Must have CX-5 Tools and Items

Hood struts are nice and all, but a "must-have"? More of a nicety IMO. Nice to know they're generally easy to install, though.

I know this was posted in the CX-5 General area, but I'm not sure why this is a CX-5 specific topic. I know, "the Lounge is where threads go to die". Hopefully when we move to the new forums, more people will use the Lounge area.


Must-have equipment in my car:
Tire repair kit, portable air compressor, jumper cables (soon to be replaced with a rechargeable battery booster), roadside assistance kit, and two small screwdrivers (standard and Phillips). Because I have aftermarket wheels with aftermarket lug nuts, I also keep a socket wrench, a couple of sockets, and the wheel lock key in the car as well (hidden, of course).

Nice to have equipment:
First-Aid kit, fire extinguisher, AC/DC inverter, portable shovel, flashlight, twine, duct tape, portable battery pack (for cell phones).

In the winter, I usually keep a small bag of ice melt, some play yard sand, and one of the OEM floor mats for instances where I might get stuck in snow.
 
Last edited:
Hood struts are nice and all, but a "must-have"? More of a nicety IMO. Nice to know they're generally easy to install, though.

If you're used to them, the omission is very noticeable.

If you work on your own vehicle, and plan on keeping your car for a few years, they are a must have! (drive) This is my fourth vehicle and the first that doesn't come with hood struts. My 1991 Acura Legend had them.
 
Last edited:
Since sm1ke mentioned it, the only item on the list I have not bought are jumper cables/battery boosters. (I just received a 6 pak of 20 minute flares for under $12).

Does anyone have long-term experience with the battery boosters? I'd prefer one of those to carrying around cables (for lots of reasons), but wonder about effectiveness and the length of time they hold their charge.
 
Since sm1ke mentioned it, the only item on the list I have not bought are jumper cables/battery boosters. (I just received a 6 pak of 20 minute flares for under $12).

Does anyone have long-term experience with the battery boosters? I'd prefer one of those to carrying around cables (for lots of reasons), but wonder about effectiveness and the length of time they hold their charge.

I used to use one of these Stanley lead-acid jump starters. It worked fine, and I used it to jump start someone's car, but it needs to be recharged quarterly and those are heavy.

The highest rated solution I have found is the Noco 1000 Amp lithium ion jump starter. It's Amazon's top selling jump starter battery.

It's lithium ion so it's much smaller (though still dense and weighty at about 2.5 pounds). It's 100 bucks, but it is much more substantial and well built than most of the other junk battery starters on the market. The lithium ion battery will hold its charge much longer than a lead acid unit.

If you read the reviews of literally any battery jump starter, there are always people complaining about their unit not working or having an issue. Doesn't matter whether it's a traditional lead acid or litihium ion unit. This review matches my experience of the unit. This guy is using them hard. I used it to start a 5.7L V8 with ease. Plenty of power left over afterwards.
q2N3BhD.jpg


I'm definitely NOT a fan of jumper cables. This is much easier, safer, and more reliable (crucially, no 2nd car needed).
 
Thanks, Chocolate.

I have jumper cables I carry in my truck, and use my tractor as required when having issues at home.

I just can't make the leap into the lithium ion jump starters without a first-hand recommendation. A set of quality cables ain't cheap, but a portable jump starter might be a complete waste of money. And as you point out, cables have their limitations when you're in an emergency. The downside with reviews on this kind of stuff it they are "I just bought it" people, not "I've been using it for a while" long-term owners.

This is the last thing on my emergency list. I'm not in a huge rush, since my car is brand new.
 
Last edited:
Well, it worked for me to start a 5.7L V8 with a dead battery, so I think it'll work for the Mazda's 2.5! : )

On the subject of battery drainage, I also like to replace all or most of the incandescent bulbs with LEDs as they are brighter and have a fraction of the energy drain. The interior bulbs are very inexpensive to upgrade. You can use the Sylvania Bulb Finder to reference the bulb number.
 
How long did you have the charger before using it?

And thanks for the reminders on the LEDs. I keep meaning to order some. You got a favorite source? Some folks here like Superbrite.
 
I used to use one of these Stanley lead-acid jump starters. It worked fine, and I used it to jump start someone's car, but it needs to be recharged quarterly and those are heavy.

The highest rated solution I have found is the Noco 1000 Amp lithium ion jump starter. It's Amazon's top selling jump starter battery.

It's lithium ion so it's much smaller (though still dense and weighty at about 2.5 pounds). It's 100 bucks, but it is much more substantial and well built than most of the other junk battery starters on the market. The lithium ion battery will hold its charge much longer than a lead acid unit.

