FAQ: Adding Power windows and Locks to non-power models.

JJT · Post by **JJT** » September 19th, 2005, 12:41 pm

does anyone know if you can convert, a MX-3 non power window to Power windows and locks if anyone has any info about a kit or ideas on what to do. please let me know.

ariesdude · Post by **ariesdude** » September 19th, 2005, 2:06 pm

These are the kits i got from ebay

Power locks & Keyless entry kit -
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 7990796753

Power windows kit with 3 switches -
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 7989238174

I have installed them and they work great - the driver's side window sticks sometime - one of these days when i get time i will take the door panel off and see what's going on - otherwise they work great. There are no instructions for mounting these kits - you will have to figure out on your own - i think it is more fun than following instructions anyway.
I also got a relay and a trunk popper and wired up the third channel in my keyless entry remote - so i can open my trunk with my remote.

By the way my car is a 94 RS 1.6L DOHC ATX.

cb mx3 · Post by **cb mx3** » September 21st, 2005, 9:11 am

Are they hard to install and do you have to shave your door handles with these kits, b/c I want power locks (hate having to remind passengers to lift handle) but just painted my car so don't want to shave the door handles.

ariesdude · Post by **ariesdude** » September 21st, 2005, 1:57 pm

No. They dont have anything to do with the door handles - these get mounted just behind the door panel and i didnt do any modification/drilling at all. The lock actuators just get hooked to the door lock rods - you can still operate the door locks manually from inside and use your keys from the outside etc. It just locks/unlocks the doors - not open/close - so it doesnt change the handles. It took me better part of a day to install/wire those - but it was worth it. If anyone wants - i can try and get some pics of my amature installation - maybe this weekend.

cb mx3 · Post by **cb mx3** » September 21st, 2005, 6:35 pm

I would really like to see those pics for reference.....would really like to put these in......difficulty scale of 1-10 what would u rate it. Thanks

PATDIESEL · Post by **PATDIESEL** » September 21st, 2005, 11:55 pm

Also interested in some pics of all the work. I hate to tell passangers to hold the handle so I wiat and sometimes they wait for me to get out then I have to tell them to get out and close the stinkin door so I can lock it and then we have a five minute conversation about why I have to wait on them to get out and close the door and good gracious what a pain that always is.

Get the point?..

ariesdude · Post by **ariesdude** » September 22nd, 2005, 12:38 am

I will try to get some pics either tomorrow or this weekend - it is not hard at all to do this - i had to waste some time to try and figure out the mounting and wiring etc - but since you guys have a starting point you can get it done pretty easily and i am sure you can do a better job than me.
I get what you're sayin pat - that's why i ordered the kits the day i got the car and installed them a week later - manual locks are so 90's ....

ariesdude · Post by **ariesdude** » September 22nd, 2005, 7:05 pm

Ok - here are the pics - sorry for the weird angles and poor lighting - it was about to rain - so i had to rush.

This is the driver's side door panel - and it shows where i had to cut for the power window switches - i was thinking about having a separate switchbox somewhere else because i didnt want to cut or drill anything - but then i decided it wasnt worth the trouble. I just poked a hole with a very big sharp nail and used to box cutter to make it square - the power window kit comes with a switch template - so it was easy to mark beforehand. The passenger side has only one switch so it was easier.

This is the driver's door with the panel removed - the plate with the eliptical holes comes with the lock kit and it makes installation very easy.

This picture is the same as above but shows where the actuator connects to the door lock rod - some trial & error needed here so that it actuates properly. Its a bit of a pain because you have to get it wired to test it....

This picture shows the motor for the power window. Note the cable tie in the bottom that's holding the motor - i thought it would fall off within half a mile of driving on our bumpy local roads - it has held solid so far. The two flexible tubes (toward the right) are attached to a gear which sits over the manual crank mechanism

This shows that gear i was talking about - it just slides over the crank. I had to use a long screw and a spacer to keep the whole thing in position and attach it to the door firmly. The flexible tubes are tied down with a cable tie (again). The tubes might move around or flex a little bit while in operation - but it seems normal.

This is a picture of my trunk release - The solenoid is the electric "hand" that pulls on the trunk release cable and opens the trunk. I saw a schematic on the web where it was mounted below the driver's seat - close to the actual trunk release lever - but i didnt want to mess around with the actual cable - so i mounted it next to the lock. The solenoid comes with its own cable - i just connected that cable in parallel to the stock cable right on the lock mechanism itself - so now i have remote release and manual release.

A warning about the remote release - one day i was standing next to the car and i had the remote in my pocket and somehow the trunk release button was accidentally pushed when i was "interacting" with a lady friend - the hatch in my car doesnt go up immediately when it's released - so i didnt notice that it was open - long story short - i had to pull over on a highway ramp and get out and close the trunk. It all ended up good because it gave me a good excuse to re-enact the "interaction" just to make sure my car hatch was ok. safety comes first

emerica · Post by **emerica** » January 25th, 2006, 12:31 am

how much did all of this cost you, give or take?

ariesdude · Post by **ariesdude** » January 25th, 2006, 9:29 am

The power window kit was about $90 and the lock/remote kit was about $30 and $20 shipping

Focal · Post by **Focal** » April 13th, 2006, 9:36 pm

how hard was it to wire each of these up. What were you using for a power wire anyways since there are none running in to the door if you don;t have pdl or pw?

ariesdude · Post by **ariesdude** » April 13th, 2006, 11:38 pm

Wiring was a bit tricky - there's actually a socket going into the door for the power mirrors and it has connections for other stuff too i think. I assumed that mazda used the same harness for pw/pdl models and non pw/pdl models. Anyway i ran separate wires threaded through that area because i didnt want to blindly splice into the factory harness.
The power windows were rated at 30amps total (15 each) - so i used a 16AWG wire which is good upto 22amps for chassis wiring. The door locks were rated at 10 amps total - i used the same 16 AWG wire which was more than enough.

precidian · Post by **precidian** » April 13th, 2006, 11:42 pm

for the door I have the same setup as mentioned above. When I dis-arm the alarm, the doors unlock on both sides. which is convient compared to the stock central locking that was available on cars that had the power group option.

As for the windows, I was able to purchase the electric window regulators from anotehr MX-3 owner. When installing, the glass will have to be pulled out and then stock regulator taken out and replaced with the electric version. As for the wiring, I ended up order a set of wiring harness from the dealer. I removed the old harness and installed the new set without any issue. With everything plugged in and a new fuse put in, the windows worked flawlessly. Also does help to spreay some silicone in the window guides to make it work even smoother.
The whole cost to me was approx $400 cdn. alot cheaper then the factor option at the time of purchase from dealer.

mr1in6billion · Post by **mr1in6billion** » April 14th, 2006, 2:22 am

ariesdude wrote:Wiring was a bit tricky - there's actually a socket going into the door for the power mirrors and it has connections for other stuff too i think.

The socket on the chasis side has every connection except for the auto belts. When I swapped my RS doors for the GS ones the power windows and locks worked without any modification (there was also a relay under the steering column that had to be swapped too). It made my day not having to worry about wiring