2017 CX-5 Towing Options

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2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Premium
I recently bought, and will soon install, a Curt class II hitch for my 2017 CX-5, model 12170. What are the trailer wiring options? I know Mazda sells an OEM trailer harness for my CX-5, but I don't know how it connects to the vehicle (is there an existing connector somewhere?). I have seen zero instructions online or images on a similar installation for the 2017 model year. Is anyone else dealing with this?
 
Etrailer.com will have options and instructions. I negotiated with my dealer to install factory harness 0000-8E-R07 and it was $67 installed. They just charged for the parts. Normal price installed was around $150 I think. I have no idea how hard the install is but it can't be too bad if the dealer is only charging an hour or so for labor. I would call your dealer since you just bought the car new and see if they will help you out and install the factory harness for you if you pay for the parts. Worth a shot.
 
Etrailer.com will have options and instructions. I negotiated with my dealer to install factory harness 0000-8E-R07 and it was $67 installed. They just charged for the parts. Normal price installed was around $150 I think. I have no idea how hard the install is but it can't be too bad if the dealer is only charging an hour or so for labor. I would call your dealer since you just bought the car new and see if they will help you out and install the factory harness for you if you pay for the parts. Worth a shot.

Sounds good, thanks for the advice! I went to etrailer but found no Mazda OEM wiring harnesses. Only two third party Curt and Tekonsha products. I'm going to pay the Mazda dealership a visit. Their comptroller is an old friend of mine from high school.

Do you by any chance have the printed instructions for that harness?
 
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Anyone have a source for that harness in Canada? I can't find it North of the border. I also have that Curt hitch awaiting install. I already have a universal, but wouldn't mind OEM if it's available in Canada.
 
Anyone have a source for that harness in Canada? I can't find it North of the border. I also have that Curt hitch awaiting install. I already have a universal, but wouldn't mind OEM if it's available in Canada.

My dealership had to order it. You should be able to get your dealer in Canada to get it for you I would think.
Description Part Number Price QTY
Trailer Light Adapter (Wiring Harness) 0000-8E-R07 $66.95

Sorry, I do not have a copy of the installation instructions.
 
I just got an email back from the dealer from my inquiry before posting. Not a valid part number in the Canada system. No way to confirm if it will work on Canadian vehicles. Currently "under development" - should be available mid-summer. And a stern warning NOT to install an aftermarket adapter as there is a bulletin out that it may cause failure of the power train control module and would not be covered under warranty.

Wonderful LOL
 
I just got an email back from the dealer from my inquiry before posting. Not a valid part number in the Canada system. No way to confirm if it will work on Canadian vehicles. Currently "under development" - should be available mid-summer. And a stern warning NOT to install an aftermarket adapter as there is a bulletin out that it may cause failure of the power train control module and would not be covered under warranty.

Wonderful LOL

One company has a solution for those afraid of creating an electrical problem in the car, or voiding the warranty, because it gets its power directly from the battery, and you don't have to cut/splice any cables. However, it's expensive. It costs as much as the hitch itself. It's the Tekonsha ZCI™ Zero Contact Interface Universal ModuLite and it's universal. It's PART NUMBER 119250 and it's available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)
 
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I've seen that, just don't want to spend it. At this point I'd rather wait and get the OEM part I think, though it is certainly worth considering if I decide I can't wait.

I just don't understand how a tail light adapter can affect one of the drivetrain computers. The universal one I have right now is also powered off the car battery rather than the lighting circuit, only taps in for signal / relay. But the fact is I don't want to jeopardize powertrain warranty if this is legit for the sake of a trailer light connector.

I've sent a technical inquiry through the Mazda Canada site to see if they confirm the story I got from the dealer.

I too would be very interested in seeing the instructions for the 0000-8E-R07 if anyone could get their hands on them. Then I could check if the corresponding connectors are in the Canadian models. If they are I have a friend in the States who I'm sure would be willing to purchase and ship me the part if I asked nice enough.
 
