What have you done to your CX-5 today?

[PatrickGSR94]

Oil/filter change, rotated tires, topped off brake fluid. Checked my rear sway end links, everything is still tight with all nuts present.

uh-oh, hope you're not leaking brake fluid anywhere. Generally it's not recommended to top off brake fluid, as the fluid at the low mark *should* indicate the brake pads are about spent and need replacing. Then when the brake caliper pistons are pushed back in, there will be room for the fluid in the MC. If you top it off, whoever changes the brake pads will have to contend with removing brake fluid from the reservoir to prevent the reservoir from getting too full or possibly overflowing.

 

[Freedom55]

Bought on sale a Simple Series 3 amp smart battery charger/maintainer at Canadian Tire as I don't drive much and do mainly short distances to get groceries! Not weatherproof so I have to store it when snow/rain is in the local forecast...I should have bought one years ago but I had a block heater on my previous vehicles so I figured I'd be O.K.

 

[yrwei52]

uh-oh, hope you're not leaking brake fluid anywhere. Generally it's not recommended to top off brake fluid, as the fluid at the low mark *should* indicate the brake pads are about spent and need replacing. Then when the brake caliper pistons are pushed back in, there will be room for the fluid in the MC. If you top it off, whoever changes the brake pads will have to contend with removing brake fluid from the reservoir to prevent the reservoir from getting too full or possibly overflowing.

All you have said are true, but I still want all fluids at the Full level at all time if possible for more safety margin if any fluid consumption or leak happens. I may have lost the engine on my 2018 Toyota Yaris iA if the Toyota dealer didn’t overfill the oil during the oil change, but somehow damaged the drain plug aluminum washer (according to the tech) and caused the oil leak while I was driving to LA from San Jose.

Yes, I also top off the brake fluid if I found it lower than the Full mark from time to time. I simply watch the brake fluid level carefully in master cylinder reservoir and suck the fluid out if it’s too high when I push the brake caliper piston in during the brake work.

 

[ColoradoBoo]

My first post in here. Last year, my daughter's Honda Odyssey van got totaled so we hunted and found a very clean 2016 Mazda CX-5. GREAT vehicle, so far! I just did a drain and fill on the transmission and the old fluid looked very clean.
Anyway, lately, I've been trying to add a new Mazda key fob for her. When we bought it, it only had one key so we found an OEM replacement on-line.
My car scanner (XTool D7) recognizes the car has 2 keys programmed but I'm having a hard time getting the new one programmed. I've found online info that says this Mazda can have up to 6 keys programmed.
My Toyota master mechanic friend said Mazda's key fobs can be a bear to add and I don't want to pay $200 for a dealer to do it.
Anybody have any tips/resources for help?

 

[yrwei52]

My first post in here. Last year, my daughter's Honda Odyssey van got totaled so we hunted and found a very clean 2016 Mazda CX-5. GREAT vehicle, so far! I just did a drain and fill on the transmission and the old fluid looked very clean.
Anyway, lately, I've been trying to add a new Mazda key fob for her. When we bought it, it only had one key so we found an OEM replacement on-line.
My car scanner (XTool D7) recognizes the car has 2 keys programmed but I'm having a hard time getting the new one programmed. I've found online info that says this Mazda can have up to 6 keys programmed.
My Toyota master mechanic friend said Mazda's key fobs can be a bear to add and I don't want to pay $200 for a dealer to do it.
Anybody have any tips/resources for help?

Like many car brands, you have to have your Mazda dealer to program the additional key fob with their in-house computer. Shouldn’t be too expensive (~$50?) to do it with your existing key fob, and may be the proof of ownership. Call around and compare the price.

 

[ColoradoBoo]

Thanks, yrwei! I called our Colorado Springs Mazda dealer and it's $170 with them but I'm not surprised. Last year, when I bought maintenance parts everything was crazy expensive...wanted $30 for a radiator cap and $21 for an oil filter!
So I called the Toyota dealer where we bought the car from and they'll do it for $65. So I made an appointment for Saturday....so I have a few days to play around with my scanner some more and try to get it to work. (Someone suggested unplugging the negative battery terminal for a few minutes to clear out the computer so I'll try that next.)

 

[yrwei52]

Thanks, yrwei! I called our Colorado Springs Mazda dealer and it's $170 with them but I'm not surprised. Last year, when I bought maintenance parts everything was crazy expensive...wanted $30 for a radiator cap and $21 for an oil filter!
So I called the Toyota dealer where we bought the car from and they'll do it for $65. So I made an appointment for Saturday....so I have a few days to play around with my scanner some more and try to get it to work. (Someone suggested unplugging the negative battery terminal for a few minutes to clear out the computer so I'll try that next.)

Not just car parts, or the car itself, everything is getting crazy expensive. It’s the inflation in full force!

I have doubt that a Toyota dealer can do it. But $65 isn’t too bad to program your key fob. Keep us posted.

 

[Sig cx-5]

...
I have doubt that a Toyota dealer can do it. But $65 isn’t too bad to program your key fob. Keep us posted.

If car thieves can do it, what makes you think a Toyota dealer can't?

 

[yrwei52]

If car thieves can do it, what makes you think a Toyota dealer can't?

Because car thieves are much smarter than those certified techs working at the dealership. Those techs know only the brand they’re trained for. A tech at the Toyota dealer hardly knows anything about Mazda, unless he / she has worked at the Mazda dealer before. Even that, I doubt the Toyota dealer has a proper key fob programming computer for Mazda key fobs, unless they for some reason are equipped a universal key fob programming computer.

