Exactly! The only thing her to celebrate is not having to cut and splice one wire. Which was all it took to install the miata thermoswitch. I mean in all honesty and no offence to Dale for pointing out that this other switch plugs right up. Your only saving yourself maybe 3 min of work if that. I don't know the price difference. Next time I'm at Malloy I will ask Ray I guess. It takes all of two seconds to set the fan temp values with a dataloggit or AEM via laptop.

 

Jesus Chris, do you ever plan on putting that car back together?

 

If you already have the Miata switch and it works, there's really no big reason to go back. But, if you don't have an upgraded thermoswitch, the FC switch is the way to go - not only is it plug-n-play, but it's also CHEAPER. Hard to beat that!

Dale

 

Ordered today from Mazda Motorsports They have them in stock, and they are $37.60. If you are not a member, you really should sign up.

Thanks again Dale!

 

Good to know! I used to be on Mazdacomp, and I would like to get back in now that I have the FD, but our SCCA region lost its autocross site after the hurricane, so we're site-less .

You can save a LOT of money autocrossing twice a year!

Dale

 

Hey Dale will I still pass smog in california with this mod ? . If I remove the pre cat replacing it with a downpipe and add this mod will the main cat heat up enough to pass the tail pipe test . what do you guys think ???
Jeff

 

yes it is, Glad to read this before I bought the Miata switch. I am gathering parts to resurect my FD, and this is a BIG help!

 

Shouldn't make any difference at a smog test. Exhaust temps are somewhat independant of water temps, and 80-90 deg. C is still PLENTY hot.

Dale

 

This will not effect smog. I passed with a DP and fans running to keep the car at 180*.

 

glad to hear this won't change smog readings . we need all the help we can get in California . looks like I'll add this to my list of things to do. I am going to be doing the DP, EGR Valve, and Efini y pipe at the same time . can I get to the sensor area when I remove these parts or do I still need to remove the altenator.
thanks again Dale
Jeff

 

Someone here said that they could do it w/o pulling the alternator, but I can't imagine how. It's pretty tight.
IIRC, cross-over, intake elbow, air-chamber. I had to remove the top of my intake box as well, so I could loosen the belt at the airpump to remove the alternator.

 

Am I the only one who noticed this?? He's worried about the switch messing w/ smog readings, but is removing his EGR?? Losing the stock DP w/ a precat can affect your smog readings too, depending on just how bad Cali is w/ smog readings...

 

You can probably pass with no EGR, but would fail a visual bigtime. I'd just leave it on there - with any mileage on the car, it'll be so full of carbon that it's likely not doing anything .

Dale

 

You can easily pass Cali emissions with no EGR or pre-cat.

 

I am not removing the EGR I am replacing it with a new one . check engine light is on reading code 16 , so it needs replacing. the only smog part being removed is the precat . the air pump egr and stock airbox are remaining on the car . I just thought with lower temps and no precat the main cat would not get up to full heat range to pass calif. smog.
thanks for the info.

 

Thanks for pointing that out Dale & Tyler. From the sound of it, it seems like Cali's emissions standards are one step away from being impossible to pass, so I figured...

Wow...you guys have ppl who actually know what they're looking at during visual inspections?? I'm impressed. Most guys pop the hood of my FD, stare for a sec, mutter about how they have no idea what they're looking at, close it, and move on lol.

 

The REAL problem with passing Cali smog is the visual test. By law, if you have an aftermarket part that effects airflow that doesn't have a CARB number, you are automatically failed, whether you pass the sniffer or not. However, many techs are a little more lenient than the law -- my tech didn't have any problem with my bright red PFS SMIC. They also won't catch the downpipe either (usually).

 

Wow...carb #? What's that? A part who's emission effect is registered or something? Our safety inspection (which is the only visual inspection we have) technically includes ensuring emissions equipment is there (airpump, cats, etc) but if you go to the "right" stations, they don't put the car on a lift if it's only doing state inspection (no emissions), so they don't check for cats. As for airpump etc, like I said, most don't know what they're looking at. AFAIK, the car is bone stock..I just painted and polished stuff!

 

Hey Rynberg . the last smog test I had the tech not only looked for aftermarket parts he also monitored my dash lights for 4 seconds to see if the airbag and check engine lights were working . he said this is how he can tell if your using a stand alone ECU no signals for these devices. Man its rough in California and getting worse.
Jeff

 

Guys
I'm replacing a front cover seal with a metal one and in the process of handling the water pump assembly I broke a sensor connector. My Mazda manual shows only one sensor but my water pump has two. Which is the temp sensor switch and what the heck is the other. I'm thinking its the therno couple for the temp gauge. Does anyone know?? I can't find it in my FSM.

 

That's the thermosensor for the ECU - it reports water temp to the ECU so it will factor that into its calculations. Shouldn't be too bad for a new one. The 1-wire sensor next to it is the thermoswitch that we've been discussing in this thread.

Dale

 

Thanks I just ordered it from the local dealer. $42.60

 

Which means it's prob a $21 part from Malloy Mazda, and Ray woulda prob. shipped it to ya for free too

 

after seeing the coolant temp remain at 115degree C while climbing through some twisties i decided to install an thermoswitch from a 89 FC and it works a charm. thanks Dale!

 

My thoughts exactly too. Well, I dont see the harm in leaving the Miata thermoswitch in. It does the same job right? Basically, this is a discovery saves people from digging around junk yards to find the right connector. Lucky bastards...