If you read the reviews of literally any battery jump starter, there are always people complaining about their unit not working or having an issue. Doesn't matter whether it's a traditional lead acid or litihium ion unit. This review matches my experience of the unit. This guy is using them hard. I used it to start a 5.7L V8 with ease. Plenty of power left over afterwards.
q2N3BhD.jpg


I'm definitely NOT a fan of jumper cables. This is much easier, safer, and more reliable (crucially, no 2nd car needed).


Thanks for the reminder! I've been meaning to look into these...I want to give them as gifts to kids for Christmas.

They hate gifts from me because they always have a practical application! LOL!
 
Thanks for the reminder! I've been meaning to look into these...I want to give them as gifts to kids for Christmas.

They hate gifts from me because they always have a practical application! LOL!

I think they'll appreciate them, a great safety item for sure.
 
Does that mean you'll attach the hood-side bracket to the rear hinge bolt rather than the front hinge bolt, or is there a different way to get more lift to it?

I watched a couple of vids and didn't see anyone discuss options.

I was just going to try changing sides of the bracket on the hood side of the strut (switching left to right side- they aren't labeled). The mount is a little offset. It won't add much (if any) height, but I may consider it.
 
I was just going to try changing sides of the bracket on the hood side of the strut (switching left to right side- they aren't labeled). The mount is a little offset. It won't add much (if any) height, but I may consider it.

Gotcha.

Without having seen how these are configured, or how tightly they lay under the hood, I wonder if you couldn't put a spacer/spacers behind each of those 2 rear mounting brackets. That would extend the distance the struts pushed up the hood. It might not require a lot at the rear pivot point to get exponentially more lift at the front.

Of course, that might require finding a longer mounting bolt to go through the spacers to catch the nut on the hood. And when the hood is closed, the struts would be laying a little "deeper" in the engine compartment...they might not have room to do so without bumping into the body.

If required (and assuming you could get to the nuts and there's clearance), the front mounting post could be spaced up so the struts would lay properly when the hood is closed...there seems to be plenty of thread on those posts.

Just spitballing here.
 
Last edited:
Since sm1ke mentioned it, the only item on the list I have not bought are jumper cables/battery boosters. (I just received a 6 pak of 20 minute flares for under $12).

Does anyone have long-term experience with the battery boosters? I'd prefer one of those to carrying around cables (for lots of reasons), but wonder about effectiveness and the length of time they hold their charge.

I bought this one in 2018: https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

I jump a tractor with it, and it will easily start a car. The problems with them are 1) Then need to be topped off about every 3 or 4 months 2) They have to be kept under 140 degrees. If your car gets hot in the sun all day you shouldn't keep it in the car all the time. I suppose it can be kept in a cooler inside the car.
Also, mine stopped holding a charge. I contacted the manufacturer and they sent me a replacement that has been much better. My first one must have had a bad cell.
 
They have to be kept under 140 degrees. If your car gets hot in the sun all day you shouldn't keep it in the car all the time. I suppose it can be kept in a cooler inside the car.

Good to get a reference on a responsible manufacturer. I read some of the reviews on the one Chocolate linked to, and there were exploding lithium ion battery stories.

I just went through this "cars get too hot" issue trying to find a car fire extinguisher (max storage temp 120). Emails to manufacturers all got the same reply: "We meet D.O.T. specs." I finally bought an inexpensive one and hope that it works when I need it...but that hardly meets the goal of being prepared for an emergency.
 
Good to get a reference on a responsible manufacturer. I read some of the reviews on the one Chocolate linked to, and there were exploding lithium ion battery stories.

I just went through this "cars get too hot" issue trying to find a car fire extinguisher (max storage temp 120). Emails to manufacturers all got the same reply: "We meet D.O.T. specs." I finally bought an inexpensive one and hope that it works when I need it...but that hardly meets the goal of being prepared for an emergency.

I keep anything temperature-sensitive (fire extinguisher, pressurized sprays, and future battery booster) in the storage cubby under the false floor of the cargo area in my CX-9. That area is usually much cooler than the cabin, and it keeps them out of direct sunlight. Tinting the vehicle should reduce in-cabin ambient temps as well.
 
I keep anything temperature-sensitive (fire extinguisher, pressurized sprays, and future battery booster) in the storage cubby under the false floor of the cargo area in my CX-9. That area is usually much cooler than the cabin, and it keeps them out of direct sunlight. Tinting the vehicle should reduce in-cabin ambient temps as well.

I have this stuff in the cargo area under a cargo cover that is in use all the time.

But this is yet another issue that circles back to that tinting I've yet to get done.
 
a fire extinguisher in the rear storage cubby is about as good as none at all

So what's a good solution?

Someone here recommended the ones that look like flares and emit oxygen-starving gas, but they're no good in a breeze.

Or do you mean it should be kept under the driver's seat where you know you can get at it in an emergency?
 
Back