SD card for navi

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It IS an $8 part. Probably less. The dealer has a box of these and can program a card, as needed. They only get charged PER SALE, not per card they buy. They don't get a box of preprogrammed cards every month. This is why there is a charge for an hourly rate: a guy in the parts department has to download and install this on a new card for you.
At least this makes the most sense to me, anyway.
 
This is cool - you use this w/o a GPS SD card? I am not techie and don't want to risk screwing anything up. How easy is it to upload?

Pretty straightforward, from https://github.com/flyandi/mazda-enhanced-compass/blob/master/install/Instructions.txt:
By using this you may render your unit useless, proceed with caution.
We take no responsability of any kind

Steps to install:
1. Copy contents to USB drive
2. Turn on Infotainment
3. Plug in USB
4. Have a drink
5. Wait for dialog showing process completed
6. Inser SD card with rendered maps
6. Have another drink to celebrate and enjoy your new maps

So, copy all the content of this folder (config, install, cmu_dataretrieval.up, dataRetrieval_config.txt, jci-autoupdate, placeholder.txt, tweaks.sh) onto a USB drive (FAT32 formatted), turn on infotainment, plug USB in, wait for it to install.
https://github.com/flyandi/mazda-enhanced-compass/tree/master/install

Download the tiles/map data for your location from here and put them on your SD card (you're lucky, I see New York in the list):
https://github.com/flyandi/mazda-enhanced-compass/wiki/Tiles

If it works fine, I can also show you how to tweak the CSS to make it display fullscreen (without the compass on the left).

Note: the installation page was outdated, you can follow the steps above instead and skip to the "Test the installation" section.
 
It IS an $8 part. Probably less. The dealer has a box of these and can program a card, as needed. They only get charged PER SALE, not per card they buy. They don't get a box of preprogrammed cards every month. This is why there is a charge for an hourly rate: a guy in the parts department has to download and install this on a new card for you.
At least this makes the most sense to me, anyway.

Do you have evidence of this? Every legit card I've seen comes in a mazda branded box with an info sheet. No doubt many dealers just toss this out when a customer asks for it to be installed.

Even if that is true, with each sale or use of a card Mazda has to pay the map data provider a fee. That data is not free, and so it's not an $8 part. I'm sorry, you're just incorrect.
 
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No, pure conjecture. As I said in the last line, this just makes the most sense to me. Do you have evidence? How many "legit cards" have you seen? How do you know what Mazda pays or even if it's per use? Are you saying Navtec gets a cut of every sale? How do we know Mazda doesn't pay a flat annual rate?

A few people here said the dealer charges labor...I have a hard time believing any dealer, no matter how sketchy, is going to charge a labor fee to insert a card.
 
*UPDATE* My friend got her card. Put it in her 6 Touring. Has Navigation. $115.

Unfortunately, I was in the hospital when her card arrived so I didn't have a chance to copy it and she's well over 60 miles already. So IF that is true, it's surely locked now.
 
Does Navigation chip lock to VIN of car after its travelled/been installed in the car for 62 miles (100 km) OR does it just VIN lock automatically if inserted in the slot if the car has more than 62 miles? Ive had one in my car for ~20 miles, but I already have 140 miles on the car. Im wondering if I can install it in another car or if I am screwed and this permanently married to my current car? Does anyone know how to check if a card is VIN locked?
 
Does Navigation chip lock to VIN of car after its travelled/been installed in the car for 62 miles (100 km) OR does it just VIN lock automatically if inserted in the slot if the car has more than 62 miles? I*ve had one in my car for ~20 miles, but I already have 140 miles on the car. I*m wondering if I can install it in another car or if I am screwed and this permanently married to my current car? Does anyone know how to check if a card is VIN locked?

Yes. Answered in other thread you asked in. Vin lock after about 60 miles. Mazda toolbox app will show the VIN associated.
 
No, pure conjecture. As I said in the last line, this just makes the most sense to me. Do you have evidence? How many "legit cards" have you seen? How do you know what Mazda pays or even if it's per use? Are you saying Navtec gets a cut of every sale? How do we know Mazda doesn't pay a flat annual rate?

A few people here said the dealer charges labor...I have a hard time believing any dealer, no matter how sketchy, is going to charge a labor fee to insert a card.

Lots of old posts on the Mazda3 forums about the cards and efforts to copy them.

From what I could tell after doing lots of reading the cards have a certain CID - think manufacturer ID. The system looks for this initially on new cards. There are machines that can overwrite the CID - but it appears to be some kind of SD card duplicator, and not something available as a software solution. Although there appears to have been a software tool or method that worked with early versions of mazda toolbox to rewrite certain cards.

So duplicating a new card will not work unless the blank has the proper CID.

After the card is VIN locked, it can duplicated as the VIN is written to the card and "signed". But it can only be used in that one car.

I have not tested and of this, but it seems to fit what others were reporting a few years ago. Mazda did have Mazda3revolution forums take down some posts, so not all the data is easy to find.

My guess is that eBay sellers have the ability to clone cards and assign CID, and they just print their own sticker. If i ever want to update maps post warranty, eBay is where i would try first. My credit card gives me chargeback rights if it doesn't work, so no real risk. The out of date maps are never worth the dealer/mazda price.
 
FYI...

I have a brand new, unused navigation SD card I'd like to get rid of if anyone is interested.

My 2018 CX-5 came with two.
 
This is old and op is selling outside of marketplace. Please use market for selling.
 
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