Second Gen (2017 and up) CX-5 AA/ACP Installation Videos

Hello all 1st time poster and thanks for the videos, they are very informative and given me a decision to make. I am due to collect my new Mazda CX-5 from the dealership on Tuesday and as part of the purchase I negotiated a free ACP upgrade that is currently being offered at 349 GBP, however having seen the amount of trim that needs to be removed and replaced I'm not sure if I want this to be installed. I also have some reservations as this will probably be the 1st installation they have performed and I'd rather them use another vehicle to get their training. I'll give it some thought tomorrow I guess before my PDI and collection on Tuesday.

It's likely that techs have already disassembled a Gen 2 CX-5 for other repairs.
As most parts "snap out" and "snap in", there's little chance of damage or the introduction of rattles.

Many of us who are not professional mechanics have performed the same installation without issue.
If it was my vehicle, I'd take advantage of the installation you're already negotiated.
 
Hello all 1st time poster and thanks for the videos, they are very informative and given me a decision to make. I am due to collect my new Mazda CX-5 from the dealership on Tuesday and as part of the purchase I negotiated a free ACP upgrade that is currently being offered at 349 GBP, however having seen the amount of trim that needs to be removed and replaced I'm not sure if I want this to be installed. I also have some reservations as this will probably be the 1st installation they have performed and I'd rather them use another vehicle to get their training. I'll give it some thought tomorrow I guess before my PDI and collection on Tuesday.

Mazda provides very clear diagrams on how to remove parts without damage. Your worry is misplaced. Hundreds to Thousands of people with no trsining have installed this in the last month.

I would be more worried about the kids moving cars on the lot and doing oil changes and tire rotations. They are the ones that usually have little knowledge of anything.
 
Hello all 1st time poster and thanks for the videos, they are very informative and given me a decision to make. I am due to collect my new Mazda CX-5 from the dealership on Tuesday and as part of the purchase I negotiated a free ACP upgrade that is currently being offered at 349 GBP, however having seen the amount of trim that needs to be removed and replaced I'm not sure if I want this to be installed. I also have some reservations as this will probably be the 1st installation they have performed and I'd rather them use another vehicle to get their training. I'll give it some thought tomorrow I guess before my PDI and collection on Tuesday.

Very cleverly put! Wait till they have had a practice in a few more vehicles before you get them to do in yours. I was thinking along the same lines. Just received a mail form Mazda, Sweden. They are offering it with installation for 4000 Swedish crowns or 400Euros approx. I'll wait for few more reviews by folks before I plunge in to it.

Perhaps, I should just prepare first by getting the firmaware upgraded to 70.00, BUT how do I do that is the question. The car had a one year service recently but they did not upgrade the firmaware. Any tips on how to do it by yourself without getting in to trouble? Or is that a dealer only thing?
 
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Well I bit the bullet and let them go ahead and install APC prior to collection and they've done a great job. Mine was only the 2nd install that they had done and the sales person advised that the 1st was a bit of a pain for them and they had to remove the display unit for a 2nd time to reprogramme it in order to get it working. The trim looks like it's never been removed so all was good in that department.

Driving of the forecourt I did get a warning in the info screen *System Disabled Due To High Temperature* together with the symbols for the SCBS and LAS. Stopping and powering off resets the system but it issues the warning again once you drive off and neither operates. I did take the car out for a further test and it seems as though it has now adjusted and no longer issues the warning, I've let the dealership know and will keep my eye on it, should it occur again I'll drop it back in to them for diagnostics and repair.

Other then that and a small scratch to the gauge cluster cover the car is great and I'm looking forward to some decent motoring over the next few months at least.
 
Did they scratch the cluster cover? It wouldn't have come out from the factory like that. I would ask them to replace the cluster cover. When it comes to trade in time they'll blame you anyway to reduce the trade in value.
 
Did they scratch the cluster cover? It wouldn't have come out from the factory like that. I would ask them to replace the cluster cover. When it comes to trade in time they'll blame you anyway to reduce the trade in value.

TBF I'm not certain it looks like it may be on the inside as I cannot feel a the scratch. It's barely visible in daylight but in darkness with the light behind it's fairly prominent and catches your eye. The dealership called this morning in relation to the 'System Disabled Due To High Temperature' issue that has now cleared but I did get a 'System Disabled Due to The Camera Being Obscured' (or similar) message this morning!! As far as the safety systems go they all seem to be working correctly but I'm taking the car in for them to check over the weekend and they'll also look at the cluster cover.
 
I just did the install myself. My local dealer provided the 2 parts for $157 including the tax. The firmware update took 40 minutes total, and the install itself was about 45 minutes. The worst part was fishing the new cable up into the dash. But the videos were very helpful, and other than not having a touch screen, Android Auto is so much better than the Mazda clunky system. I wish it would allow the radio to display through the screen while in Android Auto. Overall very happy with the outcome, and honestly should have been available for a long time. I highly encourage anyone to go for it, its not that difficult.
 
Thanks for the videos. It was handy to refer to them as I did the install.

AA will take some getting used to, but it seems quite cool.

