| Is it possible to run the car with the sidelights on but without the pop ups up? (2/00) |
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It is possible, but illegal. Loads of us have done the mod, and AFAIK no one has been "done" for it. It's dead easy to do, I did mine last week in 5 mins. You have to locate a black cover that hides some (2 in my case) relays. It is on the passenger side to the rear of the the engine bay near the top. The cover just pulls off. In my case, there was an easily accessible relay at the front and one at the back. Guess which one it is.............. Yep, it's the one at the back, and dead awkward to get to. Someone recommended removing the block that the relays attach, but that looked more awkward. I'm a bit bodgy, and not intending to replace the relay, broke the top of it where it holds itself in. All you have to do now is disconnect the relay, and secure the plug somewhere under the cover. (2/00) |
| Why? The sidelights are separate from the headlight units (on late Mk1's anyway - I know earlier ones had dim-dip) so popping up the lights makes no difference to visibility. (2/00) |
| It is legal! I have a 1996 1.8 which came equipped with a headlamp levelling switch - the sidelights come on by themselves and the pop ups stay down - legally. (2/00) |
| Ed's note: My 92 Eunos has sidelights which come on without the headlights being up. (2/00) |
| Yep. You've got to have either dim/dip or headlamp levelling. Not sure exactly where that leaves Roadsters, which never had either, or cars on which dim/dip has been disabled. Never heard of a problem. It certainly is illegal to drive in most other countries (apart from UK) on sidelights alone, or even on dimmed headlamps. UK had to abandon compulsory dim/dip, 'cos the rest of the EU wouldn't entertain driving on anything but at least dipped headlights if you need any lights at all. And that's why headlamp levelling is now universal (and required by law) (2/00) |
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After I stopped my old MX with 70Km/h on a Freeway wall, Ibought the same car (but it's not the US-Miata - it's the Canadian). The problem with this car is, that it has the Canadian light adjustment. That means, the side-light is always switched on, as soon as I turn the ignition on. In Germany, no one can help me. My local Mazda-dealer always brings up 'this is a Miata, why didn't you get the euro-model? Has anyone of you an idea, how the electric system is switched to turn on the light? (4/00) |
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Presume you mean what the UK calls 'side lights' are on all the time the ignition is on .. these are in the slim light units in the front nose with the indicator lights. Also called Daylight Running Lights in Canada Miata manual Do you still have a 3 position light switch on the indicator stalk? I have a '94 Miata manual which shows the Daylight Running Lights circuit ... may not be the same as an early 1.6. The whole system is controlled by a box in the area under the instrument cluster; my guess is that pulling this unit would revert you to the standard light system. This unit must be at least 2.5"x1" on the wiring side as it has room for 12 wires in the connector although only 9 are used. 1 2 | 0 0 | 3 4 is the shape where '0 0' represents the blanked area 1 = green/yellow So try and find that to start with . (4/00) |
| Get the Veloce Publishing MX5 Miata Workshop Manual (Rod Grainger); the edition I have describes the lighting arrangement for US, Canadian, UK and German market cars. (4/00) |
| I have a 1995 1.8iS. Under the bonnet I located the relay box, and by a process of elimination disovered which one controlled the sidelights (the middle one of 3 relays). Problem is that it appears to control both the pop-ups and all sidelights! Is there another relay or connection somewhere..? (11/00) |
| I *THINK* you have located the wrong box - you are working on the main engine fuse box up near the windscreen and bulk head. I THINK there is another one that the mod refers to ..... now correct me please someone - being an ignorant MK2 owner.... (11/00) |
| The relay is when stood at the front of the car at the top right hand side of the engine bay. I think that on my 5 it is the one closest to the firewall but could be wrong as I have not done this mod on mine although I did manage to find the relay on a BBR at Beulieux (spl) at the beginning of the year. (11/00) |
| RHS as you look at it. Passenger side of the car on RHD. Near the windscreen wiper motor. (11/00) |
| Thanks for the replies so far, folks. Just to say that yes, I was looking at the relay box on the nearside close to the bulkhead & wiper motor, and no not the main fuse box. (11/00) |