I just bought a 87 base n/a and had a question about the little light at the ignition keyhole.

Does the ignition keyhole light up? I have a lens there, but when a took the steering column off I have no wire or bulb for the illumination lens.

I was thinking that is not available on the base model or the other owner remove it.

 

im not sure either but i did take a bulb and wire off another 7 and replaced the bulb with a new one and plugged everything in and i got nothing. so i guess ill leave it on to add weight!lol i wish i knew if it should work. i think it may be only for cars like the t2 with the stock security system

 

you know how mazda goes its cheaper to make one steering surround than make one for the higher ups and one for a damn base model i mean come on who'd do that...thats why i gotta love some base model....my first true love

 

Yeah, the illuminated key hole was only in the upper models (GXL, TurboII). I don't think the harness is there to add that feature - I remember looking once and couldn't find it.

Dale

 

Verts too buddy!

 

The really cool light is inside the drivers door key hole. It lights up when you lift the door handle so you can locate the key hole at night. My daily driver does not have this wonderful feature which has led to a good many scratches right near the key hole. I wonder some times why Mazda makes such wise decisions on some of their models but does not carry those features over to other models. I have three Mazdas with very different traits both good and bad but none are the same. You would think that when somebody realized they were doing something right they would stick with it. But Mazda seems to just randomly try out new ideas, then ditch them whether they work or not.

 

It's all about marketing $$$.

 

You'll find the two wire plug that the ignition light plugs into in place.

If really want this, go to a wrecking yard and get the CPU (behind the drivers side side kick panel) and the bulb/harness. Everything plugs right in. This CPU also gives you the light in the drivers door key hole. So, if you want that too, best to grab the whole drivers door handle mechanism and wiring running to it. Again, the plug is already in your door to plug the light harness into.

So you don't have to repaint the door handle, you can swap out the light set-up by just removing a couple screws.

A little RX7 trivia for you all.

 

91 NA, my keyhole lights up

 

Okay a little more,

The door keyhole light and ignition key light are controlled by the FB05 CPU in the drivers kick panel. But the FB05 only came on the T2 and GXL and 'verts with leather, and 91 coupes with the GXL package.

On most 88 and later models the light is already there for the steering column, but the FB01 won't control them. On the 86 and 87 base, and sport models, the harness is there but the light on the steering column is not, and you can get one from a junk yard and plug it in.

The door harnesses however are not as simple on the S4 cars without power windows. The plugs and wires will not be there.

However if you do have the lights there and they just don't work because you have a base or strippy model, you can jump the door trigger wire at the CPU to the key lumintation wire and get them to work. In fact on all the FB01 CPUs I rebuild I jumper the wire internally with a small cap and jumper wire.

Or you can simply replace a FB01 CPU with a FB05 CPU if you have the lights or have installed the lights correctly, and it will work with the factory delay on, on those lights.

 

I gained that function after resoldering ALL the electrical components. I wondered myself like you are right now.

 

Yeah when I rebuild them, I remove the old solder and re-solder almost everything. The cold solder joints can appear anywhere, not just on the plugs. Imasen did a crappy job building those for Mazda.

 

Woohoo... I was wondering all that a while ago...

And luckily.. the local PnP has a GXL for me to raid.

Is there a right up with pics of the wires to use anywhere?

Fikshun

 

I have a canadian GX model(base) and it has a wroking ignition light. No keyhole light tho. And no power anything but mirrors and roof.

 

The canadian GX or the USA Luxury coupe is not the same as the base. It is more like a step down from the GXL.

 

It still shouldnt have ignition illumination.... or power steering... or tilt....

Mazda mix and matched these options pretty good.

 

when i bought my RX-7 i had to replace the driver door handle and when i did i saw a light bulb in it and i wonder what was that for.........now i c.....

well my key hole doesn't light up when i took out the surround and check the light and see if it light and it does! just for somereason when i plug it back lights does not show up, and i never ever seen the light light up on the door handle one! i took the CPU appart and re-solder it, nothing works! not even my interrior lights, only when it feels like it -dimm though.

i got a question HOW DO YOU: really solder? i'm 16 i don't know ****! just heat the metal up that's it? how do i know the solder is BAD? what's this brown **** on the solders?

-mike

 

there should be no brown **** on the solder....to re-solder it you have to have a soldering iron, and some extra solder. first start out by removing as much old solder on there as possible, then take your NEW solder and solder it back on. its really not that hard, you'll know when the solder is heated up enough went it turns into what looks like "liquid metal"

p.s. if you want, you can take a metal brush (pretty much a toothbrush looking brush but with metal bristles instead of plastic) and brush off the surface of where the wires are soldered onto the CPU, because if its brown then that means its dirty.

just a little common knowledge from working with slotcars. hope this helps!

-chad

 

If you have never soldered PC boards before, get something to practice on first like a old computer mother board or something. Something that you don't care if you burn off a trace or two by holding the iron/pen on too long.

For PC boards like in our CPUs, use only a low wattage soldering iron (25 watts or so) or soldering pen, with a fine tip in it. Don't use the industrial hand help soldering guns, unless you have had a lot of experience with them. They are generally two powerful for PCB soldering.

As Deltron mentions, also remove the old solder from any joint you are gonna re-do. The old solder is what caused the problem in the first place, so just heating it up again will not help. Use a solder sucker or solder braid to remove the old solder. Where you get the braid and soldering pen from should be able to show you how to use it.

Take your time, and re-solder all the joints where the plugs and relays mount onto the board. I also re-solder the caps, transisters, and other assorted hardware, but be careful if you are going that route as it is very easy to over heat something and burn it out.

 

Thanks for all the info