Took my camera with me to do a quick dirty video just to show what it's like 
MX-5 Project log thread
- Thread starter Howard
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Send to howard at hcanning.co.uk
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When I said howard at hcanning.co.uk, I mean as in replace at with @, i.e. to evade spam bots 
Fixing electric window mechanism
I may have mentioned that just before Christmas my driver's side electric window stopped working - didn't go up or down, and the glass would drop to about half way down. I pretty much knew straight away that it would be one or both of the two cables inside, part of the regulator, that have snapped.
So I bought two new cables (about £40) and they arrived just after Christmas.
It's now April and this morning I finally built up the required amount of "arsed" to fix it
So I thought I'd shove it in this thread in case anyone cares, or needs to do the same job themselves!
First things first, the door must come apart
So speaker grille, door handle and door opener surround removed
Door card removed
Now you have to remove the dust/water guard plastic sheet, which is held on with nasty horrible black mastic that sticks to anything, and will come off nothing
With that lot removed, you have to remove the glass - no pictures of this step because I was too busy getting annoyed at the process, hehe, but you need to remove the trim on the top, outer part of the door, which is held on with some stubborn clips which must NOT be broken. Ask me if you want any more info on this
Nice dirty pane of glass
Now the motor and regulator were removed, which was a case of marking up the position of a couple of nuts (their positions were adjustable) with Tippex, and undoing all of the nuts that hold these two items to the door. Out comes the mechanism, and...
Yep. There's your problem.
Cables had gotten all mangled up in the motor capstan
And an overview of the mechanism when removed, showing the bit that snapped, causing the grief...
...which is shown here - the tip of that wire should have a little stub which hooks in to a plastic holder on the window runner...
...which is circled here (you can see where/how the intact cable is held in, and the little broken tip is still stuck in on the other side):
It also caused the wire to jump off of one of the pulleys, further adding to the mess and tangle
So with the old cables removed and discarded, I set about attaching the new ones, which is a bit fiddly..
You need to grease up the capstan, then wind the upper cable around the bottom hook in it (underside of it, not visible) approx. 2.5 turns, then wind the lower cable on to the top of it (visible below) approx 2.5 turns, grease up the cables thoroughly, then re-seat it on the motor's axle and make the sure the cables are sitting in the threaded runners on the capstan so as not to tangle it again
Now you can thread the cable onto the greased-up pulleys and into the plastic lug on the runner that holds the cable - not as easy as it first looks, there's not enough slack at first without fully tightening the two plastic "seats" shown in the photo above and compressing the spring and white plastic lug, to reveal as much of the cable from the sleeve as possible
Once you've done this, it should wind round nicely. Now pop the metal cover back on to cover up the capstan, and this completes the re-assembly of the motor and regulator mechanism, which should now look like this:
Now to get the bugger back into the door. Which wasn't too tricky tbh.
Shoving it all back in:
Regulator bolted up
Motor bolted up
And.. All done! Motor tightened up, regulator aligned and tightened up, window stoppers replaced, glass cleaned (Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover for the win) and replaced, and it goes up and down! wooo
Door re-assembled
So there you have it. I was initially viewing this job with great trepidation, but after some initial snags, it wasn't too tricky! I feel I could re-do it in half the time. Which is handly, because my neighbour's MX-5 has got exactly the same problem, and guess who's going to be helping fix it!
I may have mentioned that just before Christmas my driver's side electric window stopped working - didn't go up or down, and the glass would drop to about half way down. I pretty much knew straight away that it would be one or both of the two cables inside, part of the regulator, that have snapped.
So I bought two new cables (about £40) and they arrived just after Christmas.
It's now April and this morning I finally built up the required amount of "arsed" to fix it
So I thought I'd shove it in this thread in case anyone cares, or needs to do the same job themselves!First things first, the door must come apart
So speaker grille, door handle and door opener surround removed
Door card removed
Now you have to remove the dust/water guard plastic sheet, which is held on with nasty horrible black mastic that sticks to anything, and will come off nothing
With that lot removed, you have to remove the glass - no pictures of this step because I was too busy getting annoyed at the process, hehe, but you need to remove the trim on the top, outer part of the door, which is held on with some stubborn clips which must NOT be broken. Ask me if you want any more info on this
Nice dirty pane of glass
Now the motor and regulator were removed, which was a case of marking up the position of a couple of nuts (their positions were adjustable) with Tippex, and undoing all of the nuts that hold these two items to the door. Out comes the mechanism, and...
Yep. There's your problem.
