This is one of the features I love from my Mazda Tribute. If I turn off the car and remove the key, the windows remain powered for a couple of minutes, allowing me to move them up.

With the RX-8 is the same for the side windows, but the power for the sunroof goes away as soon as you remove the key. At first it was ok, I just had to remember to close the sunroof just before turning off the car, but very often I was forgetting to do it, and I found myself forced to put the key back into the switch just to close the sunroof. It is ok every now and then, but after a couple of months it has become very annoying.

Then, I decided to look at the electrical diagrams. The objective was to rewire the sunroof so it stays powered the same way as the side windows, that means delayed.

The good news is that I just did it, now my sunroof remains powered the same way as the side windows, and it turn out to be an small modification that took me about 30 minutes to implement.

First of all, probably it would be a good idea to disconnect the battery first. Now, the theory:


This picture shows the Delayed Power Control Module, this is the circuit that powers the side windows, and is responsible for providing power for a couple of minutes after the key has been removed. The red color line is the modification, I had to connect to the G/Y (R) from point A.


This is where I had to connect, that is the wire P/B (R), and I had to cut it where the cross is. You will notice from the above pictures that this cutting and rewiring is done right at the X-09 connector (R) side.


This pictures shows the location where I did the modification, that is, the connector X-09 (R) side.


This is the X-09 connector, the red circles show the G/Y from the Delayed Power Control Module, and the P/B that goes to the Sunroof. You have to be carefull, there are two P/B wires (pink-black), the one that has to be cutted and rewired is the one shown in the picture.


This picture shows the P/B wire after I disconnected it from the X-09 (R) side connector.


This picture shows how I joint the P/B wire with the G/Y, the current required by the P/B wire is small, and won't overload the G/Y wire.


I added some tape to the new connection. DONE!

It would be good idea to disconnect the battery before doing this. I didn't do it and I had a check engine for the DSC for one day. Then it cleared up by itself. I believe it was because I disconnect the X-09 connector for few minutes when I was checking the amount of current flowing through P/B (I was making sure it wasn't going to overload the G/Y wire).

Now, I'm enjoying of a Sunroof that remains powered same as the side windows. Now, I don't need to put the key back in when I forget to close the sunroof.

 

Awesome DIY! The images should be in tags like this [ IMG ] URL [/ IMG ] <--without the spaces.

 

So, if I get this right:
Cut the pink/black wire and solder it to the green/yellow and you are done?

 

Very nice DIY! Thanks for the info. I was wondering about this myself. It's perfect!

 

Yes
:D

Just be carefull, there are two pink/black wires at the X-09 connector.

 

Very cool! Simple and effective, you can't beat that.

I have been wanting to do this for a long time but had not had the time to do the R&D to see if it was even possible. I really appreciate you sharing your work.

 

I will advise against this mod, without a further mod.

While good in theory, if the P/B wire is indeed cut at the location as shown in the diag14fr.jpg, you are eliminating the 7.5 amp fuse from protecting the sunroof motor.

The fuse size for the side windows is 30 amps -- too large for the Sunroof.

Remember what happened to Micheal Jackson's hair when it got too close to fire

At the very least, ADD a 7.5 amp fuse into your new connection when you splice to the G/Y wire.

 

That's true. You should get an in-line fuse (very cheap from Radio Shack) and put that in the line. I did that when I hardwired my radar detector. It's really easy.

 

I haven't check this thread in a long time, but thank you for your recomendations/improvements to this.

The fuse you are talking about is actually for A/C and shared with the sunroof. The P/B wire uses the A/C fuse as a connection for the status of the ignition switch, is only for signaling/controlling, not for driving of the sunroof.

The sunroof is actually protected by a 30A fuse at X-02 also shown in the same diagram diag14fr.jpg, that is where the sunnroof gets most (if not all) of its power. P/B wire doesn't drive the sunroof.

But if it would make you feel safer, you can add the inline fuse to the P/B wire, it will not do any harm, but I don't think is needed for the reasons I stated before.

I have had this modification for several months already, the fuctionality came out so embeded in to the car that I even forgot about it. I think is a must for eveyone with a sunroof in the RX-8.

 

I would doubt that that the sunroof switch and the control side of the sunroof relay could handle 30 amps, which would now be possible after you make the mod. True, that normally there is no reason to have a 30 amp load on that leg of wiring, but fuses are there to protect against abnormal situations like a short circuit.

Bottom line, the 7.5 amp inline fuse is a good idea.

 

This is a very slick little mod, any way you slice it. Very well done DIY, vrpirata!!!

 

Great Job!!!!

Thanks for the "hack"

 

Nice job.

Summer project for me is to install power modules for the rear windows.

I now know where the power will come from.

 

bump for such a great mod...

I put a 7.5 A glass fuse in-line, just to be safe... 3 dollars from autozone, not a problem...

i also used quick connects/disconnects on all the wires, so if anything goes wrong i can switch back to factory wiring in a snap

thanks!

 

I will probably be doing this mod shortly but a question closely related:
Is there an easy way to wire it so that if both window switches are depressed it also activates the sunroof? (both open -> roof opens, both close -> close)

Basically I figure any time I'm opening/closing both windows at the same time the sunroof might as well open/close.

 

i cant imagine this being too hard... you'd have to wire the two switches in series, so that that wire only becomes hot when both are pressed at the same time... and then wire that wire in parallel with the existing sunroof open switches so that if either become hot, the sunroof opens...

as for closing, im not sure how it works... maybe negative voltages? or more likely, maybe just a different wire becomes hot... so youd just do two X of everything...

other than the wiring being a pain in the *** and feeding all the wires, the only problem i see is that this might have an effect on the existing circuits, and might require some relays to isolate this add on circuit

 

If you do that, you're going to need at least two relays, possibly 4, depending on how tricky you get. I think the switch does the stall prevention as well, so you might need to open up the switches and get to the contacts inside.

 

My concern would be opening all at the same time would put a big drain on the charging system.

Try it manually and see if you can tell.

 

Usually when it's nice weather I already do an "open all at the same time" move by using my left hand to roll down both windows and right hand to open the sunroof(while parked).

 

I know what you mean, it could be done but the question is will it be worth the time put in to test and modify compared to just pressing a button in a different spot.

 

Right. Similar to the "sidemarkers to blinkers" DIY more of something "for the hell of it"

 

Not the same the sidemarkers to blinkers is for safety, so the person driving next to an 8 can see the 8 is changing lanes.

 

There are blinkers on the rear sides for that

If the RX8 is alongside another car and pulling over.. thats a (rx8) driver fault and no amount of warning will fix human stupidity

 

yeah but at least the other person can see the blinkers and slow down or honk...

also helpful at stop lights maybe...

 

The front blinkers do not show much to the side so the blinker mod pulls it around the corner so the indicators do what they are designed to do.

How many cars now days don't have blinkers on the front sides?

People get used to seeing them and if they don't see the turn signal we might as well have not used them.

Since I have did the mod I noticed people are more courteous when I flip the signal