Decoding Mazda CAN bus

Posted on by

While working on my projects, I did several attempts to depict Mazda CAN protocol, to find useful information. For example, getting the shift position for the “smart “mirror project and the fuel level for the fuel reminder. There are many products available for the OBD2 protocol. One good product is TouchScan with Mazda extension, which allows you to access every module in the car for diagnostic purposes. Using this tool, I figured out how to get access to the fuel gauge on the console, instead of using the sensor in the tank. However, while it is a very useful tool, it does not provide access to real-time information available on CAN bus as broadcasted messages. Continue reading →

Trunk Organizer

Posted on by

Another small project for my MX-5. I designed some simple partitions to keep small items in the trunk without being squished by groceries or other heavy bags.  The trunk has a deepened area which is 4 inches deep; perfect for small items like hiking shoes, water bottles, and some car maintenance items. Continue reading →

Hacking Mazda Forward Sensing Camera (FSC)

Posted on by

Mazda MX-5 2016 GT has advanced safety features, like Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS ) and adaptive High Beam Control (HBC).

Here is  the Mazda document, showing how it works.  This is the manual for Mazda 6, but MX-5 is identical.

I’m not sure about the value of having LDWS on a sport car, like MX-5. It often produces false alerts which is quite annoying.  Disabling this feature by turning it off will show up as a yellow warning light, which is also annoying. I’ve not had a chance to test the HBC feature yet. So, I was thinking to turn this camera into a dash cam, by hacking it or even replacing the whole PCB. Continue reading →