Mazda MPV Power Window Switch DIY
 

As most of us already know, the power window switches in the FC aren't that grand. Most, if not all, require fairly consistent 'cleaning'. This 'cleaning' entails pulling the switches out of the door panel, taking them apart and then sanding the contacts very gently to remove the corrosion that causes them to stop working properly/efficiently. The reason that the switches fail temporarily are because every time you depress the switch and the contact surfaces mate, a slight arc occurs. Over time, this arcing corrodes the contact surfaces, causing the current flow to deteriorate. While easily solved...it's a pain in the backside!

I will admit, this idea did not originate from my own mind. Another forum member has written about this swap some time ago, but it lacks detail (as I found out tonight).

The switches you want come from the first generation Mazda MPV of which spans from 1989 to 1998. They will drop into the door panel seamlessly and look pretty good in comparison to the factory switch sets.

The passenger side window switch is a DIRECT drop in replacement, while the driver side master switch requires cutting the wiring harness off and swapping over the harness from your old factory switch. It's easy, but confusing, and it took me a while to get it right. So here's the key...

Cut the harness off at the base, to give you plenty of wire to work with in case you accidentally snip a little too hard and cut the wires off entirely while attempting to strip them later.

You will notice that the color coding of the insulation is identical looking at the factory and the MPV switches. This is what will throw you off. The thick black wire with blue striping is plug and play, as are the solid black and black with red striping wires.

However, to make the switch work properly, you will need to switch the other color wires with their counterparts. For example: The green wire with black striping will need to be mated with the green wire with white striping on the MPV switch. You get the idea?

If you've done it right, when you test the switch both windows will work properly. I went through several different combinations before I got it right. It can get confusing.

So to sum it up in an easy to look at sort of get up:

Colors that directly swap over:

Thick black with blue stripe.
Thick solid black.
Thick black with red stripe.

Colors that need to be opposed:

Green with white stripe > Green with black stripe.
Green with black stripe > Green with white stripe.
Red with black stripe > Red (It will be red with white stripe on the old harness)
Red (Red with white stripe) > Red with black stripe.




I hope this helps someone who is wanting to do this swap. The switch works great and feels more solid than the standard FC switch set!

Nice little thread... Archives say what? :D

i would say add pictures and itd be more archive worthy

dude. Awesome man. I will definitely be looking for MPV's at the junk yard next time.

I'll take some pictures tomorrow and add them to my original post. :)

So what advantage does the MPV window switches have?


-Ted

Newer, easier to find (?), maybe less fail-worthy? I've never heard of the mod, but it's nice to have options I suppose.

Pics!

If you aren't getting the switches from the junkyard, they are pricey! ~$125 for the driver side.. I am happy with mine.

the mpv switches are more rounded, im not seeing them pop in like stock...
pics?

The switches out of the MPV feel more solid. I realize that some people have broken the button plastics off of the stock switches and these do not feel like they'd do that unless you really tried.

Here are some pictures of the switches installed...

Attachment 668044
Attachment 668045

And a comparison shot..

Attachment 668046


Any more questions?

Edit: Yeah, I know they're kind of dirty and the passenger switch doesn't look like it quite fits. It *does*. The slight bulging is because of my warped door panels.

oh nice!
and good call, thats a good replacement

I think it'd be a worthy archive, myself. MPVs are ALL over the junkyards and these switches can be had for just a few bucks. They look good, they feel good and they work great.

blah

it just doesn't look right to me . . .

Cool, i definately need to go junkyard and grab a few switches, mine have burned out like 4 different times already...

It is cool that there is another option to replace the window switches with, but I just don't see how it is better, unless its cheaper and you need a replacement.

I just pulled apart one of the other master switches I've got.

Honestly, I don't see much difference between the FC's switch and the MPV's switch. However, the rocker contacts feel more sturdy and it seems to be sealed a little bit more tightly. The plastics that make up the switches themselves also feel more solid and less prone to breakage.

The bottom line is this: They swap right in. They're cheaper. They're everywhere. What more are you wanting?

sounds good to me

10 bucks says this can be done without cutting the harness. Mazda likes to use the same type of contacts and same gender across car lines in most of its cars of the same general era, and same area of the car.

The pins pull out from the plugs with a dental pic and some finess. Sometimes you end up with extra pins, that would need to be taped over to keep them from shorting.

You could probably get the door side harness plastic plug along with the switch and just put that with the correct pin out onto the wiring for your factory doors.

Yes, you could just pull the pins out and insert them into the correct slots on the factory harness. My method was simply to cut them. Both ways will work.

Wow, those look a hell of a lot better than I thought they would when we were getting them at the yard. And for everyone else, the MPV switches are a dime a dozen, unlike good FC switches. And IMO they look just about OEM, besides the color. But if he had a blue interior, I'd never know the difference...

Anyways, now maybe I can roll up and down my window in your car without hurrying it on :)

Your method works and I don't fault you for it, but its faster, better and more professional to pull the pins.

I'm sure they made MPV's with black interiors too yea? If they did, then junkyrad a go go tomorrow!

