).

 

[tibimakai]

I'm reviving this thread, sorry about that, I want to swap back the factory paddles(I had the Kenstyle ones) and I don't remember how to install them, no matter what I do, they won't shift the gears.
I'm fiddling with those plastic/spring shafts, but no matter what I do, the shifters won't work. they shift mechanically as they should, but the gears are not getting changed.
I see a little copper pad down there, with a slot in it. The plastic shaft flat end, should go in that slot? I can't see, or feel, if it is in there, or not.
Anybody did this recently, and could remind me what I'm missing here?
I did this many years ago, and I have forgot what I did back then.
Any help would be appreciated.
If I can't fix it, I will have to remove the switches, and it would be shame.

 

[tibimakai]

Here is the assembly, but I don't understand in Japanese.

 

[TBarney]

Here is the assembly, but I don't understand in Japanese.

Download Google Translate to your phone, set it to Camera mode, Japanese>>English and aim it at your screen while you watch the video. It works. For example, the warning at 2:15 says, "Attention!! Make sure that the white plastic parts are securely inserted into the metal fittings, long paddle shift, and both holes. If you push in forcibly, the metal fittings will be deformed."

I just installed the factory shifters in my 2017, but it didn't involve taking apart the paddles, like is shown here for the Kenstyle paddles, so I can't really help with what's going on inside where the paddles mount.

 

[tibimakai]

Thank you very much, I figured that is how it should be installed, but I don't understand why is not getting into that slot? I can't feel if it is in there, or not.
I don't remember having this much difficulty with them, when I have installed them, the first time.
If it won't work this way, I will remove them from the car and fiddle with them that way. If it won't work, I will just remove them.

 

[shox75]

So I finally got around to doing this Mod on my CX-5. "Borrowed" my mother in-laws CX3 for a couple hours .

 

[concept]

Well, yeh, I can do that. (Got a link to a video?)

When I purchased my 1959 Autsin Healey, I swapped out the engine & transmission to upgrade from a 948cc to a 1098cc, and I swapped out the front end with a later model MG so I could have disc brakes.

But all that stuff was so straight-forward.

The engine air filter is almost always a matter of removing a cover by lifting up formed wire retainers that hold the cover on - very straightforward.
The cabin filter is typically behind the glove box, the door of which needs to be lowered by first rotating a knob in each side. I'm sure there are multiple videos that you can view.