DIY Apple CarPlay & Android Auto install on Mazda CX-5 2016.5

Guide on how to do the hardware install of the new USB hub and cord required to use CarPlay and Andriod Auto in a 2016 or new Mazda CX-5.
The dealership can do this for you but it's around $400 total for them to do it.
Using this method will only cost about $150 for the parts.
IMPORTANT: Before attempting this, make sure you have the correct firmware needed (70.00.21 or later). See below for instructions on how to do this.
Please note: Do this at your own risk. If you don't feel comfortable with any of the steps, have a dealer install it for you.
Video of someone updating the firmware manually: • How To Update Mazda Co...
Mazda Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto Retrofit Kit 00008FZ34:
www.ebay.com/itm/192679403436...
CPAA Cable installation manual for CX-5: www.docdroid.net/0OSgyMQ/cpaa...
Center Panel removal manual: www.mcx5.org/center_panel_remo...
Decoration Panel Removal: www.mcx5.org/decoration_panel_...

[@markcolwell2561]

Thanks - it was easier than I thought it was going to be. I just took my phone out to the car and went step by step to your video. It only took me about an hour for the hardware part. For the USB hub I pulled hard on the rubber cover that goes over the SD card and it popped the complete front off which gave easy access to the tabs. Took no time at all. Thanks again!!

[@forrestallison1879]

Wow that tip was amazing, you are great thank you so much. That's why I come to the comments. Yeah just pull hard on the SD card cover and the whole face comes right apart, doesn't even break it.

[@fieldsnotes]

Thank you! Just finished up my install and this video made it easy. I couldn't get the tabs on the usb hub to release so I really brute forced it from the outside and and that worked well. I pulled off the face of the old usb hub by just pulling on the the sd card cover and then found it fairly easy to break it from there.

[@hotsaucejar]

I was able to complete the process following this guide! Thank you! My only tip would be to move the motorized seats back prior to unhooking the battery before you get started.

[@ConnorYamsek]

This is my "quarantine project". Just ordered my kit this morning and thanks to your help, I feel pretty confident with the install. Thank you!!

[@SamEmory013]

This was a quarantine project for me as well! It was all pretty smooth besides getting the old USB hub out.

[@megstandridge4203]

Where are you all buying the car play kit? The new USB and cords? I’m seriously considering attempting this myself.

[@ConnorYamsek]

@@megstandridge4203 I bought mine on Amazon, but you can find it on eBay too!! You just need the part number :)

[@laforcem]

Thanks! I just did it and everything went well! With the exception of the old USB hub that I decided to break since I was not able to access it from behind. Carplay works like a charm on our CX-5 2016.5 (from Canada)

[@shahaab]

How fast does the Carplay port charge the phone?

[@Phell7]

Finally got around to do it, thank you so much for the video, made things a lot easier! The usb hub was a pain to remove, ended up sticking a longnose in the usb and sd card slot and pulled while I was stuck my hand behind and pushed the pins. Couldn't get the last one to give... Pulled with the pliers and ripped the hub's front panel off (press fit). Gave me access to the last pin so I mangled it off from the front. Definitely smoother to remove everything but it looked like even more of a pain so the destructive fashion makes more sense timewise.

[@kneeman1983]

Great guide. Completed in an hour. Used the "pry open from the front" method on the USB hub.

[@lukeroberts9373]

I followed your video and it worked perfectly! Took me about 2 hours in total. I followed Mobiusphantom's method of screwing into the holes above the sd card slot, pulling off the fascia then cracking the case to remove the usb module. Of course I updated the firmware too. There's some great tutorials on KZbin and forums on how to do this. Thanks very much Sam - I'm really happy with Android Auto in my Mazda CX5!

[@zaccravens757]

I just upgraded my 2016.5 Mazda CX-5. Thank you for the detailed instructions, as I was able to break the tabs using the long screwdriver method.

