2014 Mazda5 Sport: Tom's Hardware's Project Car Update
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Page 1:How Is The Project Car Holding Up?
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Page 2:Update: LED Headlights
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Page 3:More Information: ScanGaugeE Trip Computer
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Page 4:Aftermarket Blind Spot Monitoring
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Page 5:Installing Our Blind Spot Monitoring System
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Page 6:Blind Spot Monitoring System Installation Continued
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Page 7:Adding LED Interior Lights
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Page 8:ECU Tuning With Tactrix OpenPort, MazdaEdit And Orange Virus Tuning
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Page 9:New Wheels And Tires
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Page 10:What Else Can You Expect From Our Mazda5?
Installing Our Blind Spot Monitoring System
Installing the Premium Blind Spot Detection System isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s an involved process that requires fishing wires through the firewall and drilling holes in your bumper. As such, I enlisted the help of my father, a former Mazda-certified Master Technician. Installing accessories was part of his day job when he worked at a dealership more than a decade ago.
Before we began drilling into the car, Goshers’ instructions suggested testing the blind spot monitor on a test bench, which we did by hooking everything up to a portable 12V battery jumper pack. The package worked beautifully, so we started working on the front-mounted sensors. Proper installation is important; the sensors need to installed at a minimum height of 1.6 feet, but no higher than 2.3. Yes, that meant drilling holes in a vehicle less than three months old at the time. Nevertheless, the front sensors popped in with reasonable symmetry on both sides.
Next, we had to fish sensor wires through the firewall. This was particularly obnoxious since we chose to utilize the same grommet as the hood release. Accessing the firewall required that we pull the battery, its box, the air box and the intake piping. The sensors individually connect to a harness with a three-pin connector similar to those old CD-ROM audio cables. It's fairly wide and doesn't fit through tight holes particularly well. So, we had to remove the connector and feed the cable through using thin wire.
With the removed components back in place, we picked up our tools and headed to the back of the car for a little rear sensor action. The process was the same: measure, re-measure, use a punch to mark the spot, measure again, and drill a hole. Routing wire in the trunk area was naturally a lot easier.
Once the sensors were in place, we had to pick a spot for the control module. Goshers suggests installing it in the trunk, so we followed the company's advice. From there, running wire up to the front was easy since Mazda's lower trim panels pop off readily. The front harness contains the control module's 12V power wire, the sensor connection, and an interface for the indicator LEDs. We tapped a power wire from the vehicle harness that's only live when the ignition is in the On position.
- How Is The Project Car Holding Up?
- Update: LED Headlights
- More Information: ScanGaugeE Trip Computer
- Aftermarket Blind Spot Monitoring
- Installing Our Blind Spot Monitoring System
- Blind Spot Monitoring System Installation Continued
- Adding LED Interior Lights
- ECU Tuning With Tactrix OpenPort, MazdaEdit And Orange Virus Tuning
- New Wheels And Tires
- What Else Can You Expect From Our Mazda5?
Also, what about adding some type of HUD system that can sync up with your head unit and/or smartphone?
Finally, what about adding some remote controlled actuators that can remotely and automatically open your sliding doors?
Also, what about adding some type of HUD system that can sync up with your head unit and/or smartphone?
Finally, what about adding some remote controlled actuators that can remotely and automatically open your sliding doors?
Also, what about adding some type of HUD system that can sync up with your head unit and/or smartphone?
Finally, what about adding some remote controlled actuators that can remotely and automatically open your sliding doors?
I never experienced that with any factory implementation, but my time in a 2ndGen MS3 was quite limited. I also don't usually go down narrower roads in the press cars either, so that may be why.
I only found one company that makes it aftermarket. Mazda offers a system in Japan, but I haven't quite found a way to look up the part numbers and get them to the US quite yet. The around view monitor systems don't have sensors, its just four cameras.. My wife has it on her Leaf and I love it.
So far the aftermarket HUD units I've found only connect to your smartphone. Navdy is releasing one soon and we're looking into that. I love HUDs though.
As for the automatic sliding doors, its a factory option on Japanese models. I've yet to speak to anyone at Mazda USA that's too familiar with the JDM implementations to figure it out. That and my wife's previous car, a 2011 VW Routan had power sliding doors and I found them more annoying after a while since the car had to be in park for them to work, so you couldn't just have your foot on the break, let someone out and keep going. They were also slower than the manual ones too.
The dynojet is calibrated properly. If her car is a automatic, that could be why. The 5-speed auto sucks quite a bit of power and fun from the car and is tuned mostly for economy. There's also more powerloss through the torque converter as well. It could be they chose a middle number that was representative for the manual and the auto. The 2.5 MZR makes varying levels of power in every car, the Mazda5's 157hp is the lowest of all I believe. I'm also barely above sea level too.
Which Prius? The current Toyota HUD is awful in the Prius and the RX350. Its very pixelated and single color. If you want your mind blown, go check out the HUD in the Hyundai Genesis, any GM vehicle, BMW, Mercedes, etc... They're full color and offer navigation, radio information, driver assists, etc... I love them in every car.
I didn't want an Accord. The current Accord's seats are uncomfortable to me. They're too wide and my butt isn't big enough so it just makes my back hurt since I get no support from the bolsters.
From Innovative Wiring - http://innovativewiring.com/?page_id=521
Overall, its a versatile car for a very good value, and we like it alot. A bit noisy on the highway and lacking in some amenities. I'd also be interested if you tried adding Daylight Running Lights, as the Sport version did not come with these due to another cost cutting measure.
Overall, its a versatile car for a very good value, and we like it alot. A bit noisy on the highway and lacking in some amenities. I'd also be interested if you tried adding Daylight Running Lights, as the Sport version did not come with these due to another cost cutting measure.
I don't think any of them have DRLs. The optional foglights are about as good as DRLs though. I can't justify the $300 it'd cost for two simple lights and a switch so I've been holding off on it. I might replace the rear motor mount to get more power to the ground, but yes I can spin the tires depending on how hard I launch it from a stop. The wider tires and heavier wheel combo seems to be a bit better though.
You can pickup LED DRLs off eBay for $160 or so. I might do that after the fog lights. I need to work on the next installment, but the car did get fitted with Megan Racing coilovers for a little drop.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7567/15970413731_55369d81e8_c.jpgP1120354 by tuanies, on Flickr