When you see the “Front Radar Sensor Blocked” error message in your Mazda CX-5, it may seem so straightforward and easy to fix that you may wonder how on Earth I’ve written the 1500-word article about this problem. I will show you!
In short, your Mazda CX-5 may throw the “Front Radar Sensor Blocked” message when the radar zone is dirty, covered by something, is in snow or water, when you travel on a highway, or when the battery is low. It may also be activated after suspension modifications and also tire size change. There are plenty of weird and unclear things you may want to know about the front radar sensor in your Mazda SUV.
In this article, I will try to tell you about the common reasons for this error message to appear on the dash and also about the ways to solve the problem.
Can you dismiss the “Front Radar Sensor Blocked” message?
It may seem very disturbing when your Mazda CX-5 covers the major part of the dash screen with a huge warning message. You don’t see the speed, can’t control the RPM, can’t get all the needed trip information. I’ve seen some people on forums asking how they could dismiss this nasty message and whether the only way to solve it is to clean the radar.
Well, you can dismiss the error message just by clicking the “Info” button. But you should understand that after this message appears, your radar and all the functions that rely on the front radar sensor will most likely not be working properly.
Where is the front radar sensor in your Mazda CX-5?
In the freshest generation of the CX-5, the front radar sensor is located right behind the Mazda emblem in the front grille. The placement is not the most convenient because this place gets a lot of snow contamination in winter and can be attacked by water on highways when the weather is rainy.
So, I guess that the front radar sensor in your Mazda car will not be the most durable technology and will get on your nerves regularly. So, better remember the location of the sensor because you will have to clean it on a regular basis.
Should I clean the sensor every time I get the message from my CX-5?
Let’s have a look at how this radar sensor works. It sends the waves in front of your car and then analyzes any waves that were mirrored by other objects. So, if there is a little water on the Mazda emblem, this shouldn’t disturb the sensor from its work. But if the entire emblem and the grille are covered with a thick layer of muddy snow, the radar will most likely see this as a close object. To avoid problems, Mazda introduced a system that interprets these events as radar blockage and sends the error message on the dash.
If you see this message, here’s what you should do:
- press “Info” to dismiss the error and let you see all the needed trip information;
- keep driving till your next stop but forget about the smart functions of adaptive cruise control;
- once you stop the vehicle, have a look at the grille and the emblem;
- if they are contaminated, clean them and the radar will get back to work automatically.
It doesn’t make sense to go out every 30 minutes when you are driving on the highway and clean that radar area. It will still get muddy or snowy and will not work properly. So, better don’t rely on adaptive cruise control and smart braking system. I actually don’t recommend you rely on those systems because even Mazda agrees that they are not really reliable and can lead to problems if the car is not controlled by an attentive human.
Mazda CX-5 functions that rely on the front radar sensor
So, when you see this message, there are several systems that may be inactive and require cleaning of the radar area to start working again. Here they are:
- Radar Cruise Control – the adaptive cruise control feature that can adjust the speed of your car according to the speed of other vehicles on the road.
- Distance Recognition Support System – the system that measures the distance between your Mazda and other cars that are driving in front of you on the road.
- Smart Brake Support – the system that automatically brakes whenever the distance to the object in front of your car is smaller than the distance in the settings.
I wouldn’t say that this error message turns off something vitally important in your Mazda CX-5, so you can keep driving and don’t pay attention to the error message.
What else can trigger the “Front Radar Sensor Blocked” message?
When talking to a Mazda dealership mechanic, I learned that this message can appear on the dash of your vehicle quite unexpectedly when the grille and the Mazda emblem are as clean as my credit records.
Here are the reasons that can trigger the “Front Radar Blocked” message in the CX-5:
1. Driving on an empty highway
Mazda openly says that the “Front Radar Sensor Blocked” Message may appear on the dash of your vehicle in situations when you drive on an empty highway and the radar doesn’t get any work for a long time. The control module may deduct that something is wrong with the sensor or wiring and may throw this message.
You don’t need to go out, look at the sensor’s area, clean it, etc. You just need to drive further. Press OK or Info to dismiss the error message. Once the radar catches some car or another object, the system will come back to normal.
2. Changing tire size
This reason is also described in the Mazda CX-5 manual. Mazda says that you need to use the standard tire and wheel size at all times if your car is equipped with the front radar sensor. Otherwise, the sensor may be located higher or lower and may not be working properly. It’s important to know if you are about to pay for some super-cool tuning wheels for your CX-5. Maybe, after this, you will need to turn off some functions like adaptive cruise control and auto emergency braking.
3. Modifying suspension
This is another unobvious reason why you may see the nasty message telling you that the radar sensor is blocked. Again, the position of the sensor may be changed. And since it’s a high-precision unit, it may not be working properly. Better use OEM suspension parts if you need to repair or replace something. Also, you may ask for some adjustments to the sensor in the dealership.
4. Using an aftermarket grille or emblem.
If the grille or emblem is not OEM, there could be a problem with the radar signal. The materials of aftermarket parts can interfere with the work of waves and the sensor will throw the error message on the dash at all times. If your vehicle has been in an accident, you should clearly think about buying OEM body parts for repairing it.
5. Low 12V battery
Sometimes sensors and control units may malfunction and go crazy because of the low voltage in the system. If the battery is low, this message (or basically any other error message) may appear on the dash when you turn on the accessory mode or at the moment when you are starting the engine. After that, the alternator should take over and the voltage should be OK, so the error message may be gone after some time.
In all modern cars, it’s quite important to control the condition of the 12V battery and replace it before the battery is dead. Under some circumstances, the low voltage may even fry some electric parts.
6. Wiring problems
It’s not uncommon after small front-end accidents that a wire may be broken or some connection may be lost. When the control unit doesn’t get the signal from the sensor, it may decide that the sensor is blocked and throw this message. Unfortunately, it’s quite hard to locate this issue and repair it without any professional help.
7. ECU problems
Your CX-5 is unlikely to have any ECU issues unless the ECU was in contact with water. Water damage may lead to all kinds of different glitches and the error messages the ECU can throw in this case depend on the affected area of the unit.
If you’ve already checked everything and couldn’t locate the problem, just try checking the ECU. Again, you will need some professional help and the best place to go is the Mazda dealership. The repair there will cost you a fortune, but at least, you can have the vehicle diagnosed properly.
What should I do when I see the “Front Radar Sensor Blocked” in Mazda CX-5?
Here’s what you should do once you get this message on the dash of your SUV:
- if you are going on an empty highway, just keep driving and see if the message disappears;
- press Info or OK and keep driving but keep in mind that some radar-dependent functions are not working;
- if the problem persists, stop the vehicle, get out, and see if the Mazda emblem area is dirty on the front grille;
- wipe the area even if it seems relatively clean;
- plan your visit to the dealership for diagnostics if the problem keeps bothering you.
It’s not recommended to apply any DIY solutions because you may make things even worse. A quick inspection in the dealership will answer all your questions. If your Mazda is not under warranty coverage, you may then choose another repair shop and have the vehicle repaired cheaper than in the dealership.