[@user-tl5hm1yz2f]

Thank you Sam! We used Don F's method to remove the USB hub (search Mazda3 USB Hub removal (AA/CarPlay retrofit)) since it was impossible for us to get to the back from the passenger panel.

[@JonBOY26]

Great video. Hot tip: I didn't have to snap off tabs to remove the original USB module. I removed the left side kick panel (passenger side for my Australian 2016 CX-5), then I removed the black plastic clip that secures the air duct to the chassis, then I moved the air duct (which runs to the underside of the seat) slightly forward, then I was able to get my left arm in behind the centre console. From there I was able to use my fingers to depress the individual clips, while using a trim removal tool to gently lever the USB module forward, preventing them from reclipping once the clips were free.

[@DAVIDGUALDRON]

I am going to the dealer to update the software today, but the DIY installation had me concerned about snapping off the tabs of the USB module. Hope I can replicate your method! Thanks!!

[@JonBOY26]

⁠just make sure that you don't drop the black plastic clip once you remove it from the heater housing. I dropped it and it's impossible to recover one it falls down between the chassis and carpet. I had to resecure the heater tube to the chassis using a zip tie. Also, when running the wires, I found it easy to (1) first poke the new cables through the opening for the module, then run them off to the right hand side (with kick panel removed), then (2) run a flexible wire from the back of the stereo bay down to meet the new cables near the kick panel, then tape the new cables to the flexible wire, then pull them up through the stereo bay. I bunched the excess cable length in the back of the stereo bay then zip tied it.

[@DAVIDGUALDRON]

@@JonBOY26 thanks buddy! Went to the Mazda dealer yesterday to upgrade the firmware, but had a discouraging experience. They had a disclaimer I should sign saying that if the upgrade is corrupted during the process, they take no responsibility, in which case a repair would cost ~$2000 dollars. They said it can happen and has happened before. This chickened me out and I came back home with no upgrades 😞🤷‍♂

[@mobiusphantom3489]

Great video Sam. I found what I think is a far far easier way to get the old USB module out - I couldn't get at the clips and was almost resigned to taking the whole center console out when I had an idea. I put two Gib/Plasterboard screws into the two holes in the facia over the SD slit - Then I just pulled on the two screws and the whole fascia broke away. It was then easy with a flat blade screwdriver to crack out the rest of the plastic case. Took about 2 minutes to the whole unit removed, I just wish I'd thought of it sooner as I spend a long time trying to get a long screwdriver in the right place to snap the clips and forcing my hand and wrist into the gap very uncomfortably. I'm very happy with the final install - Great feature!

[@Dickie.M]

Seen a few of these self-install videos now and this is by far the best. Just gotta work up the courage to give it a go myself now.

[@SamEmory013]

Thank you! I hope you ended up doing the install!

[@Dickie.M]

@@SamEmory013 no, I'm still in warranty and didn't want to risk breaking anything. Have gone for a dealer install on Friday. Got a good deal, £270 when it's usually £350 in the UK, and what else is there to spend my money on at the moment?

[@adriangadinceanu2295]

What dealership was it? I would love to do it too…

[@Dickie.M]

@@adriangadinceanu2295 Romford, but it was several years ago now.

[@GeoffreyEspin]

Thanks for this. I didn't disconnect my battery as suggested in this video or another. But before sealing everything up... I tried it... and my head unit display was dead and my door locks no longer worked, and I had to use emergency ignition start (by holding key to Start button). Long story short: I had to replace a 15A "ROOM" fuse.

