TreyP
2018 Soul Red AWD Touring CX-5
UPDATE: Sorry, but Photobucket sux and have started charging to host images. For that reason, the photos in this thread no longer worked. However, I have now added all of the images back in!
EDIT: And...the pictures are gone again, wtf? I'm adding them in a 3rd time, maybe they'll be here for you, maybe not, who knows at this point?
This will cover a complete factory remote starter install, including the hood switch and programming the remote to the car.
The Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only. I am not responsible for any damage you may do to your car, yourself, or your property should you choose to attempt this on your own. When in doubt, hire a professional!
Ok, first things first. There is much discussion on this forum about the size of the RS fob. The car fob is 3" tall, and the remote fob is just under 3.75" and they are both the same width and depth. The size of the key ring on the remote fob should have been smaller, as that adds a good percentage of the additional 3/4" length. That being said, it would have been awesome if they would have combined the two fobs into one, because the two fobs do make for a bulky key chain. But to be fair, that goes for any remote starter fob.
Here are a few pics for comparison:
Remote fob on bottom:
And these compare it to a standard CompuStar remote starter fob:
The install took a total of 3 hours, but I blame most of that time on really bad pictures in the instructions. Now that I've done it, I could probably do the whole thing in around one hour.
Also, the #%*#! programming instructions are not written very well, IMO. It took me 75 minutes to program it, but once I figured out what they were saying, I could now do it in around 1 minute. More on that later.
I recommend you follow the factory instructions for all of this because it will have the technical details you need, but hopefully this thread will help to clarify some things.
Here are a few pics of some of the parts fresh out of the box for reference.
This is the ECU and the wiring that goes with it.
This is the temperature sensor.
And this is the hood switch. If you have a factory alarm you will not need to install the hood switch (according to mazdagear.com - I can neither confirm nor deny this since I do not have the factory alarm).
You should disconnect the battery negative cable and leave it disconnected during this entire process. I didn't, but I'm just crazy like that.
Begin by removing the two push pins to take off this panel. Be sure to pop up the center pin first with a screwdriver or you will damage the pins. You will need them for reassembly. Once the pins are removed, slide the panel towards the front of the car to remove it.
Remove this plastic cover piece by pulling up and gently outward on each side until you feel it disengage from the hidden clips and then carefully remove it, avoiding the parts it wants to snag on in the back. Also try to make a mental note of exactly how it looks when installed, it will help you when putting it back later.
Removing the fuse panel cover is the first place that the instructions will lead you astray. They tell you to detach the tab at the front and then lift the rear. DO NOT DO IT THIS WAY or you WILL BREAK THE FRONT TAB!! The front 'tab' is actually just a hooked over piece. You need to push the clip in the back and lift first, then work the entire cover off of the front tab/hook.
The panel cover now makes an excellent place to keep track of all your pins, bolts, and screws.
For those of you following closely, yes this picture is out of sequence, we haven't removed all this stuff yet.
Remove the two bolts holding the air duct. The duct will not be removed, but you do need the bolts out.
This panel will not be totally removed either, just remove this push pin and one phillips screw on the other side.
Continued...
EDIT: And...the pictures are gone again, wtf? I'm adding them in a 3rd time, maybe they'll be here for you, maybe not, who knows at this point?
This will cover a complete factory remote starter install, including the hood switch and programming the remote to the car.
The Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only. I am not responsible for any damage you may do to your car, yourself, or your property should you choose to attempt this on your own. When in doubt, hire a professional!
Ok, first things first. There is much discussion on this forum about the size of the RS fob. The car fob is 3" tall, and the remote fob is just under 3.75" and they are both the same width and depth. The size of the key ring on the remote fob should have been smaller, as that adds a good percentage of the additional 3/4" length. That being said, it would have been awesome if they would have combined the two fobs into one, because the two fobs do make for a bulky key chain. But to be fair, that goes for any remote starter fob.
Here are a few pics for comparison:
Remote fob on bottom:
And these compare it to a standard CompuStar remote starter fob:
The install took a total of 3 hours, but I blame most of that time on really bad pictures in the instructions. Now that I've done it, I could probably do the whole thing in around one hour.
Also, the #%*#! programming instructions are not written very well, IMO. It took me 75 minutes to program it, but once I figured out what they were saying, I could now do it in around 1 minute. More on that later.
I recommend you follow the factory instructions for all of this because it will have the technical details you need, but hopefully this thread will help to clarify some things.
Here are a few pics of some of the parts fresh out of the box for reference.
This is the ECU and the wiring that goes with it.
This is the temperature sensor.
And this is the hood switch. If you have a factory alarm you will not need to install the hood switch (according to mazdagear.com - I can neither confirm nor deny this since I do not have the factory alarm).
You should disconnect the battery negative cable and leave it disconnected during this entire process. I didn't, but I'm just crazy like that.
Begin by removing the two push pins to take off this panel. Be sure to pop up the center pin first with a screwdriver or you will damage the pins. You will need them for reassembly. Once the pins are removed, slide the panel towards the front of the car to remove it.
Remove this plastic cover piece by pulling up and gently outward on each side until you feel it disengage from the hidden clips and then carefully remove it, avoiding the parts it wants to snag on in the back. Also try to make a mental note of exactly how it looks when installed, it will help you when putting it back later.
Removing the fuse panel cover is the first place that the instructions will lead you astray. They tell you to detach the tab at the front and then lift the rear. DO NOT DO IT THIS WAY or you WILL BREAK THE FRONT TAB!! The front 'tab' is actually just a hooked over piece. You need to push the clip in the back and lift first, then work the entire cover off of the front tab/hook.
The panel cover now makes an excellent place to keep track of all your pins, bolts, and screws.
For those of you following closely, yes this picture is out of sequence, we haven't removed all this stuff yet.
Remove the two bolts holding the air duct. The duct will not be removed, but you do need the bolts out.
This panel will not be totally removed either, just remove this push pin and one phillips screw on the other side.
Continued...
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