4WS Probe Project

[jphillips626]

Originally Posted by d0zxmustang

Im gonna look at it this weekend and see if its out of alignmenet....I want to get it all straightened out before I start the swap....


Looking at the factory scans, what is the set bolt? Just any bolt you can find or does it need a point on it to line up with the notch in the rack?

the set bolt holds the rear rack shaft at center while you tighted the coupler (smooth part or the shaft, not the side with splines) of the rear shaft and rack. Once you set everything tight, then you take out the set bolt (specific bolt that comes to a point) and put back in the standard bolt. The set bolt is directly under the shaft as it enters the rear rack.

Feel free to PM me about any specific 4ws questions as they pertain to the 4ws mx6.


Good luck man, they say it can't be done....and i think probes are super ugly. I mean....your gf has to drive something, and after all the probe was designed to be marketed directly to WOMEN.......

A 4WS car is a man's car, since women can't work on it or appreciate it. Just a thought.

[jphillips626]

In the FSM it shows how the sub frames may look the same but are actually differnet measurements.

In time.... In time.... you'll see.

I seriously would LOVE to buy that car off you, not for parts but to put back on the road. I will pay more then you bought it for.

[compnut21]

Originally Posted by defiler

Just don't try parallel parking. You'll change your mind on how awesome the 4ws is after trying to park downtown somewhere

Originally Posted by jphillips626

yeah tell me about it.

i find it easier to parallel park with 4ws working. idk

[defiler]

But then i should do one for the cooling fan (bad relay) too.

Ive already done that. On both of my cars.

i find it easier to parallel park with 4ws working. idk

Sure, if you're pulling straight in to the spot Otherwise, when backing out the back wheels are going to be poushing the back end out from the spot you want.

[d0zxmustang]

Made a little progess yesterday...got the rear subframe assembly out of the car, will be pulling it apart and cleaning/restoring everything throughout this week.



Also pulled all the wiring out....nearly done with assembling the stand alone harness, just waiting on the factory mazda service manual so I can tie up a few loose ends....






Poor MX6....

[jphillips626]

jebus, what will the neighbors think??

very cool though

[d0zxmustang]

HAHA...luckally my neighbors are pretty cool about things...i look the other way on some things they do, and they do the same for me....This isnt the first car ive parted out in the driveway, so far so good....

[d0zxmustang]

Here's the finished StandAlone 4WS harness. Compared to what I pulled out, not much to it, huh?

Ill be the first to say this wasnt the quickest, cleanest, or absoulote idiot-proof job...but its done! I wouldn't recommend anyone trying this without a understanding of basic electronics, wiring experiance, or a set of factory wiring diagrams...and BTW mazda did a excellent job at there wiring diagrams. VERY impressive.

With the 4WS part, I have isolated all the wires that have to be tied in to the probes harness. They are all sorted and ready to be slpiced in at the dash. I left the factory crimps on the wiring that goes to the under hood fuse box. all I have to do is slide in the wires and put in a fuse. Found that Although one wire at the 4WS control box is in the wiring diagrams as a "revolution detection sensor" in the instrument cluster, the wire goes to a dead end. I went as far as stripping the coating on the clusters circit board, and there is nothing there. So this wire is useless, as the 4WS worked without it.

On the Fuel pump, everything is the same and all wiring tie-ins are at the tank. I elminated the low fuel light wiring as i dont need this on the probe. The only differance in the wiring there is the W/Y wire is solid white on the probe. Only thing I have to do is find a mounting spot for the Transfer pump control unit, and run a tie-in to the fuel pump relay at the dash.


Said-To-Be-Impossible Task 1 - DONE

[jphillips626]

what about the steering angle sensor on the 4ws steering column and how it ties in directly to the control unit?

I figured that wiring the rear rack wouldn't be that bad...just the two control boxes. Should be well laid out in wiring diagrams, just figuring out the control box and timer unit doesn't seem as straight forward.

Props for what you got done for the rear rack

have you had a chance to lay teh rear subframe up in yet? Or is your main focus the wiring?

[d0zxmustang]

According to the wiring diagrams, there is no steering sensor in the Steering column, only the steering angle sensor in the rear. There is no wiring from the control unit that goes to the steering column...

There really isnt much to wiring the control box and timer unit, theres a few wires that connect one-another, the rest go to sensors and power/ground.

Have not yet mounted the rear rack, thats this weekend project...wanted to get the hardest part (wiring) out of the way first.

The only thing i see now as a slight issue (that no-one has seemed to notice) is the front steering rack mounting... the passanger side mount is much "taller" than the standard racks....about double in length. I will either have to cut off the MX6 on and re-weld it to the probe, or rework the probe one with some sort of extention bracket..havent looked too much into it yet.

[joeyf0487]

hey man how is the swap going? go any new pics yet?

[d0zxmustang]

Originally Posted by joeyf0487

hey man how is the swap going? go any new pics yet?

See post #38

[d0zxmustang]

Got bored today after dis-mantleing the rear 4WS sub-frame for cleaning and painting, so I figured Id Mythbuster another "fact"....

Originally Posted by www.MX6.com

just the fact that you will need to use the Mx6 gauge cluster.....should have deterred him from trying to undertake the project.

Im guessing this was brought up due to the 4WS light and speed sensor...

For the speed sensor, going off my instint and knowledge of the Probe and MX6 virtually being the same car, I assumed the speedo's were the same...and they are...at least in there design/setup, not the calibration due to the differant sweep/MPH range. The Probe and MX6 share the exact same speed sensor and even the numbers on the sensor were the same between the two....problem #1 solved....

For the light....Pic is self explanitory...The spot its in was un-used and has a circuit all its own tied to the wiring harness connectory...All i have to do is run the wire from the 4WS control unit to the instrument cluster connector....problem #2 solved...






Hopefully I wont have to work next saturday and I can mount the rear subframe and start transfering some of the rear components on the probe (gas tank, rear P/S lines, transfer shaft, etc...)....

[Zach]

Hope you prove everyone wrong

[d0zxmustang]

HAHA thanks....I should have the subframe mounted by sunday...finished pulling it apart and started clean-up/paint yesterday....