Cables had gotten all mangled up in the motor capstan
And an overview of the mechanism when removed, showing the bit that snapped, causing the grief...
...which is shown here - the tip of that wire should have a little stub which hooks in to a plastic holder on the window runner...
...which is circled here (you can see where/how the intact cable is held in, and the little broken tip is still stuck in on the other side):
It also caused the wire to jump off of one of the pulleys, further adding to the mess and tangle
So with the old cables removed and discarded, I set about attaching the new ones, which is a bit fiddly..
You need to grease up the capstan, then wind the upper cable around the bottom hook in it (underside of it, not visible) approx. 2.5 turns, then wind the lower cable on to the top of it (visible below) approx 2.5 turns, grease up the cables thoroughly, then re-seat it on the motor's axle and make the sure the cables are sitting in the threaded runners on the capstan so as not to tangle it again
Now you can thread the cable onto the greased-up pulleys and into the plastic lug on the runner that holds the cable - not as easy as it first looks, there's not enough slack at first without fully tightening the two plastic "seats" shown in the photo above and compressing the spring and white plastic lug, to reveal as much of the cable from the sleeve as possible
Once you've done this, it should wind round nicely. Now pop the metal cover back on to cover up the capstan, and this completes the re-assembly of the motor and regulator mechanism, which should now look like this:
Now to get the bugger back into the door. Which wasn't too tricky tbh.
Shoving it all back in:
Regulator bolted up
Motor bolted up
And.. All done! Motor tightened up, regulator aligned and tightened up, window stoppers replaced, glass cleaned (Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover for the win) and replaced, and it goes up and down! wooo
Door re-assembled
So there you have it. I was initially viewing this job with great trepidation, but after some initial snags, it wasn't too tricky! I feel I could re-do it in half the time. Which is handly, because my neighbour's MX-5 has got exactly the same problem, and guess who's going to be helping fix it!
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I also decided that now was a good time to fit my new (to me) iPod capable head unit, thanks to a generous friend of mine. I wanted to be able to use my Ipod on longer journeys (to the rolling road in Gloucestershire, for example!) to alleviate some of the boredom of sitting on the motorway, and the radio is rubbish, so step up Alpine.
Old stereo, filthy interior
Centre console removed to wire in ipod connection to armrest/cubbyhole
iPod connection successfully wired in
Clean(ish) interior, new stereo. Works much better now!
Old stereo, filthy interior
Centre console removed to wire in ipod connection to armrest/cubbyhole
iPod connection successfully wired in
Clean(ish) interior, new stereo. Works much better now!
woohoo, pic doesn't work (due to ImageShat I expect) but tbh I don't see why you should have much difficulty converting to electric windows. You can buy a kit with brand new regulators etc for a couple of hundred anyway if all else fails. As my post shows, it's only the cables that perish! And I don't mind people posting relevant stuff like that in my thread
Pete... Nice, glad to see it's coming on! Did you put that MS together totally from scratch?
Nice to see the engine bay is "ready" anyway.. I see the inlet pipe/air filter is positioned where the 'charger is going
I'm still pondering over making the move to "proper" fuel management, or even standalone. Dunno if the relatively minimal benefits are worth the cost though tbh.
Bryan, that filter is more or less where the JR SC filter sits. It's not 100% ideal (coldside would be nice lol) but there's options in respect of moving it, getting better airflow etc anyway. Intake temps are higher with the increased power anyway
Pete... Nice, glad to see it's coming on! Did you put that MS together totally from scratch?
Nice to see the engine bay is "ready" anyway.. I see the inlet pipe/air filter is positioned where the 'charger is going
I'm still pondering over making the move to "proper" fuel management, or even standalone. Dunno if the relatively minimal benefits are worth the cost though tbh.
Bryan, that filter is more or less where the JR SC filter sits. It's not 100% ideal (coldside would be nice lol) but there's options in respect of moving it, getting better airflow etc anyway. Intake temps are higher with the increased power anyway
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I wouldn't know at all where to start tuning an ECU 
and I'd be too scared to put a rod through the block because I put too many digits or a decimal point in the wrong place
and I'd be too scared to put a rod through the block because I put too many digits or a decimal point in the wrong place
That's the MP62 kit, I have an (albeit older) Jackson Racing M45 supercharger kit, second hand, which cost me £1500 inc fitting. So if you buy an MX5 for under £2k and spend another £1500 or so on making it faster, plus a bit more to make it stop better, you're laughing. Pretty sure you can't get a Z4 or S2000 for £4k
Ah yes works now. Doesn't look too bad that, might scratch easily though?
