Resuming Playback with 2014 CX-5 GT Tech Stereo and other issues

[ErgoZoom]

Pure WOW Mazda.

137,214 CX-5 sold in the US, and they still don't give a button about crappy audio unit.

You should add in the Mazda 6 (and I believe the CX-9) that are having the exact same issues.

 

[chuyler1]

These sort of issues are industry wide. My wife has all kinds of trouble with her Focus. My coworker was just saying her Nissan doesn't auto play correctly if she uses the phone. In the past I have always installed aftermarket audio equipment. It's the only way to get cutting edge features. OEM manufacturers are doing their best to keep up but they inevitably fall short of the mark when things are rushed into production before they are ready.

 

[baddad]

I wish this issue would be resolved but ... to not buy a CX-5 or any other Mazda because of the playback issue is trivial. Other makes have similar issues so be careful before you buy.

 

[Senor Valasco]

I wish this issue would be resolved but ... to not buy a CX-5 or any other Mazda because of the playback issue is trivial. Other makes have similar issues so be careful before you buy.

I suppose it's trivial to some people, but when you've narrowed down your vehicle search to 2 and can't decide between them, something like this would be (and has been) a deal breaker for me.

This issue has already cost Mazda 2 sales in my family alone. I own a '13 CX-9 and was looking to replace our second vehicle with a Mazda 6. I had it narrowed down to the Mazda 6 and Honda Accord and ended up getting the Accord for that reason alone. Similarly, my parents were looking at the CX-5 and Subaru Forester and when I demonstrated the USB resume issue for them in my CX-9, that all but swayed them to the Forester.

 

[jtcx5]

Bump - I started this thread over a year ago after buying my 2014 CX-5. Still no fix. Disappointing, but otherwise I do like the vehicle. Very disappointed in Mazda - I do understand if it requires a hardware fix because of routing through the bluetooth module (is this right?) then that is going to be more difficult. In the meantime, I am using LouderLogic on my iPhone 4S to stream tunes via bluetooth with shuffle capability and the steering wheel controls.

 

[chuyler1]

I've been having relatively good luck lately with BlueTooth auto resuming. Only problem is that I have two BlueTooth devices (my phone and my ipod) and it always switches music playback to the phone when the car starts. I quickly switch it to the iPod and I'd say 2 out of 3 times it continues where I left off. I've started burning playlists to CD though...because on short trips with frequent stops I can't be bothered with messing around with settings...I just want music to start when the car starts.

 

[Senor Valasco]

because on short trips with frequent stops I can't be bothered with messing around with settings...I just want music to start when the car starts.

Yeah, that's where it really gets me. If I'm just doing a quick trip, I won't even use the USB knowing I'll have to deal with that.

I know...first world problems...

 

[craigo]

These sort of issues are industry wide. My wife has all kinds of trouble with her Focus. My coworker was just saying her Nissan doesn't auto play correctly if she uses the phone. In the past I have always installed aftermarket audio equipment. It's the only way to get cutting edge features. OEM manufacturers are doing their best to keep up but they inevitably fall short of the mark when things are rushed into production before they are ready.

Consumer Reports recently did a pretty good rundown of how awful all these infotainment systems are. Poorly implemented, untested features and dreadful UI is the norm. Updates are rare and difficult to install, usually requiring a trip to the dealer. Car manufacturers just haven't caught on to building good software UI.

 

[chuyler1]

Typically I'm OK with all that...I don't expect them to be perfect. They've been building sub-par systems for ages. However the problem now is that they are so integrated into the car you can't remove them without paying a fortune. You used to be able to buy a $20 dash kit, $10 harness, and $100 CD player at Circuit City and be up and running.

...but when they get sooo close to doing it right and the only thing missing is something simple like auto resume it drives me bonkers! At least the CD player works...and in the CX9 it appears that I can probably pull the radio out without replacing the dash. I might have to do some custom work but I won't have to cut anything. That wasn't the case with my Speed6 which would have left me with a dead HUD if I pulled the radio out.

In all honesty, I'm not sure I'd even like the iPod integration if I used it every day. Voice activation would be nice but have you tried to play ZZ Top's greatest hits by scrolling through the list of artists? It takes ages to get to the bottom and there is no search. At least with BlueTooth I can grab my iPod, flip my thumb and find what I want in seconds.

 

[danieljw]

This is well put. I agree with you. Mazda was so close to putting in a perfectly fine audio system. It has the most critical flaws.

Typically I'm OK with all that...I don't expect them to be perfect. They've been building sub-par systems for ages. However the problem now is that they are so integrated into the car you can't remove them without paying a fortune. You used to be able to buy a $20 dash kit, $10 harness, and $100 CD player at Circuit City and be up and running.

...but when they get sooo close to doing it right and the only thing missing is something simple like auto resume it drives me bonkers! At least the CD player works...and in the CX9 it appears that I can probably pull the radio out without replacing the dash. I might have to do some custom work but I won't have to cut anything. That wasn't the case with my Speed6 which would have left me with a dead HUD if I pulled the radio out.

