If someone could please move this into the How To forum, thanks.
Always On Moonroof
2003 Mazda Protégé - By ZapWizard
If you have modified your power windows so that you can run them even when the car is off, you will find that the moonroof is on a seperate circuit.
With a few more steps, the moonroof can also be wired for always on operation.
This is part one of my modification, the second part will be making a rain-detector circuit, that will allow the moonroof to automatically close if it starts raining. This will allow me to park my car with the moonroof venting air out, yet not worry about water getting into the car. An alarm system later will also be able to close the moonroof if someone is too close to the car.
The tools needed are:
- Philips screwdriver
- Flathead screwdriver
- Tiny flathead screwdriver
- Normal pliers
- Needle nose pliers
- Wire cutters
- 1 QTY: 16-22 AWG Wire taps
- 2 QTY: 14-12 AWG Wire taps
- 1 QTY: 15-Amp mini-fuse
- 1 QTY: Wired mini-fuse holder
This modification is not as easy as simply wiring the moonroof to battery power, like the power windows.
This is because the moonroof is connected to the 15-amp A/C fuse inside the fuse box, and the wire running to the moonroof is also connected the rear window defrost, so we have to separate and re-wire both these connections.
So far I have not found that any other circuits are on this same wire, so I doubt there is anything else on the wire that could drain the battery.
As will all modification: Do at your own risk.
The first few steps are the same as modifying the power windows.
Remove the bottom-trim on the door by pulling up on one side.
Pull up about six inches of door trim
Pop off the push-bolt at the back of the fuse-box cover.
Pull the fuse cover off by pulling the backend towards the center of the car.
Locate the Defrost control relay, this is attached to the top of the fuse box.
If the car is on, you should hear this relay click when you press the rear-defrost button.
Remove the defrost relay and its holder.
Note: This modification is possible without removing any wires (only cutting them), but I found it easier to work with the wires away from the fuse box.(And to make sure I don't cut the wrong pink wire)
You need to remove the pink wire on the defrost relay.
You do this by pushing up on a pin inside the holder.
Once disconnected you can test by pushing your rear-defrost button, this relay should no longer click on. (Even though the defrost button lights up)
Note: This pink wire is shared with the moonroof, and is connected to the 15-amp A/C fuse in the fusebox.
Once that wire is loose, you need to remove the top-most connector on the fuse box.
You then need to pull the pink wire located at the top of the flat side of the connector.
If you look at the connector as if it was plugged into the fuse box, it would be the top-most wire towards the center of the car.
If you are not sure, remove a wire, plug the connector back into the fuse box, turn on the car, and test if you can open your moonroof.
(It should not open)
Note: This pink wire is the power-output for the moonroof and rear-defrost relay.
You should now have two pink wires hanging from the tape-wrapped bundle of cables.
(One with a large metal connector, and one with a small metal connector)
These two wires are connected together somewhere, and still have an electrical connection between them.
(You can confirm this with a continuity meter)
The only circuit these should be connected to now is the moonroof.
Cut the pink wire with the larger connector about three inches from the electrical tape bundle.
Cut the pink wire with the smaller connector in the same way.
You should now have two pieces of pink wire.
We will use these to restore the rear defrost relays connection to the fuse box.
Using a 22-16 Gauge wire tap, clamp the two wires together, and close the tap.
I also recommend that you test their connection with a continuity meter.
You can now push the connectors into their original spots on the fusebox, and defrost relay.
This will complete the relay part of the modification, and your rear defroster should function like normal.
Note: These steps could have been done by simply cutting the wires without removing them, and then splicing them back together.
You should now be left with two cut and loose wire hanging from the tape-wrapped bundle.
We need to splice these (with a fuse) onto a battery wire to allow the moonroof to work when the car is off.
There is a battery wire conveniently located right on the rear defrost relay.
It is white with a red stripe.
So first we need to splice our fuse holder onto the battery wire.
(Don't install the fuse just yet)
Using a 14-12 Gauge wire tap, clamp the fuse holder onto the battery wire.
Next, we need to connect the two loose pink wires onto the other end of the fuse holder.
Using a 14-16 gauge wire tap, insert both pink wire into one side of the tap, and the fuse holder into the other.
Then crimp the wires together.
Even though the pink wires are thin, I have found that splicing both of them together provides enough connection that they don't pull-out of the wire tap.
The last step is installing a 15-amp fuse into the fuse holder.
You can test the moonroof now if you want, if it works you can start putting the fuse box and covers back together.
If you want to reverse this modification, you can take the tap off the battery wire, and splice it back onto the pink wire running to the defrost relay.
Done!
You should now be able to operate your moonroof anytime you want.
Reply With Quote
, ION FMIC, ION CAI, MPI TUNER and extra injectors 
, AWR Competition Radiator with custom fan shroud, J&S safeguard 
, zeitronix w/b with all the extras, blitz DSBC at stock and 9 pounds, Front and rear mount 90 durameter, Intake manifold clean up, and 3" mandrel bent exhaust with ghl d/p. Custom carputer (thanks elemental)
Originally Posted by Moeed
Bookmarks