Haha interesting point! It's in there pretty tight with the other crap so should be finelooks very good
A day driving around rather enthusiastically in the beating sun on a OCUK meet lead to it getting pretty warm and being bounced off either side of the plastic arm rest - the case will make a big difference with that but I'd look to get one of those sticky matt things to stop it sliding around so much!
Who are you insured with? How old are you? I didn't get raped too hard
Mine was about that F/C too before the charger. Only went up by about £150 or so
Couple of small updates.
Firstly, Saturday's dyno result.
Very happy with this! I was expecting between 150 and 160bhp, so 164 is a figure I'm very happy with. Probably nothing to people with 2, maybe 300bhp at least, but it's nice smooth power, and headline figures aren't what MX5s are all about. The increased power really exploits the chassis and its amazing ability. The handling makes me smile every time I chuck it round some bends, and the supercharger whine makes me smile every time I bury my right foot. But I digress..
Next steps for power in the future? Well it'd be lovely to have something extra ready for RR11 Proper management would be the first thing. Well, after I've uprated the clutch and diff to handle the power. Then the next logical steps would be an intercooler and smaller 'charger pulley for more boost. But we'll see what the future holds. I love it as it is right now to be honest, and I'm wondering whether the high cost involved in buying and properly tuning a piggyback/standalone management system is worth it to gain a few BHP and a couple of MPG. But then again I can't imagine ever selling the little red beast.. Oh well. Time will tell!
Here's a video of the car on the rolling road, thanks to mr ScoobyDoo69.
Firstly, Saturday's dyno result.
Very happy with this! I was expecting between 150 and 160bhp, so 164 is a figure I'm very happy with. Probably nothing to people with 2, maybe 300bhp at least, but it's nice smooth power, and headline figures aren't what MX5s are all about. The increased power really exploits the chassis and its amazing ability. The handling makes me smile every time I chuck it round some bends, and the supercharger whine makes me smile every time I bury my right foot. But I digress..
Next steps for power in the future? Well it'd be lovely to have something extra ready for RR11
Proper management would be the first thing. Well, after I've uprated the clutch and diff to handle the power. Then the next logical steps would be an intercooler and smaller 'charger pulley for more boost. But we'll see what the future holds. I love it as it is right now to be honest, and I'm wondering whether the high cost involved in buying and properly tuning a piggyback/standalone management system is worth it to gain a few BHP and a couple of MPG. But then again I can't imagine ever selling the little red beast.. Oh well. Time will tell! Here's a video of the car on the rolling road, thanks to mr ScoobyDoo69.
The next small modification I've done has been the air intake. The standard Jackson Racing one provided with the superchargers does the job, but it's quite restrictive and inefficient. It also sits right above the exhaust manifold, and I'm sure I don't need to explain why that's a bad thing
So I purchased a "relocation kit" which consists of a metal bracket, a small length of 90deg silicone hose and a K&N cone filter. The K&N filters are actually very good, just tainted by the stigma of chavs buying them and strapping them to the inlet on their Corsa.
So, on to the pics..
This is what the Jackson Racing filter setup looks like
This is what the filter is comprised of
Filter removed, adaptor plate/bracket attached
Yup, fits!
Stupid ballast resistor for the dim/dip headlights got in the way
.. So I cable-tied it out of the way
And here we are. All fitted!
There's no change in noise, and not really any that I can notice in terms of power, but the main thing should be reduced heat-soak and intake temps when it's hot under the bonnet, especially if we ever have a summer The airflow is much better by the headlamps than it is right down where it was nestled before!
So I purchased a "relocation kit" which consists of a metal bracket, a small length of 90deg silicone hose and a K&N cone filter. The K&N filters are actually very good, just tainted by the stigma of chavs buying them and strapping them to the inlet on their Corsa.
So, on to the pics..
This is what the Jackson Racing filter setup looks like
This is what the filter is comprised of
Filter removed, adaptor plate/bracket attached
Yup, fits!
Stupid ballast resistor for the dim/dip headlights got in the way
.. So I cable-tied it out of the way
And here we are. All fitted!
There's no change in noise, and not really any that I can notice in terms of power, but the main thing should be reduced heat-soak and intake temps when it's hot under the bonnet, especially if we ever have a summer
The airflow is much better by the headlamps than it is right down where it was nestled before!
