Hints, tricks, and what to check on CX-5
 

Thought I would start a thread to post what little things people have found that have been helpful. Yes, some are hidden in the owners manual. Please, no griping or problem resolution here.

I'll start it off:
1) When you venture off the route the NB-1 GPS has chosen for you the unit seems to keep trying to get you back to the original route rather than recalculating the quickest route from where you are. So if you stray too far from old route, cancel then reclick the destination under "Recent ...".
2) There are little drain holes under the windshield wipers. They clog easily, so keep them clear.
3) If you turn the dash brightness light knob (same as one you press to reset trip odometer) all the way to the right the GPS unit will stay in day-mode. Helpful in some lighting situations. Not so helpful when you do it accidentally during the day and find you are being blinded at night.
4) On the NB-1 nav GPS unit you can customize the short-cut menu (accessed by hitting the curved arrow on left side). If you set that menu to have only one item it will jump to it without displaying the shortcut menu. I set it to navigate to an spoken address. One click and it asks for the address.
5) You can download new color schemes for the NB-1 GPS display on your PC. Find something that you can easily see. Daytime and nighttime can be set separately.
5) You can reset your dash AVG MPG and AVG MPH by pressing the center of the Info button on the steering wheel when that stat is being displayed on the dash.
6) I've read that Big Lots sells black carpet that matches identically to CX-5 black, some use that in the back instead of buying an expensive mat.
7) Keep multiple USB memory sticks with your music on it. Then insert the stick with the mix you feel like and hit randomize. Like some songs more? Put them on the stick twice, in separate folders.

1) Check your tire pressure after taking delivery. A lot of dealers don't and the tires come off the boat over-inflated to prevent flat spots. Mine were 40PSI - very bouncy...

2) if you're using a USB flash drive for your music you may want to get a short USB extension cable, otherwise the USB drive can interfere with using the center compartment tray, or even closing the lid.

Anyone have any suggestions on where to put a trash bag or receptacle?

All good points to consider.:)

I have been trying to read a way to see my individual tire pressures into the owner's manual but have about given up. Maybe it was the Buick I looked at that I saw that feature on.

Also have not been able to find any reference to the small round thingy on the driver's side of the front of the car at the lower corner of the mouth of the grille. I just happened to think, it might be the sensor for the brake assist feature.

Open the drivers door and look on the sticker on the door jamb.

When you press the lock/unlock on the remote the lights blink different. I remember that lock is one syllable so they blink once, and unlock is two syllables so they blink twice. Comes in handy when pressing the remote while still inside pocket.

If your driver side window loses its auto-up/down function then move the window down all the way and keep holding switch down for 3 seconds, then bring the window up and hold the switch up for 3 seconds. Mine got disabled during service somehow.

Nice job CurlyBrian.
you could make this a sticky, similar to the way I made a sticky "the unofficial User's guide to the '95 to '98 Protege". I keep editing the sticky when something new comes up.

Some helpful hints here, thanks.

Thanks this really works.:D

How to downshift the automatic transmission (at least on 2013):
Your dealer should've told you this, cause the CX-5 acts differently than other transmissions. I've seen enough complaints about the car accelerating like a dog.

If you are in 6th gear and you want to downshift one gear (say to pass someone), quickly press the accelerator down about 1/4 of the way. If you want to downshift two gears, quickly press the accelerator down 1/2 the way. The transmission will do exactly what you want. If you baby the accelerator down (even to the same 1/4 way down) the CX-5 seems to interpret that action as an instruction to accelerate when convenient (in favor of MPG).

If you want to keep the radio on but not the car - before you turn it off with the push button, place it in Neutral, turn off the engine and then put in park. Now you can keep all your power but the engine is off. Kind of like the ACC on those old style cars :-) It will shut off after a period of time, at least it did in my sonata but it took about 30 minutes or so. if needed, just start the car and do it again. This was helpful when at the drive in and you need the car radio to hear the sound or you are parked and waiting for someone.

Another way to do this is to press the START/STOP button without pressing on the brake pedal. The first press is ACC and the second press is ON - if comparing to ignition key operated vehicles.

One of those telescoping "purse" umbrellas fits nicely next to the spare tire.

When at the drive-in movies pull the parking brake up one click to prevent the daytime running lights from coming on.

12 VDC for toys
 

If you need 12 volts for things on the dash like GPS, or other toys there is a fuse box near the drivers door, down by the drivers left foot.

Buy a pig-e-back fuse holder. It plugs in instead of a fuse and holds two fuses, one for the original use and one for power for a short lead coming out of the device. I ran a wire out of the fuse box and up the side of the dash board between the door and the dash and then onto the dash.

Only a few inches of wire show with the door closed and no holes in the car.