What have you done to your Mazda5 today?

Secondtyme said:
Something about an angry snail under the hood perchance? Didja have to do anything silly to get through the test or did it just pass as is?
Click to expand...

Yeah that thing plays hell with the OEM emissions. I was able to get it to pass with no special hacks or mods. Just installed a highflow cat in the downpipe and worked for a few days on the tune to get it right. The downstream sensor was the biggest hurdle. It needed to see the A/F ratios in a very narrow range to not throw any catalyst efficiency, slow response or lean/rich codes. I also backed off on the wastegate tension a lot so it isn't really building boost in normal driving. At 1/2 or more throttle it will start to build about 2psi at 3.5k rpms, 3psi at 4k and ramps up to a full 8.5psi around 5k and up. Helped driveability a LOT. Now if feels like a regular 5 unless you get in the gas and then it goes like hell. Feels about what a factory turbo setup should.
 
Put on new brake pads all around. I put on AutoZone pads last fall and they squealed like crazy when wet. Put on a different brand so hopefully that takes care of that problem.

Also painted the wheels over the winter. Finally got around to putting them on today:
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They look better in person then in a picture. I didn't think the stock silver color looked all that great with the black.
I had planned on taking the chrome emblem off before painting but I couldn't figure out how to do it w/o breaking the tabs. I was able to get the center cap off, just not the flying M part.

Had some leftover paint so I painted the interior trim as well:
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Bravo sir! What, how, did you do that? Mine had a very good weekend. Saturday I tinted all the rear windows to 5%. Sunday I pulled the bumper off to replace the broken plastic lower grille with one I made from expanded metal "borrowed" from work. Then, while i had the bumper off, I removed the giant plastic tuba that is the lower air-box and replaced it with a three foot section of 3" flexible duct. I also took the opportunity to tidy up the wiring and placement of my HID ballasts. Lastly, I lined the inside of my center console/cupholder with TP Tools TPMat. The difference in the temps in that lower console area is almost miraculous! My Super Big Gulp used to end up with zero ice in it as I complete my hour and forty minute commute to work. Today I lost barely half my ice and I couldn't be happier.
 
I cut the clear lens off with a rotary tool then used perfboard along with some Philips superflux led
The lights aren't finished yet

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Did this to the passenger and driver side footwells
 
What did I do to the Mazda5 today?

Today I discovered that 60,000 miles is too long to wait to change out the cabin filter.

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(That's the CLEAN side!

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The side facing the outside world. YUK!


I also inspected my soil-pipe CAI.
Not impressed with the way it peeks through the lower grille, but its nice not having that monster silencer in there. What a waste of plastic.
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We'll see if mpgs go up at all with direct piping from the outside world.
 
^^At least yours is black, mine is nice and shiny silver! I could barely see it in the photo, if that makes you feel any better. I have so far noticed no change in economy, but my intake air temps have gone from 15-19 degrees above ambient to only 5-10. This is at the peak of IATs I have seen since installing the flexi-pipe, needless to say I'm happy with that... Incedentally I also removed the small resonator that is attached to the airbox lid, just for the heck of it. That OE silencer is truly ridiculous, especially given how good the engine sounds without it, someone in the NVH dept. at Mazda got a little too happy on that deal LOL
 
Secondtyme said:
^^At least yours is black, mine is nice and shiny silver! I could barely see it in the photo, if that makes you feel any better. I have so far noticed no change in economy, but my intake air temps have gone from 15-19 degrees above ambient to only 5-10. This is at the peak of IATs I have seen since installing the flexi-pipe, needless to say I'm happy with that... Incedentally I also removed the small resonator that is attached to the airbox lid, just for the heck of it. That OE silencer is truly ridiculous, especially given how good the engine sounds without it, someone in the NVH dept. at Mazda got a little too happy on that deal LOL
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Pretty sure that airbox is some type of instruments the Whos play down in Whoville.
 
All the whos down in Who-ville, the tall and the small.... I lol-ed at that I like what you did with the outlet on yours, that is way nicer than what I did (which is just tuck the end of the flexiduct in behind the divider on the bottom of the radiator shroud)
 
Don't want to dissuade you guys but you really have to consider the pro/cons of taking out the stock intake plumbing. I use to think the same and done the SRI and CAI till I learned more about the stock resonator from the senior Miata guys.

Link below explains it well. The SRI and CAI may provide some gains (and trade-off too) but this assume you are going steady WOT, not using your car in everyday situations where you might be on and off the trottle frequently.
http://www.ehow.com/info_12156112_air-intake-resonator-do.html
 
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I haven't noticed a downside yet, I have not found any flat spots, or dead zones in acceleration. The sound is wonderful to boot, especially when you really stomp on it LOL
 
#1, I don't put much faith in eHow.
#2, I have not messed with anything between the air filter and the manifold, so my existing resonator is in place. My point was to feed the engine air that is somewhat pressurized because it is coming from outside the air dam vs. air that is inside the fender and is in a "scavange" or negative-pressure state, and to lower the temps somewhat because the air being fed from outside should be a bit cooler than air underhood, no matter how far away it is from the engine itself.

Haven't been able to drive it enough to notice gas mileage effects, but I expect an unnoticable increase because the air is being directed more efficiently to the air filter. I also expect a much dirtier filter.
 
Well I can assure you that you WILL see lower intake air temps. I have been seeing IATs as low as 3 degrees above ambient during this recent spate of cool temps. I have been very happy to note that though the IAT will climb slightly while sitting in traffic, as soon as I get rolling the temps come right back down. This was not happening before, i believe because that gigantic plastic tumor inside the bumper would get heat soak. Did I mention that it sounds fantastic? LOL :p
 
Yesterday I vacuumed the interior and re-Plastidipped my rear bumper apron. The bumper touch up was needed because i scratched the top coat with the gigantic load of firewood I carried home in it Friday afternoon. I had both rows folded and must have crammed 600 pounds of wood in there, the 5 continues to impress me with its abilities.
 
I tried to go quick/cheap with a trunk/hatch mounted bike carrier since I was trying to avoid having to install a hitch or a roof rack, I don't have a lot of time or funds. This is the Thule TH9002 3-bike carrier. Got it from etrailer.com for $251 with free shipping. The first one arrived in "used" condition and missing the OEM box so I sent it back and they sent me another one and didn't charge me for shipping. When I got the 2nd one, well, as you can see from the pics, the top cables have to go OVER the OEM spoiler, and that thing is stuck on with adhesive, when you ratchet it down, it flexes it and that is not taking into account weight from bikes once you do load it. I'm sure Mazda would say the spoiler was not designed to absorb a load like this. You can snake the cables just under the spoiler but the rubber boots that are designed to protect the paint can't fit under the spoiler. I called them up at etrailer, they called Thule, they confirmed on the phone it's a NO FIT even though in their catalog it says it does fit. It probably works with the Sport trim but not the Touring or GT. They don't say that on the website. I sent it back, looking for a hitch now.

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I didn't actually DO anything yet but I did order a set of H&R springs. Will probably shop a set of Koni struts/shocks today and do me an install sometime next week.
 
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