I thought that too, but I felt it after having the lights on dim dip for a while and it seemed fine. I never use dim dip anyway
I wish
Thanks for your post, but ScoobyDoo69 is correct, and the subject has been done to death. And just for comparison, here are two graphs for stock (well, nearly stock in the case of the second) 1.8 MX5s from the same day:
http://www.hcanning.com/files/ocuk-rr10/pdf/N736TCG.pdf
http://www.hcanning.com/files/ocuk-rr10/pdf/M169UMO.pdf
Oh and mine, and the two above, are NAs, not NBs.
http://www.hcanning.com/files/ocuk-rr10/pdf/N736TCG.pdf
http://www.hcanning.com/files/ocuk-rr10/pdf/M169UMO.pdf
Oh and mine, and the two above, are NAs, not NBs.
Because they're both standard 1.8s, thus backing up people's arguments about this particular rolling road. The NA 1.8 has 130bhp vs the ~140 of the NB so not a lot different in terms of WHP and oh look, they're making 130bhp at the fly, -+ a couple (the second one (M169UMO.pdf) is slightly modified, though)
I haven't done much lately, but I thought I'd bump this anyway, in case anyone else cares
I've got a few things I'd like to do, but it's finding the time and more importantly, money
Namely:
Exhaust - more nice noise
Roll bars
Stronger rear diff (from a 1.8) that isn't likely to explode
Better, more supportive seats
More power - which involves a smaller 'charger pulley, proper engine management to deal with the extra fuelling, probably bigger injectors, probably an intercooler. However this will probably only yield maybe another 20bhp, so I'm wondering if the expense involved is worth the effort. The extra power over stock is great, and really gets the most out of the chassis. I think any more would just be unnecessary on Britain's B roads with the type of driving I do. Now that I've spent the money on 50% more power over stock, saving the money as opposed to spending a lot more on another 5% seems more prudent.
I'm more interested in handling I think.. Hopefully in the next few weeks my suspension (the dampers) should FINALLY be being replaced to cure the clonking issue that I've long since gotten used to And then I'm going to investigate, probably with the help of the suspension designer, how I can 'tweak' the car and chassis to further hone the handling and make it even more precise and controllable. I don't know to what extent the possibilities of this reach, but I'd like to find out! Perhaps a 'refresh' of the components including fresh poly bushes.
Other than that I think I'll just enjoy driving it, and I will aim to do some track days perhaps next year, with one or two CarLimits days thrown in.
Oh and I have a new uprated alloy radiator to fit at some point, and I will probably replace all the hoses with nice fresh silicone ones at the time, but even throughout the hot summer days we had, the current (probably ancient) cooling system didn't really throw up any protest like I thought it would. I'll probably invest in one of these as well, which helps direct the air into the radiator as opposed to up through the top of the slam panel and into nowhere. I dare say if I take it on track, the weaknesses in the cooling system will become more apparent.
Still, all things to think about..!
Happy to answer any questions or criticisms anyone has
I've got a few things I'd like to do, but it's finding the time and more importantly, money
Namely:
Exhaust - more nice noise
Roll bars
Stronger rear diff (from a 1.8) that isn't likely to explode
Better, more supportive seats
More power - which involves a smaller 'charger pulley, proper engine management to deal with the extra fuelling, probably bigger injectors, probably an intercooler. However this will probably only yield maybe another 20bhp, so I'm wondering if the expense involved is worth the effort. The extra power over stock is great, and really gets the most out of the chassis. I think any more would just be unnecessary on Britain's B roads with the type of driving I do. Now that I've spent the money on 50% more power over stock, saving the money as opposed to spending a lot more on another 5% seems more prudent.
I'm more interested in handling I think.. Hopefully in the next few weeks my suspension (the dampers) should FINALLY be being replaced to cure the clonking issue that I've long since gotten used to
And then I'm going to investigate, probably with the help of the suspension designer, how I can 'tweak' the car and chassis to further hone the handling and make it even more precise and controllable. I don't know to what extent the possibilities of this reach, but I'd like to find out! Perhaps a 'refresh' of the components including fresh poly bushes. Other than that I think I'll just enjoy driving it, and I will aim to do some track days perhaps next year, with one or two CarLimits days thrown in.
Oh and I have a new uprated alloy radiator to fit at some point, and I will probably replace all the hoses with nice fresh silicone ones at the time, but even throughout the hot summer days we had, the current (probably ancient) cooling system didn't really throw up any protest like I thought it would. I'll probably invest in one of these as well, which helps direct the air into the radiator as opposed to up through the top of the slam panel and into nowhere. I dare say if I take it on track, the weaknesses in the cooling system will become more apparent.
Still, all things to think about..!
Happy to answer any questions or criticisms anyone has