Yeah, I don't want to spend that kind of money either. I too will wait for the Mazda OEM harness' availability, and I certainly would not want to jeopardize the car's electrical system. I'm sure Mazda dealers have to warn you with the warranty thing, just to cover their rear. It would be very helpful if I could see the instructions for that harness 0000-8E-R07 in advance, before buying it. You can order the harness online from Quirkparts.com. They confirm correct fit by using your VIN number.
http://www.quirkparts.com/oe-mazda/00008er07
 
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I installed my Curt hitch over the weekend. Other than it being a bit more of a PITA to do on my own than expected in the end it went well. Unfastening the bottom of the rear bumper from it's mounting plates @ rear / center / bottom of the car gave me more flex to wriggle the hitch up and into position above the muffler and into the bumper - this was not in the instructions. The lower mounting holes for the "fishwire" technique looked nearly identical to what was used on my '17 3. The curt hitch I installed mounted to the side of the frame vs the bottom. 2 of the 4 attachment points had weldnuts in the frame and two wiring harness attachment points needed to be removed (I then zip tied back to the frame of the hitch).

I realize the above is nearly useless without pics, but this was my second hitch install on the day while fighting the rain and it was getting late as I only started the first one at 4pm. I was pretty hangry by the time I figured out how to wriggle it up and into the bumper.

Mazda Canada just replied to my inquiry saying if I can find a US harness adapter and the connectors / pinouts are all the same then I can use it without issue but they couldn't say if the US and Canada models were wired exactly the same. They are aiming for a June / July release of the adapter, so I'll just wait.
 
One company has a solution for those afraid of creating an electrical problem in the car, or voiding the warranty, because it gets its power directly from the battery, and you don't have to cut/splice any cables. However, it's expensive. It costs as much as the hitch itself. It's the Tekonsha ZCI Zero Contact Interface Universal ModuLite and it's universal. It's PART NUMBER 119250 and it's available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

Thanks for that link. Here is the company site
http://www.tekonsha.com/products/electrical-wiring/power-converters/zero-contact-universal-modulite/!FQHI|fPlggjiHowRSguPcjrncZzUklC|6GB1|7SN4c=

That product is a game changer. Doesn't touch a signal conductor to any light. Can be moved from car to car. It will go on my next car.

Frank
 
@Studum You're a braver soul than me. I could not see myself having the nerve to “unfastening the bottom of the rear bumper.” Did you have to lower the exhaust (or remove/replace the muffler) at all for the installation?
 
I'm not a pro mechanic, but am mechanically inclined. Either way it sounds much worse than it was. Here's my version of the instructions.

Step 1: back car onto ramps (or not, your call)

Step 2: Support muffler with car jack. I used a hockey puck to be able to reach it without fully extending the jack, but you will need a full size floor jack for this or leave your car on the ground. I like the extra working room.

Step 3: Remove 4 x muffler hangars

Step 4: Slowly lower car jack to lower muffler. Do not let the muffler just dangle, you need to support it at all times or damage may happen up further up the line.

Step 5: Remove 1 x wire zip tie that's clipped into the frame on each side between the mounting points. This is necessary. The hitch fram must be flush against the car frame. Temporarily tape or tie the wire harnesses up and out of the way.

Step 6: Remove 2 x plastic pop-rivets (Pop center out with a flat scredriver, then pull the whole fastener straight out) from rear bumper under tray. Then use flat screwdriver to release 2 plastic clips and remove the trim. I honestly have no idea what the purpose of this trim is other than to cover up the bumper fasteners and brackets below.

Step 7: Remove 2 x more plastic pop rivets that are fastening the bottom of the bumper to the metal brackets that the last trim piece was covering up. Nothing else needs done here, just pulling those 2 fasteners give the bumper a little more flext to twist around the hitch as you push it up.

Step 8: Remove tape on the frame covering the forward-most holes and thread your bolts into the weldnuts in the frame. This makes sure the threads are clean and everything goes smooth when you bring the hitch over.

Step 9: Attach rearmost hardware to fishwire and pull fishwire out the rearmost side mounting hole, leaving the hardware in the frame.

