Mazda MPV Power Window Switch DIY
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 14
From: Athens, Georgia
Who said anything about the power mirror switch? lol
Wow, I have truly come a long way since I made this post back in '08. I can't believe I went and posted for people to cut wires and whatnot when you can just de-pin the harness plug and do it a faster, cleaner, easier way.
Also, I was no wiring expert back then. Comments about wire codes being incorrect for functions should be excused.. as it was unlikely I kept much written record back then when I would be swapping wires. It is highly likely that I changed something (For example which wire set controlled which side window) in-car upon reinstallation and forgot to mention it here.
Honestly, the rest of the forum members have made up for my prior ignorance. I'm sure at some point I'll prune, condense, and reorganize this write up; give credit where needed, and have a mod re-post/archive it.
The MPV switches are a great, cheap replacement, and are readily available at salvage yards for pennies versus the FC window switches. If you're in a hurry because you have rainstorms coming, just do it.
Wow, I have truly come a long way since I made this post back in '08. I can't believe I went and posted for people to cut wires and whatnot when you can just de-pin the harness plug and do it a faster, cleaner, easier way.
Also, I was no wiring expert back then. Comments about wire codes being incorrect for functions should be excused.. as it was unlikely I kept much written record back then when I would be swapping wires. It is highly likely that I changed something (For example which wire set controlled which side window) in-car upon reinstallation and forgot to mention it here.
Honestly, the rest of the forum members have made up for my prior ignorance. I'm sure at some point I'll prune, condense, and reorganize this write up; give credit where needed, and have a mod re-post/archive it.
The MPV switches are a great, cheap replacement, and are readily available at salvage yards for pennies versus the FC window switches. If you're in a hurry because you have rainstorms coming, just do it.
The AUTO DOCTOR
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,952
Likes: 0
From: South Side of ATL. Ga.
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.
Smells like 2 stroke.
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 527
Likes: 20
From: Misery
I did this first! Haha! https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...+wrecking+yard
and they even have a blue/black one that would work with a blue interior
I only had time to quickly scan this thread so forgive me if this was already mentioned but...
I vaguely remember a window switch swap that yielded the "one-touch" feature on the RX power windows. Anybody here know what switches swap in for this feature?
I vaguely remember a window switch swap that yielded the "one-touch" feature on the RX power windows. Anybody here know what switches swap in for this feature?
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: morrisville pa
Just did this today. Took a few photos to help anyone who needs them.
Total time to de pin and re pin was about 10 minutes. My door panel was already off so that helped out some.
91-95 MPV switches $10 from salvage yard
MPV and FC use the exact same pins in the connectors. Just push them in and your ready to go
Total time to de pin and re pin was about 10 minutes. My door panel was already off so that helped out some.
91-95 MPV switches $10 from salvage yard
MPV and FC use the exact same pins in the connectors. Just push them in and your ready to go
Can someone clarify for me if I actually have to pull my door panels off to do this mod? Wouldn't it be hellasimple to just repin the connectors with the door panel attached? OP seems to have not removed the door panels, but others have. Which is easier?
Also, can we post some better pictures of the MPV pins and locations and the FC pins and locations? I'll be doing this in the next few days and want this to be as seamless as possible.
Also, can we post some better pictures of the MPV pins and locations and the FC pins and locations? I'll be doing this in the next few days and want this to be as seamless as possible.
Can Post Only in New Member Section
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Fredericksburg, VA
I can’t thank you enough for making this thread! I was able to get a MPV Switch at a Pick A Part for only $3! Definitely saved more over $120 on this, and IMO I think the tan Switch looks better with the blue interior.
Newbie
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: Ontario
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!
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!
Do you happen to know what the wiring would look like on the rx7 switch side of things if I repinned instead of splicing?
this is how my current repinning looks like mpv switch on fc harness.
