Mazda CX-5 speedometer weirdness

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insane

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#257096 14-Sep-2019 23:09

OK so just bought an imported CX-5 2013... Finally found one with every possible option sans a sun-roof, however, after getting the dealer to change the speedo cluster from Japanese to English, the speedo needle is now tracking as if it's supposed to be read in Miles per hour.

i.e when I drove on the motorway and kept up with other cars presumably going ~100km/h it was registering as only ~60km/h on the speedometer. Around my residential streets and matching other traffic, it's reading about ~25km/h.

Being my first Mazda I'm wondering if I'm missing a trick? Dash menu is set to km/h, the dial shows km/h markings - am a bit bamboozled

Any ideas apart from obviously returning it to the dealer to fix?

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#2317965 14-Sep-2019 23:20

My Mazda's allow me to change temp / tyre pressure measurements... I've never attempted to change the speedo though.

2016 and 2019 models.

insane

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#2317966 14-Sep-2019 23:33

Dunnersfella:

My Mazda's allow me to change temp / tyre pressure measurements... I've never attempted to change the speedo though.

2016 and 2019 models.

Yeah I can set the odometer between km and miles, change temp between C and F and a bunch of other things, tyre pressure monitoring doesn't appear to have any adjustment on the '13. In resetting the radio/nav system (in Japanese with google translate) I did manage to somehow lose the side camera which previously appeared by magic in the rearview mirror... *sigh*

I've had a VAG-COM/VCDS for my other cars and really enjoyed the programmability that gives - but Mazda's M-MDS doesn't appear to have much uptake outside of the dealer networks so that doesn't look like a viable option.

lNomNoml

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#2317967 14-Sep-2019 23:41

Well a quick google of 60 miles in kilometers says 96KM/h so yeah bang on the money take back and tell them you aint no american.

mattwnz

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#2317977 15-Sep-2019 00:38

Is the distance on the odometer correct, or does it read as though as if it was recording in miles per hour?

insane

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#2317980 15-Sep-2019 00:52

mattwnz:

Is the distance on the odometer correct, or does it read as though as if it was recording in miles per hour?

Hmm, I'll have to check the reading and the route I took home. Are you thinking that someone has tried to switch it to miles to hide the true distance the vehicle has travelled?

Bung

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#2317997 15-Sep-2019 07:52

AFAIK speedo needle conversion doesn't involve altering needle position, just changing between speedo faces with 1 - 150mph markings or 0 - 260kmh markings. Maybe there's a gross mismatch of wheel setting. Does your CX 5 have a head up display or some other digital speed indication? Some cars show current cruise setting as an example. Does that agree with needle?

If the dealer is clueless Geekzone user RUKI does conversions so might have an answer.

insane

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#2318018 15-Sep-2019 09:55

I'm fairly sure it worked fine before the info screen was converted from Japanese to English (when I first test drive it). So it seems as if they may have installed a US English firmware - if there is such a thing.

I'll take it back to the dealer today - they can figure it out

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PolicyGuy

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#2318069 15-Sep-2019 12:52

Surely the vehicle isn't to a WOF standard if it's like you describe it, as speedos are supposed to be fairly accurate.

Therefore not legally able to be sold

freitasm

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#2318071 15-Sep-2019 12:57

Take back to dealer and ask for it to be fixed. Certainly not fit for NZ code.

old3eyes

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#2318086 15-Sep-2019 13:38

On my Mazda CX 5 in the software on the touch screen there is a Settings > System> there is a Distance setting that can be changed from Mi to KM. I suspect that this won't change the speedo face as it looks like it is an overlay graduated in Kph.

Regards,

Old3eyes

insane

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#2318840 16-Sep-2019 22:45

old3eyes:

On my Mazda CX 5 in the software on the touch screen there is a Settings > System> there is a Distance setting that can be changed from Mi to KM. I suspect that this won't change the speedo face as it looks like it is an overlay graduated in Kph.

Yeah I tried that setting, but no luck. It's with the dealer again to get sorted - they didn't put up any fight and offered to drop the car back to my house after it's fixed.

Interestingly enough it literally just got a full inspection test and a WoF, but perhaps the dash was reflashed after the WoF on the same day.

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#2318850 16-Sep-2019 23:23

If the dealer testing is like VTNZ wof testing there's no road test, the brakes are done on a set of rollers and I don't think the simulated speeds are very high. There's no speedo performance test for a wof.

richms

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#2318852 16-Sep-2019 23:23

I have never had any spedometer check at WOF other than that it moves when it drives. They probably didnt notice. The rolley break machines dont do speed, and thats the only oppertunity to do it at the WOF test at VTNZ.

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TENKAN

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#2318866 17-Sep-2019 06:48

The problem I think is in the fact that the Japanese speed is set to 180km and the English UK version is 260km, you would need to fit the UK faceplate which is what the needle is calibrated to at the moment.

insane

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#2318903 17-Sep-2019 08:36

TENKAN: The problem I think is in the fact that the Japanese speed is set to 180km and the English UK version is 260km, you would need to fit the UK faceplate which is what the needle is calibrated to at the moment.

It's already got the original Japanese faceplate though, that wasn't changed.

When I drove it to the dealer I used a GPS app on my phone, so confirmed that it was roughly reading Mp/h values at all speeds.

70mph when driving 100 on GPS
30mph when driving 50 on GPS

I wouldn't want to fit the UK face though, that compresses the range of the needle, and I don't think my wife is going to be driving 100mph + with the baby in the back to make full use of the dial :)

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