Step 10: Tape "spacer washers" provided to inside face of hitch mounting plates. Make sure the holes line up. I used electrical tape. These spacers give just enough clearance so the frame weld and seam seal at the rear of the frame don't interfere with the hitch installation. Short of having these welded onto the frame this was a nice touch.

Step 11: Swing the hitch up and in, then wriggle the rear bar up and above the lower edge of the rear bumper so it's concealed. You're in the right spot with the edges of the towbar are above the bumper cutouts for the exhaust tips. Honestly this was the hardest part and I actually called the wife in for support to help support the hitch on one end and make sure I didn't twist it so it dropped on me or damaged anything else if I pushed it the wrong way. The extra leverage in the bumper just give a little play to push and pull at the bumper to get the hitch up and over it with the way I was supporting the muffler in place.

Step 12: Bolt in the forward most anchor points loosely.

Step 13: Thread the fishwire coming out of the car frame with the hardware attached to it in the frame through the rearmost hitch mount holes. Push the hitch up into place and pull the hardware through the holes in the frame and mount with the fishwire. Remove the fishwire from the bolts and put the nut on loosely.

Step 14: Put the push pins back in the bumper mounts before you forget

Step 15: Torque down the 2 hitch nuts and 2 hitch bolts

Step 16: Jack the exhaust back up to install height and re-install the hangars on one side, then the other.

Step 17: Slip a zip tie between the hitch frame and car frame approximately where the harnesses were tied down before and secure the wire harnesses back to the hitch frame.

Step 18: Crack a beer, and wish that the wire harness was currently available for yourself LMAO while wrenching on a brand new / perfectly clean car :)

I can attempt to get some post-install key photos the next time I'm outside in dirty clothes and can crawl on my back under the car if needed.


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Yowza, all that came with my hitch was a single page of instructions with a diagram of the hitch and some words along the lines of what I wrote above. I REALLY wished I had checked the Curt website for instructions before I did it. They've updated the instructions on their site with a beautiful PDF file including photos, much like what I got with my MAzda 3 hitch. My guess is the hitch is so new it came off the line before the instructions were 100%. The manufacturing date on it was only 3 weeks ago.

Ahh well, I had fun conquering the new car. Link to Curt #12170 install instructions are below. The only thing I did extra then was pulling the 2 pins for the rear bumper and putting them back in when done.

https://assets.curtmfg.com/masterlibrary/12170/installsheet/CM_12170_INS.PDF
 
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FYI - Plug and play (+ power connection) wiring harnesses are now available aftermarket for the '17 from Curt and Tekonsha.

I still can't get the OEM one here in Canada at this time. Can't get the Tekonsha (yet) either, however the curt is now available. Debating if to continue to wait for OEM to become available here or just grab the Curt. I've emailed Mazda USA to see if the can connect me with the instructions for the Mazda US OEM kit so I can look into verifying if necessary harness connections are on my Canadian model.

http://www.curtmfg.com/part/56377

http://www.tekonsha.com/products/electrical-wiring/t-one-connector/tow-harness-t-connector-assembly/!FQHI%7CfPlghJZkcriTmM5KgKjzBkctoXddzpdrmCMSU=
 
I bought the OEM harness from http://www.realmazdaparts.com (they might ship to Canada), and it cost $50 plus $13 for shipping (they also check the VIN number for proper fitment). The Curt version is nearly twice the price! It was quite the little nightmare for the installer to get it into my CX-5, taking more than 2.5 hours because of all the panels and trim pieces had to remove/replace. The instructions are 15 pages long!!!

https://www.realmazdaparts.com/oem-parts/mazda-trailer-wiring-harness-00008er07
 
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The price for the Curt is MSRP and not accurate retail. I found it for $74 CAN with free shipping.

I'm trying to get the instructions for the US model to determine if necessary connections are there on the Canadian model as well. I know people in the US who I'm sure would be willing to relay it back to me in Canada even if I can't get it shipped direct. I know it's unlikely that they're different but I'd like to be sure. I expect it to be $100 or more in $CAN from the dealer here if/when when available. I'm just getting impatient to use my trailer.
 
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