[@koolosus]

Thank you Sam for video. Its very detailed and it helps me a lot. I didn’t have that long screwdriver so I was removing plastic/pipe of ventilation on the bottom and i manage to reach usb hub hub with hand and I disconnected those clips. But I don’t recommend, I’ve got a lot of scratches 🙂

[@danielpereira7181]

Hey Sam, thank you so much for all the details and tips, did it this morning in 1h, really easy to do it. and I'm really happy with CarPlay :)

[@deltasriracha8830]

the usb port on my car was broken. no hope of updating. decided to do it anyways and prayed it would work and spent a good two hours following this tutorial and basically IT LITERALLY WORKED OMG GO ME anyways i’m literally cracked and this was so insane and i am so glad

[@NyceUA]

Thank you so much for the video, you helped me a lot to do it on my own! I have pulled the front plate of the old hub and then pushed the pins with a flat screwdriver afterwards like many people suggested - worked out pretty well I would say!

[@noamdinar9563]

Thank you! Assisted me to install as well! 🙏🎉

[@kimwellhonculada3182]

Excellent guide

[@heychas]

Thanks Sam! Very helpful video. Great job editing and capturing the main parts. I was able to complete it today in about 2 hours. I ended up using Jeffrey Hester's trick of drilling holes in front of the tabs to get that pesky USB hub out.

[@ravedave]

Thanks for your video! For the Hub, the front cover of it actually comes off and then you can easily push the pins and pull the box out (hope this will help future installers)

[@brianhelman8468]

@Michelle Keese If you haven't figured it out yet, the hub is the box that has the USB ports - where you plug in your phone.

[@uptheirons726]

This is what I did. Pop the front cover off the USB hub. Use one screw driver to pry down the tabs and stick a smaller screwdriver in there to hold it down. You'll need 4 tiny screw drivers. Once the tabs are all held down push it out from the back. Easy peasey.

[@curtweller1388]

How do you remove the front cover of the hub?

[@uptheirons726]

@@curtweller1388 I opened the little door for the SD card slot, grabbed the face with a pair of pliers and yanked it off.

[@jkdubs5602]

@@uptheirons726this was so helpful thank you😭

[@homeobeer]

I'm gotta work up the courage to give it a go myself now.

[@leadmonkey]

Well done mate, you win the internet today 👊

[@MarkSegree]

Just finished this job. I'm 6ft 2"" and if you don't have a long screw driver then you can do what I did which is to stick my hand back there from the passenger kick panel and actually press all 4 tabs. Funny part is I took it out perfectly without breaking any tabs but I hear something shaking in the old module. Maybe that why It took 6 hours to charge a phone b4. At 18% it said 2hrs for s9+ which is a huge improvement. If im correct that means both ports charge at 2amps

[@brucemorris3830]

Reminds me of doing my 4wd module on my old GMC. Easy replacement but in a very inconvenient spot 😂

[@MTLJack]

For anyone wondering how to remove the USB module, I used a flat head screw driver and I hammered it, it came right off without breaking any tabs.

[@jeffreyhester7272]

Good job. The best part was the time saving drilling I actually drilled two hole at each corner the stuck a screw driver into the holes, turned the blade and was able to pull the usb box out easily.

[@edkight6447]

I went this route today. Too difficult to reach the tabs even with long screwdriver. Nice video. Everything thing else was easy.

[@heychas]

Thanks for this tip Jeffrey! It was a life saver for me. It worked well - not pretty, but got the job done.

[@syu8729]

Hey Sam, I bought the kit but I was wondering if it includes the foam you are using to wrap the wires around?

[@onlycodered]

Appreciate the thorough video. Have you had any issues with CarPlay being really laggy? My local dealership said it’s not worth the upgrade due to the lacking performance. Just wondering if that’s their way of trying to get me to buy a new car. 😂

[@bembjaminbrosenglek1163]

ty for the video I may have carved through the front of the old box with a box cutter maybe

[@Zn0nimus]

Hey Sam, I just updated the firmware in my cx-5. Did you check to see if the options were visible without the USB hub? I don't see it under Applications, I'm wondering if it will only show up after the new hub is installed? Thanks for the vid. My hub arrives thursday.

[@SamEmory013]

Yes, I believe it only shows up once you install the USB!

