[Project]Manual to Auto Climate Controls

[Gizzmo_jr]

So one day after browsing through M3F forums, I stumble across the repetitive question of auto climate controls in a manual control car. People are quick to answer, no cause blah blah blah. Or that it's not worth your time cause it will cost you $?? thousand dollars. I had to see for myself.
Armed with my 'repair bible', and wiring diagram, I start my research. Low and behold things seem to be looking quite well in fact. Thanks to Mazda keeping modules within the wiring the same, one could does this realistically. Now I can tell you right now, 100% it isn't a plug and play system. I'm not talking just the unit, and adding the required pieces. I'm talking adding missing parts of the wiring harness, switching pins on the PBJ, etc. But if this starts to lean towards a new ECU, then I think it's a done deal. More effort then required.

What I'm going to discuss are my findings along with pictures and examples, with the aid of FLIPDADY whom I can't thank enough, I can source the parts and see if this really is possible. It depends on if the parts are cheap'ish enough then I'd be happy to set on new ground seeing if this is all possible.

I'm going to do this all here, on TM3 only. After it's all said and done, then I'll post it up on M3F. Also noted is this may only pertain to 07(maybe newer) Mazda3's so your results may very.

Lets start with a picture showing the main component comparion
http://www.finc.ca/users/gizzmo_jr/Mazda%20Project/Comparison.jpg

Zoomed in with the appropriate numbers from the manual
http://www.finc.ca/users/gizzmo_jr/Mazda%20Project/components.jpg
(in no order)
#7 - Solar Radiation Sensor
#9 - Passenger Compartment Temperature Sensor
#3 - Airflow Mode Actuator
#2 - Air Mix Actuator
#5 - Power MOS FET
#1 - Air Intake Actuator (common between both)

As well the main unit (BAP261190A)

So lets get one of the obvious points out of the way, cable driven to servo/stepper actuated. The manual system has these elbows that push pull the Air Mix and Airflow Mode. Removing them all together along with the cable is fine, since the replacement servo/stepper is electronic pulse driven. Example, Air Flow Mode in manual system has a double elbow linkage. The cable push/pulls against another "L" shaped piece which transfers the orientation correctly for the flow mode unit in the blower housing. Where as the auto system only needs one linkage since the actuator is mounted directly below the flow mode unit. Based off the pictures, I can guess at 80% chance the same 6 inch'ish rod can be reused.

At some point this week(end) I plan to tear down the dash and get a confirmation on what plugs are present. From a previous post on M3F, the main 24pin Climate Control Unit(CCU) harness plus is present on a manual system car.
I've gotta find cabin temp sensor connector by the steering wheel. I know I don't have the sensor, I lit the area behind that small vent and saw nothing.
The plugs for both actuators and the Power MOS FET.

Wiring. Yeah this could make and break the entire project if I were to get all the hardware pieces. I do foresee running some wires around in the dash, but who knows. If all the plug harness' are present, I'll do continuity checks on the wires back to the PBJ and CCU.
Quick notes: Air intake actuator wire colours are identical, the Power MOS FET is essentially the fan switch portion.

To be continued...

[Gizzmo_jr]

Problems:
The above post is for things I do know or found out. Here I'll talk about things that ain't going to work.

I can't trace back how the auto system deals with the rear defroster. It's like its completely removed. I know its not but the manual system has pointers to the 'microcontroller' and the auto doesn't. Problem, meaning ECU dependency probably.

LCD output, no idea and I do know it's ECU embedded. It be try by fire situation.

[Gizzmo_jr]

Off one of the American online Mazda parts sites, found a couple prices for some pieces.

MSRP (for 06, they don't have listings for 07)
In-car senor - $120.80
Solar sun sensor - $37.55
Dash control unit - $889.94 :whoa
I've seen a unit or two floating around M3F so that be my first place, speaking of which I should see what my local wreckers have.
Again, this is only theory until I feel confident that it really is even possible.

[Wild Weasel]

This is definitely the sort of mod you'd want to harvest parts from a wrecker for!

[FLIPDADY]

A new heater unit from auto climate control vehicle will come with all the actuators you listed. The main control unit in the dash, both sensors in the car and the dash harness are required. The good news is that the PJB is the same.

The MS3 components are different from the ones found in the luxury package 3. I'm surprised at those U.S. prices since the CDN ones are cheaper.

[Skarbro]

How about just the knobs? :)

[Gizzmo_jr]

heater unit, as in blower motor and the whole works?

Hot damn thou Joe, if it's everything, then that accounts for wondering if the rods on the actuators will work, since it would come with them. Gonna have to ask how much thou, can via PM.

[FLIPDADY]

heater unit, as in blower motor and the whole works?

