Question for those who called Mazda to deactivate TCU

[mazda248]

You need to call customer service and have them actively turn off the TCU. Expect to have to call a few times. Also, ask them to send you an email confirmation that the TCU has been turned off. At least Mazda gives you the option. But some people you talk to may be clueless on the subject.

went to dealer couple of days ago and they have no idea what i'm talking about..
called customer service a while ago and they sent a confirmation but doesn't say the tcu is deactivate it just say the case is closed.
i have a question. does the deactivation mean they stop collecting my data or completely kill the signal talking to the tower?

 

[cz5gt]

the configure the modem in the car to not send data but at the server side. At least that the official details. The cell service/signal is still there as it can be reactivated. Its like when you dont pay your mobile phone signal is there but you are not authorized at their servers to establish the connection. The car has an e-sim builtin it and each tcu has unique one and unique serial.
And yes they can still track cell towers just the car doesnt send the data anymore. Only real way to fully kill the system is remove the esim or kill the car antenna. there are two.

 

[mazda248]

the configure the modem in the car to not send data but at the server side. At least that the official details. The cell service/signal is still there as it can be reactivated. Its like when you dont pay your mobile phone signal is there but you are not authorized at their servers to establish the connection. The car has an e-sim builtin it and each tcu has unique one and unique serial.
And yes they can still track cell towers just the car doesnt send the data anymore. Only real way to fully kill the system is remove the esim or kill the car antenna. there are two.

thank you! is there a manual to remove these two by ourselves? kill car antenna will not be able to get the radio? i heard to install attenuator but not sure if it works.
also...if mazda says the tcu is deactivated, can we trust it?

 

[mazda248]

and how to ultimately and physically deactivate tcu and remove esim by myself easily other than depend on them?

 

[cz5gt]

dont botherz removing the esim or antenna is not easy task
if Mazda deactivated it it shows no signal bar on the infotainment or it was X (dont recall which). Thats as much as you can do.

 

[mazda248]

dont botherz removing the esim or antenna is not easy task
if Mazda deactivated it it shows no signal bar on the infotainment or it was X (dont recall which). Thats as much as you can do.

no signal bar means it won't talk to the tower anymore?
had a friend driving GM bolt and installed a attenuator and it works out ...

 

[mazda248]

do you know where to see the signal bar? i don't see anywhere on the infotainment board...

 

[TwinPeaks]

 

[mazda248]

thank you! is there a manual to remove these two by ourselves? kill car antenna will not be able to get the radio? i heard to install attenuator but not sure if it works.
also...if mazda says the tcu is deactivated, can we trust it?

believe still be tracked on the way to different places. really need to kill the esim.. please advise..

 

[Biro]

went to dealer couple of days ago and they have no idea what i'm talking about..
called customer service a while ago and they sent a confirmation but doesn't say the tcu is deactivate it just say the case is closed.
i have a question. does the deactivation mean they stop collecting my data or completely kill the signal talking to the tower?

Theoretically, it means the TCU isn’t sending to the mother ship anymore. In my CX-5, I got a symbol for a failed firmware update on my infotainment screen a few weeks after I had my TCU turned off. I guess that means there is no communication when my system calls for a firmware check.

 

[mazda09]

Are there any warning messages that are shown in the infotainment system when the TCU is disable? Sometimes manufactures create annoying popup messages to deter people from turning off things like the TCU.

 

[cz5gt]

no

 

[mazda09]

no

Good to know, because on my 2025 CX-5 when you disable "Connected Services" in the car's vehicle settings it shows an annoying message every time the car is started and you have to click "Cancel" or "Enable" to get the message to go away.

 

[cz5gt]

yeah because you went in the infotainment settings and disabled it from there. Dont touch that setting and leave it enabled.
This is not how you disable it.

Its outlined how in the start of the thread. Call Mazda.

 

[danno83]

I can attest to Mazda customer service giving you the runaround on disabling your TCU. I had to call three separate times to get someone who would confirm they would deactivate the "unit" itself. They said it could take a few days. They will tell you that you have to sign up for the Mazda app to do this. This is a lie. It can be disabled without you needing to sign up. It's more tactics to try and get you to give them your info. Deactivation will be confirmed by the X on the signal bars on your display. Your Metadata must be extremely profitable to Mazda. They do not want to give up this treasure trove willingly.

 

[Panda.cx5]

Tcu and CMU vin matched?

 

[theblooms]

I'm so glad I'm reading this. I'm calling them today to deactivate it.

3 Cars ago I got the wife a Saturn Vue because it was literally the cheapest SUV under 100k miles in our area. It had OnStar, and like some others here, I actually read the terms and conditions and found out that even if you didn't subscribe, "they" are still using it and can listen to your conversations, and still have full control over your vehicle, even being able to shut the car down.

I immediately got under the dash, found the OnStar box, and physically removed it from the car. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you. "That's how they get you!" And yes, I full well realize that your phone actually is Big Brother. I get it. But your phone can't deactivate your car on a whim.

 

[Drocca92]

Managed to disable the TCU calling Mazda. All of 14 minutes on the phone. Validated with their rep on the phone, i now have the X in the bottom right corner. App is disabled/uninstalled.