One thing that I didn't realize is that it seems like audio still goes over Bluetooth. I was expecting to enjoy better music quality due to USB connection, but don't think that's how it works unfortunately.
 
So to clarify - you guys are doing your own Mazda updates to the infotainment software?
 
So to clarify - you guys are doing your own Mazda updates to the infotainment software?

Yes, you have to if you are updating the hardware. If you don't do it first, it can't be done after the hardware has been detected - that has been communicated any way.
 
I've created some videos documenting the process to install the necessary parts for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in the second generation CX-5. The first video shows taking apart the interior, routing the cables and installing the new aux hub. Second video shows the process of putting all the trim back together. Do realize that version 70 of the firmware needs to be installed prior to installation of any new hardware. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/GYEaddWnbiQ

https://youtu.be/8choSrR3f-M

What all tools did you need for this? The instructions pdf lists torque wrench, ratchet, socket wrench, phillips and flat head screwdriver but all I could tell in your video was screwdriver and ratchet. Just want to make sure I have everything I need before I get halfway through taking everything apart.
 
You're correct. Philips head screwdriver and a wratchet with an extension to reach the bolts. A trim removal tool set would be a good thing to have on hand but definitely not required.
What all tools did you need for this? The instructions pdf lists torque wrench, ratchet, socket wrench, phillips and flat head screwdriver but all I could tell in your video was screwdriver and ratchet. Just want to make sure I have everything I need before I get halfway through taking everything apart.
 
What all tools did you need for this? The instructions pdf lists torque wrench, ratchet, socket wrench, phillips and flat head screwdriver but all I could tell in your video was screwdriver and ratchet. Just want to make sure I have everything I need before I get halfway through taking everything apart.

You need trim removal tools for prying, socket wrench, Phillips screw driver. Torque wrench is a maybe as it only applies to 2 bolts on the head unit, and it is easy enough to tighten those down without a torque wrench (not really a safety or performance issue in my opinion). The PDF is accurate. I don't remember needing a flat head, but if they call for it, then maybe you do. They may have it wrapped in tape for a few things.

It really is as simple as it looks to disassemble. Snaking the wire around the shifter and up to radio area is the most work. Also, I spent time tying things off as recommended as I don't want to go back in later to fix a rattle.
 
You're correct. Philips head screwdriver and a wratchet with an extension to reach the bolts. A trim removal tool set would be a good thing to have on hand but definitely not required.

Awesome! Thanks! Planning on doing this next weekend.
 
One bit of advice I have is when removing/replacing the pieces around the gear shift/centre console area, be very careful not to drop any screws down there. I dropped one in there and couldn't find it. Lost forever :(
 
One thing that I didn't realize is that it seems like audio still goes over Bluetooth. I was expecting to enjoy better music quality due to USB connection, but don't think that's how it works unfortunately.

If you are using AA and have your phone plugged into the USB port, you don*t need the Bluetooth connection at all. Un-pairing your phone from the car*s Bluetooth should force music to be routed through the USB connection.

Whether this improved sound quality will result in an audible difference (in a noisy vehicle) is an open question.
 
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Thanks for the videos OP. They were a huge help in knowing what to expect.

I elected to do my install a little differently. I did not remove the cupholders / HMI / shifter bezel / wallet tray or tunnel side trims. I prepped the cable with the foam and ran it down the dash from the head unit. No fishing wire necessary. Buttoned up everything in the dash and down to the tunnel exactly as you did.

From there I left the cable loose and poked it up under the tunnel plastic where it meets the carpet between the passenger seat and the arm rest. To do this slide the passenger seat all the way forward and work from the back seat. I knew this would lead directly to the USB port in the console as that was the first thing I looked at after disassembly.

From there I buttoned up everything inside the console the way you did. Working space was much tighter without removing the cupholder but I managed. I also managed to get a zip tie around the existing wire loom to secure the new cables under the cup holder blindly. That part wasn't exactly easy but I got it done.

I then tucked the remainder of the cable up into the tunnel under the plastic and buttoned everything up in the passenger kick panel as you did.

Basically I did everything the same as you except for running through the interior of the tunnel. But anyone considering the same needs to decide for themselves what's best for you and your car as this obviously isn't how Mazda says to do it.

Total time for me was ~45 minutes, not including the software update which was done well in advance. I hadn't taken the CX-5's dash apart before but do have experience working with car audio and interiors / electronics so I was comfortable going in.

The only trouble I came into was with a plastic alignment peg on the left side of the screen unit not lining up correctly on re-install, preventing it from fully seating properly into the dash. I had to pull one tab from the gauge cluster surround out to get some wiggle room to get the peg lined up at the correct angle. Once it went in everything else re-assembled without any further issue. In your video it looks like you were fiddling with the same spot a little when re-installing the head unit and the video skips, then it's sitting right. I'm curious if you had a similar experience.

Anyhow, a complete tool list used:
- a plastic trim tool
- phillips screwdriver
- 3/8 ratchet + extension + 10mm socket
- flashlight
- small side-cutters (for trimming zip ties)
- a knife to cut the last piece of foam in half

Thanks again for the work you put into the videos. They were extremely helpful.
 
When the hell is someone going to do a 16 video? [emoji4]
 
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