Hot damn thou Joe, if it's everything, then that accounts for wondering if the rods on the actuators will work, since it would come with them. Gonna have to ask how much thou, can via PM.
Yup blower motor and actuators, the whole package.

[Gizzmo_jr]

As much as I'd like to sabotage my working system and replace it with what your talking about, it is an expensive route.
I hope you don't tell me that one must buy the system complete, are there numbers for the individual pieces? The control unit I'd like to pick up second hand, cause your right about it being the majority of the price.

Thanks for the info on the PBJ, that clears up a few doubts in my mind. Meaning the harness is mirrored throughout Mazda 3's, less the speed3.

[Gizzmo_jr]

Okay, tonight I got a chance to dive into the dash. I was going to do it tomorrow, since I have the day off but tonight presented me with a couple of hours to kill, waiting on the g/f. Tonights aim was to 'find' the connectors for the sensors and/or actuators.

I started with the passenger side, getting the glove box and lower kick panel out. This should give me some viewing area to find the power MOS FET and the air mix actuator connectors. Having a bit of trouble finding them, I decide to check the lower AC unit for mounting holes, where the actuators bolt to. In the air mode/mix linkage set, you can see there are slightly different mount points in the diagrams. It is at this point, all hope begins to fade.

http://www.finc.ca/users/gizzmo_jr/Mazda%20Project/power.jpg
Here in this picture, imagine a hole directly to the left of the connector, where the fins of the MOS FET go inside the lower AC housing. Easy way to cool off the chips, good design Mazda. What do I have, a solid capped off piece. Not just a plate that can be removed, but a molded cover. It is now determined that the entire "Heating Unit" is different between manual versus auto systems. Sure you can add the parts, but not much to mount them on let alone finding connectors to plug them into.
I had to assert in my mind that I in fact was unable to find the connectors. I checked the exploded wiring section a dozen times for the connector locations. Okay, lets find the easiest one of them all. The interior cabin temperature sensor.

I removed the lower panel below the steering wheel. No connector/dongle in sight. The diagram shows the two wires should come off the main harness half way down beside the radio. Alright, take out the radio and follow the harness from the 24pin on the back of my CCU all the way up to the top, by the center plastic panel on the dash. There is only one connector that comes off and it's for the fan selector dial. That's that then, done like dinner.

Summary
-Wiring harness is different from an 07 manual air system versus 07 auto climate control system. Simply put, lack of connectors (and wiring) for the missing parts. I'd take a wild guess that one could get lucky with replacing the harness portion from the PBJ back to the CCU.
-The 'Heater Unit' (blower motor, upper and lower casing, entire system) is different in construction. Similar in design thou. The casing has specific openings depending what system the car has (hole for mos fet, or hole for resistor pack, different locations)
-The PBJ is the same, although the harness IS different (disprove my previous thought) thus the pins for the same connectors are different. I can confirm this but I originally thought there was another connector.
-Different harness = different ECU !!! I was right, the rear defroster control must be embedded within the auto system via ECU, where the manual controls it in the CCU. I get this from the missing "micro controller" link in the wiring schematics.

Ideally one could get this shopping list and theoretically have a working auto climate system.
1. Heater Unit (entire system, all actuators, power MOS FET, blower motor, proper AC housing, etc)
~$1100+
2. auto Climate Control Unit
~$550+
3. Wiring harness
~$no idea
4. Cabin Temperature sensor
~$not sure Canadian, see above for American price
5. Solar Sun Sensor
~$not sure Canadian, see above for American price
6. New ECU
~$no idea

Conclusion
It is not worth anyones time and money to convert the system. After you pay for all the parts, you still got to do the job of switching out the wiring harness (not sure how much of it). Then program a new ECU to your gauge cluster. Even if you got the parts second hand, I bet you'd break even if you got the luxury package at the time of purchase of the car (Parts and labour). You'd have leather and a moonroof to boot.
Feel free to link to this if someone asks the question here or on another forum. The pictures are my own, and I'll continue to host them for the time being. They're just scans of whats in the repair manual.

It was fun, learned a little more of my car. Had a good deal on a control unit thou.
-Gizzmo_jr

[Skarbro]

Oh well. At least we now have some real new info on this project. Too bad it's dead. Maybe it will be worth it to do years from now when the parts can be scavenged from a wreckers.

[Gizzmo_jr]

Correct me if I'm wrong, auto climate was only offered in 06 and above? So like you said, maybe another day when there are some cars in the wreckers (god forbid). I can only find one 06 in a local wreckers lot, and it is manual climate (base model 2.0L).

[Cardinal Fang]

TheBiz could correct me but I believe Auto Climate was an 07 feature in the Canadian models.