In all honesty, I'm not sure I'd even like the iPod integration if I used it every day. Voice activation would be nice but have you tried to play ZZ Top's greatest hits by scrolling through the list of artists? It takes ages to get to the bottom and there is no search. At least with BlueTooth I can grab my iPod, flip my thumb and find what I want in seconds.

 

[mentalcase]

This is well put. I agree with you. Mazda was so close to putting in a perfectly fine audio system. It has the most critical flaws.

I don't think mazda was close at all. Besides pandora and bluetooth streaming, this headunit is pretty basic and the UI is terribly ugly. That being said, One of the main reasons I purchased the CX-5 was because of it's infotainment system, but the fact that it could easily be replaced with an aftermarket unit.

In fact I have the new Pioneer Avic-8000NEX waiting to be wired up at home. Bye Bye crappy Mazda unit.

 

[danieljw]

I don't think mazda was close at all. Besides pandora and bluetooth streaming, this headunit is pretty basic and the UI is terribly ugly. That being said, One of the main reasons I purchased the CX-5 was because of it's infotainment system, but the fact that it could easily be replaced with an aftermarket unit.

In fact I have the new Pioneer Avic-8000NEX waiting to be wired up at home. Bye Bye crappy Mazda unit.

Could you please make a post / show some photos of the NEX when you've got it installed? I've been considering the 4000.

Also, what's your plan for the rearview camera? Adapting the OEM into the NEX, or installing an aftermarket camera?

 

[mentalcase]

Could you please make a post / show some photos of the NEX when you've got it installed? I've been considering the 4000.

Also, what's your plan for the rearview camera? Adapting the OEM into the NEX, or installing an aftermarket camera?

Look up redbaron's post on how to integrate the OEM camera. It seems pretty simple.

I just got home from work and am just soldering up the Pioneer harness to the PAC unit. I'll be installing the brunt of it tonight, but the backup camera and mic will have to wait until tomorrow.

 

[donkeykong]

I don't think mazda was close at all. Besides pandora and bluetooth streaming, this headunit is pretty basic and the UI is terribly ugly. That being said, One of the main reasons I purchased the CX-5 was because of it's infotainment system, but the fact that it could easily be replaced with an aftermarket unit.

In fact I have the new Pioneer Avic-8000NEX waiting to be wired up at home. Bye Bye crappy Mazda unit.

Do you lose any native functionality by installing an aftermarket head unit? I know for other brands, they are putting in some car settings (such as heated seats or wiper settings) into the head unit so if you switch it out you can't control that stuff anymore. Any concerns like this for the CX-5? I'll be giving Mazda some lead time to get the head unit issues fixed but by summer I will probably start looking into my own solution.

I hate waiting for OEM manufacturer updates, this is why I own a rooted Android with my own chosen software on it....

 

[danieljw]

Do you lose any native functionality by installing an aftermarket head unit? I know for other brands, they are putting in some car settings (such as heated seats or wiper settings) into the head unit so if you switch it out you can't control that stuff anymore. Any concerns like this for the CX-5? I'll be giving Mazda some lead time to get the head unit issues fixed but by summer I will probably start looking into my own solution.

I hate waiting for OEM manufacturer updates, this is why I own a rooted Android with my own chosen software on it....

Yes, by removing the OEM headunit, we lose the ability to change wiper/lighting/lock settings, but the car stores those settings once the headunit is removed. They can be changed again by briefly installing the old unit again, or some settings can be programmed at the dealer.

 

[danieljw]

Look up redbaron's post on how to integrate the OEM camera. It seems pretty simple.

I just got home from work and am just soldering up the Pioneer harness to the PAC unit. I'll be installing the brunt of it tonight, but the backup camera and mic will have to wait until tomorrow.

I saw RedBaron's post, the diagram makes sense, but I still wasn't fully clear on the process and parts needed.

 

[chuyler1]

Another month and still not a peep from Mazda. I spoke to the service rep today and he said they're working on it. My ass they are. I'm sure they know the problem. The only work they're doing is number crunching on how much it will cost them to replace every single unit. It's not like this is an intermittent issue. It is a flaw in the hardware or the software. It needs to be corrected. I can't believe it has gone on this long.

 

[cleverusername]

Last year on the Washington Post car critics chat I told them about this problem and asked them to contact their Mazda people; today I got the following email from Lou Ann Hammond:
Just received this from Mazda. They will let me know as soon as the fix comes through.

Hi Lou Ann,

Mazda is aware of this playback issue and is currently working on a
software update for 2013 and 2014 model-year vehicles (both years have the
same software). While I do not have a timetable that I am able to present
to you, I can assure you that our teams are working on a solution.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Regards,

Beverly

 

[GAXIBM]

To me Beverly looses credibility when she says 2013 and 2014 have the same software. I guess they could have changed the blue tooth hardware and not changed the software in 2014 but I give it low odds...

 

[chuyler1]

If it were software, a patch would have been created, tested, and deployed by now. This thread is over a year old. Even small start-up companies with just a few developers can deliver software patches in under 3 months.