[@chomidore3]

Any concern with rattling/loose panels after doing this? I recently bought a 2019 CX-5 Sport and would love the upgrade, just a little concerned over the sturdiness of the interior, even if I have the dealer do it..

[@EuropeanLord]

Hey Sam Emory, does Apple CarPlay work wirelessly or the phone has to be connected via the cable?

[@spencerpanter2276]

For those of you having issues with the removal of the old hub, watch this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fny7nYKifaqrf5I Video shows a Mazda 3, but same works for CX-5. Once the faceplate is off you’ll see the tabs from the front. Pry a screwdriver between each tab (need 4 small flatheads) and the console plastic to keep in “open” position. Then through side access panel, reach your hand in to push the hub out from the back. If all 4 tabs are correctly positioned and held in place with screwdrivers from the front, it should slide out pretty easily. Just used this technique and took about 15 mins to get the old hub out.

[@sndesigner01]

Does the cable kit come with the foam you are using here?

[@SwimmingintheDeep]

So does the car have to be a 2016.5 or later? How do I know that's the case? I'm looking at used. If they have the navigation wheel in between the seats, is that a sign that is compatible?

[@eduardomunzenmayer7525]

Hi, im from Chile. Where did you buy the kit?...Does it come with all the components like the USB cable, grapping sponge, etc?....Does it work with Bluetooth or only by usb conect?

[@SamEmory013]

I have the link to the kit in the description. I got mine from Ebay. It comes with all the parts needed. The CarPlay functionality only works with the USB cable.

[@alyssalutzow8258]

Im having trouble figuring out where to buy or which one i need to buy for my same car as in this video any help would be greatly appreciated so i can find the one to fit in my car thank you!

[@breyhamilton3419]

So it just automaticaly opens carplay everytime when you plug it in? A few other videos other people pressed a button on the screen to switch to carplay.

[@TheMrRey]

What size is the bolt on the bottom of the screen? Having a hard time finding right size

[@lucadelmagno7007]

Hi…i followed your instructions..first time i paired iphone and it works.. i shut down the car i retried and it works…then past 5 hours i went to the car turned on, there s the apple car symbol and i paired with phone but when i push the apple car log nothing happened..i tried everything but nothing works…can u gine me sone tips???? Thanks

[@cesarmeixueiro9465]

What Mazda dealership did you used to work at?

[@koolosus]

Does it work without cable? I just installed didn’t have much time to explore it. Is it possible to connect it with bluetooth? I have Mazda CX5 2015

[@hassanahmad9597]

I have 2015 mazda 6 which doesn’t have a screen Can I buy that type of your mazda screen for my one?

[@curtweller1388]

I just updated my 2016.5 CX5. Post update, the Mazda NAV system isn't recognized as being installed. Is this expected? BTW, I removed the old USB hub by first prying off the the front cover to expose the 4 tabs - had it out in under 10 minutes!

[@PEACHES429]

Hi I’m having the same issue today. Installed everything, firmware is version 70.000.335. Any thoughts?

[@danielalbertotavares2238]

My cx5 2016 has a very old version 53 and I can't update to version 70 of the firmware... Should I buy it online?

[@Starlord3158]

How you get the software updated?

[@tsunami770]

Only problem is that it disables the touch screen. The LCD touchscreen only works for the original mazda screen when android auto is on you have to use the mouse.

[@tenders]

My 2017 CX 5 has a 12V outlet located where yours has the USB hub. How does this mod work with that setup?

[@Eduardo-lv1do]

The USB Hub Should be in the central arm rest

[@will_h10]

Will the usb charge your phone while using carplay?

[@beach376]

Thanks for the video, but this 65 year old guy is going to pay for the upgrade and installation.

[@alehandrosamara]

Will it work on the 2015 Mazda CX-5?

[@scorpioncnr]

Will this work in 2016 cx5?