Once the ignition key with remote of my 2000 BMW 528i got accidentally run over somehow damaged the immobilizer chip inside and could no longer start the engine while turning the key in ignition. I had to pay $175 to get a spare key from my BMW dealer with programming. This new key could start the engine alright, but the master tech could never programmed the key properly with features saved in each key like the damaged key such as auto-locking after the car moves, and the memory seat function. I took my BMW to the dealer at least 3 times, and even tried another BMW dealer, watched the master tech operating the proprietary BMW key programming computer and following the steps stated in the manual, still at no avail. Finally I study the instruction given by the second BMW dealer, and eventually programmed the new key successfully without the programming computer. Apparently the new key got programmed properly with all the features I wanted, but those BMW certified “master techs” missed certain steps which are supposed to activate the key with all programmed features functioning.

 

[murky]

I got a third key in fob and had it cut and programmed by a local locksmith. $80 You have to call, not all of them can or will do it.

 

[Sig cx-5]

... my 2000 BMW 528i ...

This is 22 years later...

 

[theblooms]

I had Best Buy install an iDataStart HC3.5 with 6000 foot remotes for $319. Regular price was $599!

Hopefully this is better than the POS Fortin that was on there. iDataLink makes super solid products, and I've used them extensively in the past, so my hopes are definitely high.

 

[yrwei52]

This is 22 years later...

Yes, the same scenario applies 22 years later. Unless that Toyota dealer invested a universal key fob programming machine which I doubt most dealers will do, those Toyota techs won’t know anything about programming a Mazda key fob without proper computer and instruction.

And our 2000 BMW 528i is still our backup car with many nice features even the latest CX-5 Signature doesn’t have. This’s what I do, keeping a car for as long as I can, Did I mention we still have a 1998 Honda CR-V with 176K miles running great? We even drove that 20+ years old CR-V from Dallas to San Jose 3 years ago, that’s how confident I have towards that CR-V, the most reliable vehicle we’ve ever owned!

 

[PatrickGSR94]

My local locksmith didn't want to program my 2nd proximity key, which I bought online. Took it to the Mazda dealer and they did it for around $160. They also cut the key blade blank that came with the remote, but they said sometimes the aftermarket remotes (it looked OEM to me??) wouldn't work in the door lock very well, and indeed it did not. I ordered an OEM key blade separately, but haven't had it cut yet.

 

[Sig cx-5]

Yes, the same scenario applies 22 years later. Unless that Toyota dealer invested a universal key fob programming machine which I doubt most dealers will do, those Toyota techs won’t know anything about programming a Mazda key fob without proper computer and instruction.

And our 2000 BMW 528i is still our backup car with many nice features even the latest CX-5 Signature doesn’t have. This’s what I do, keeping a car for as long as I can, Did I mention we still have a 1998 Honda CR-V with 176K miles running great? We even drove that 20+ years old CR-V from Dallas to San Jose 3 years ago, that’s how confident I have towards that CR-V, the most reliable vehicle we’ve ever owned!

LOL, It does not still apply. Totally different tech.

What does your 2000 BMW have tech wise that current Mazda's are missing? CD player?

 

[sm1ke]

Alright, back on topic everyone.

 

[yrwei52]

LOL, It does not still apply. Totally different tech.

What does your 2000 BMW have tech wise that current Mazda's are missing? CD player?

When did I mention “tech” feature? My 2000 BMW 528i has automatic positioning adjustment with 3 memory settings on seat、headrest、seat belt height、steering wheel、outside rearview mirrors with blue tint auto-dimming based on which key used. I also miss the build-in sun screens for rear passengers which aren’t available on any CX-5. The full-sized spare with the same alloy wheel is very nice too. Even the factory rear parking sensors on my BMW wasn’t available on the CX-5 until the Signature is offered in the US. The covered foot rest is very nice too. It has struts to lift the hood. And yes it does have a trunk-mounted 5-disk CD changer and a cassette player along with a much better Alpine 12-speaker DSP sound system and a legit sub-woofer.

 

[chiefmg]

uh-oh, hope you're not leaking brake fluid anywhere. Generally it's not recommended to top off brake fluid, as the fluid at the low mark *should* indicate the brake pads are about spent and need replacing. Then when the brake caliper pistons are pushed back in, there will be room for the fluid in the MC. If you top it off, whoever changes the brake pads will have to contend with removing brake fluid from the reservoir to prevent the reservoir from getting too full or possibly overflowing.

I don't rely on the level of fluid in my brake master reservoir to tell me the wear on my brake pads. If you're comfortable with that, you do you. I do all my own work (except for A/C merely because I don't have gauges/vacuum pump) so I know the condition of my vehicles. I check pad thickness when I rotate tires at every oil change. As for removing excess fluid when doing a brake job, I have always bled the fluid at each caliper while retracting the pistons. Keeps any debris from staying in the system and less chance for air to get into the lines. It also keeps your reservoir from overflowing.

 

[CX-5um]

I had Best Buy install an iDataStart HC3.5 with 6000 foot remotes for $319. Regular price was $599!

Hopefully this is better than the POS Fortin that was on there. iDataLink makes super solid products, and I've used them extensively in the past, so my hopes are definitely high.

Was that installed price?

 

[Spock]

....... everything is still tight with all nuts present.

I can't tell you how relieved we are to hear that!! Phew!