I wonder how much work goes into putting the FC top on on the MPV mechanism? I'm pathetic when it comes to keeping the interior stock/uniform. Though there is a divider on the FC that's different than the MPV..maybe it's not possible at all.

Either way, this is an awesome tip. Something I'll be keeping an eye out for.

^^^^Much better Idea!!! I'm sure it couldnt be that difficult, I mean somebody did invent the DVD rewinder!

LOL!!!

It looks like you might simply swap the tops off and with the non-lettering on the actual switches...none would be the wiser. I've got an old driver's side switch that I took apart when it broke. I'll have to dig that out and take a trip to the junkyard, do some comparisons.

Nice thread, very helpful. Of all the damn MPV's I've gotten in through my yard,
and I was never the wiser!! Such time wasted searching for switches!

I'm really loving these switches. Windows go up and down faster, they feel nice and springy and solid. Kick ass. Who votes this for the archive?

+1 for archive

Thought I'd mention that I just did this and when I opposed the wires as mentioned in the OP on the driver's side switch, it reversed which switch did what. Meaning, the right switch controlled the driver side window while the left switch controlled the passenger side window (but pulling up on the switch still made and go up and vice-versa). I re-wired the harness so that all the wires matched up instead of being opposed (G & G/W, G/B & G/B, R & R/W, R/B & R/B) and now the left switch controls the driver side window and the right switch controls the passenger side window.

i have done this and it works great.

I just did the MPV switch on my car
DO NOT follow what OP says

i just pull all the pins out the MPV connector, and pull the pins on the FC connector one by one, MATCH THE COLOR !!!
it'll work like it came stock

yup. works great. im going to see if i can get other switches to work. like the power mirror switch since mine somehow fell apart.

junk yards here are crooks.

Is there no value put on one's time for going to the junk yard and rewiring the plugs?
Where do we draw the line and say "you know, this thing is 20 years old I think its time for a NEW part?"

well the idea is that its a cheap fix compared to spending over $200 or so stealership price

I hear that, I also did not realize the switches have gone up so much in price, I believe I bought the double switch for like $100 or $120 not too long ago. Sometimes one gets tired of messing with one used part after another so its good to buy new for something that you use so often.

You cant swap out the faceplate on the switch?

get the MPV switches on ebay for < $30 shipped

u cant swap out the faceplate, buttons are not located the same, although similar ....

just spraypaint them ... thats what i did

side note, the MPV faceplate is longer than the FC plate, it'll fit into the FC slot better if you trim down like 2mm on both ends

has anyone checked how much the MPV switch is new?

I grabbed three the other day at the junk yard and don't even know how much I paid.

I got an s5 mirror, rear hatch carpet, fog light switch and three mpv switches for $35. Rob if you need one let me know.

the mother f'in yards over here are not u-pulls, and with thier damm computers they are CROOKS!

yah, i've yet to find a yard around here that is a pick and pull, they look up stuff in teh computer and tell you to come back with $$ :dunno:

well let me know if you want one. Pm me your addy-

I appreciate it, right now I have operating switches.

thanks a bunch though.

The yards over here go something like this "that part is $458 from the dealer, give us $200", where it used to be "ahhhhh give me $20 for it"

Got a couple pick n pull junkyards in Eville. Unfortunately they are pretty picked clean. I was hunting for an MPV switch and seemed like every car had electric switches gone, not just the car I was looking for but I got curious and seemed like ALL the cars had window switches and such already gone. Wouldn't be surprised if the yard I go to pulls them and sells them as the cars come in.

I got an MPV switch off Ebay a little while ago, $25 shipped.

Rob XX 7 has an excellent point about used parts having a deminishing return. Between my father and I we are going on something like 5 master switches between our 2 verts. We're each on our 2nd vert window regulator....and my used regulator is starting to sound like the cable is getting too much slack, if I can't remedy that the cable is going to bind and it'll break. Last I checked those are round $400 new, if they're even still available.

If you want to stop replacing switches in your FC add relays. The switches will last forever, the windows will work fast and smooth.

This is one of the best reliability mods I have ever done.

You wanna give us some more insight into this?

Good write up here http://www.ausrotary.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=123079

I also did the mod for my sunroof as well :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XexViQXyac

I've read about people having electrical problems with the switches. All the ones that have broken in my family have been physical failures with the little pin under the switch breaking. The pin will no longer toggle the spring switches on the circuit board.

One ghetto solution I've used while waiting to replace a broken one is simply taking the top off the switch and plugging the switch back in. The spring switches sit with an uncovered circuit board. You can toggle the switches with your finger. That's actually what I'm doing now. I've got the MPV switch ready to swap harnesses. But I've got bigger issues. Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs says my engine rebuild comes before window switch. Can't wait to crack open my first 13B...hell my first engine period!!

I did see a reference on the Aussie link to window adjustment and that being the root cause of many failures. Does the relay mod with a window adjustment reduce the physical wear on the switches??

So Does the Pass. Side switch work as well. AND what colors do they come in I've seen grey and red. BLACK????????

it was $$$$, we used to sell more of them than the FC switches too

the mirror switch ISNT a direct swap... i poped a fuse.