[@PEACHES429]

Please help! Just finished installation, checked everything was plugged in correctly. OS version is 70.00.335 NA N. CarPlay option is not showing up. Any thoughts?

[@user-sz8qp5zb2o]

Did you fix it?

[@l.elhamami868]

have the update procedure (OS version) THANKS

[@b.s.6886]

Is there a way to use android auto wireless?

[@jeffmurray3685]

Will my firmware be fine at 70.00.100 NA?

[@monitoboy9]

Will this work on the 2016.5 base model: Sport?

[@SamEmory013]

Bruce Anderholt Yes! That’s the model featured in the video

[@nickbjones]

Anyone figure out how to enable touch screen while driving in this 2015/16 model - for the passenger of course.

[@PedalDoc]

Since doing this install a few months ago I’m having intermittent oddities, won’t do CarPlay audio, automatically scrolls through phone on screen and also now backup camera isn’t working. Thought it was cable plugged into phone but even after replacing that it’s acting weird. Thoughts? Loose connection?

[@SamEmory013]

Backup camera issues sound like a cable wasn’t plugged in correctly. As for the other issues, I’ve not heard of that happening before.

[@PedalDoc]

@@SamEmory013 may actually be the Mazda ghost touch issue. did diagnostic menu on it and it showed the hardware failure code. will update firmware and see if it fixes it.

[@narsil7350]

@@PedalDoc fixed?

[@PedalDoc]

@@narsil7350 yes, failed hardware. had to replace the whole unit, luckily was able to get Mazda to cover it.

[@narsil7350]

@@PedalDoc replaced hub with Android Auto/Car Play?

[@nikachakvetadze8508]

my car is 2016 gt, i upgraded firmware to 70.00.335 NA N but there is no apple carplay or android auto in aplications. If i replace usb kit then it will appear in menu?

[@b0sanac]

The application won't appear until you install the compatible usb hub. It's not showing because the old hub doesn't support AA/CP

[@agowskipawe4154]

Nie potrafię zanieść wytłumaczenie dlaczego montujesz tak długą wiązkę?

[@arkadiusz56]

Taka długa wiązka przychodzi w zestawie , gdyż niektóre modele mazdy mają modul USB zamieszczany w centralnym schowku - do czego jest potrzebne więcej kabla .

[@bry84guy]

The new hub charges the phone fast enough. Even with the screen on all the time......

[@vkenzo90]

This works on a 2015 CX5?

[@zhemaramag2148]

Yes as long as you have mazda connect version.

[@AliseIam]

My dealership charges $500 to do this... guess I know why..

[@tmic4790]

2022 Mazda CX5 does not have wireless Apple CarPlay. Primitive engineering. Cords dangling in your car plus a pain to plug in and unplug each time you enter your car. Especially for short drives.

[@puskesmasranuyosolumajang6368]

ITS VERY SKUY

[@tmic4790]

No wireless CarPlay is like living in the 1990’s. Obsolete

[@CaptBurgundy]

Video is helpful up until the off-screen USB console tab removal, which you suggest just breaking parts instead of doing it properly.

[@pharmtek]

You can take apart the entire center console if you want to save a part you throw away.

[@artv7291]

Why would anyone do this for just a few better apps? Once you open that panel fuck with the cables, it will never be the same.

[@MM-sl3mo]

Why would anyone do anything? To make their life easier and better. It is not important to you, but it is to some other people. I for example, don't like having my phone on the windshield suction cup holder or any other holder when needing maps and such. Also, since phone's screen is not on, since it is projecting on the car's screen, then phone battery lasts longer. All kinds of benefits.

[@brianhelman8468]

Updated, realtime navigation.

[@EuropeanLord]

Because you can use live Google Maps coming from your phone as Mazda's navigation is useless.

[@perconta23]

if it aint broke dont fix it

[@josephcoleman57]

JUST USE BLUETOOTH AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO FUCK YOUR CAR ALL UP