Hi all, new member here. I have been searching the web and came across a post on here for a mod to get variable intermittent wipers on an 04 and 05 Mazda 3. It appears someone by the name billm made a module to plug in to the switch in the steering column. If anyone has any info on where to get one of these, I would greatly appreciate it.
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2004/2005 Mazda 3 Variable Intermittent Wipers
- Thread starter auzoom79
- Start date
Thanks for the reply. Any chance anyone on here might have any info on the mod? Schematics or anything? Or anyone interested in selling one? I also have tried to get in touch with a guy that goes by icspots. It seems he might have known billm. I am very interested in doing this mod to my 3. Thanks!
Hi. Indeed billm has not been online on any of the Mazda forums for quite some time.
I actually did some beta testing for him on the VIW module. It's basically a potentiometer wired up to his custom control module which (with the wipers in the 'off' position) triggers the wipers into thinking you've flipped for the mist function. Depending on the position of the knob it does it as little as once a minute approx. or every other second. Here's the link to the applicable thread on M3F. Note that this forum does not allow direct linking to competing sites so you'll have to remove the space between '3' and 'forums' to make it work.
http://www.mazda3 forums.com/index.php?topic=30885.msg744940#msg744940
I don't know if he's really still around or if he'd be willing to make any more modules at this point but you could always try e-mailing him. I also did the 'poor man' version of his A/C mod. Basically a switch connected to a resistor to fool the thermistor into thinking it's actually five degrees (roughly) warmer than it is. This is the same setup billm started out with before he built the timer module.
I don't have schematics for the module he built, however I could probably remove it and take pictures of the board if that would help you build your own. If I were looking for a contemporary forum member to build something like this I would ask upashi on the above noted site. He's made a number of little electrical mods. and frequently builds his own circuits like this. I currently have a DRL module he made that I need to install and test for him.
If you need anything else just let me know.
I actually did some beta testing for him on the VIW module. It's basically a potentiometer wired up to his custom control module which (with the wipers in the 'off' position) triggers the wipers into thinking you've flipped for the mist function. Depending on the position of the knob it does it as little as once a minute approx. or every other second. Here's the link to the applicable thread on M3F. Note that this forum does not allow direct linking to competing sites so you'll have to remove the space between '3' and 'forums' to make it work.
http://www.mazda3 forums.com/index.php?topic=30885.msg744940#msg744940
I don't know if he's really still around or if he'd be willing to make any more modules at this point but you could always try e-mailing him. I also did the 'poor man' version of his A/C mod. Basically a switch connected to a resistor to fool the thermistor into thinking it's actually five degrees (roughly) warmer than it is. This is the same setup billm started out with before he built the timer module.
I don't have schematics for the module he built, however I could probably remove it and take pictures of the board if that would help you build your own. If I were looking for a contemporary forum member to build something like this I would ask upashi on the above noted site. He's made a number of little electrical mods. and frequently builds his own circuits like this. I currently have a DRL module he made that I need to install and test for him.
If you need anything else just let me know.
Hi. Indeed billm has not been online on any of the Mazda forums for quite some time.
I actually did some beta testing for him on the VIW module. It's basically a potentiometer wired up to his custom control module which (with the wipers in the 'off' position) triggers the wipers into thinking you've flipped for the mist function. Depending on the position of the knob it does it as little as once a minute approx. or every other second. Here's the link to the applicable thread on M3F. Note that this forum does not allow direct linking to competing sites so you'll have to remove the space between '3' and 'forums' to make it work.
http://www.mazda3 forums.com/index.php?topic=30885.msg744940#msg744940
I don't know if he's really still around or if he'd be willing to make any more modules at this point but you could always try e-mailing him. I also did the 'poor man' version of his A/C mod. Basically a switch connected to a resistor to fool the thermistor into thinking it's actually five degrees (roughly) warmer than it is. This is the same setup billm started out with before he built the timer module.
I don't have schematics for the module he built, however I could probably remove it and take pictures of the board if that would help you build your own. If I were looking for a contemporary forum member to build something like this I would ask upashi on the above noted site. He's made a number of little electrical mods. and frequently builds his own circuits like this. I currently have a DRL module he made that I need to install and test for him.
If you need anything else just let me know.
Thanks for the info icspots!! Do you have billm's contact info? I would love to get in touch with him. A schematic would be awesome to get my hands on. I am pretty handy with electronics and could build the circuit if I had a schematic. If you have time to snap a few photos of the module that would help. I might be able to reverse engineer it. I would really like to do this mod. I hate not have VIW on my 3. I had it on my previous 6 and really miss it. Thanks!!
I know the Protege could use the stalk from Mazda Tribute. Could someone see if any other Mazda could be swapped in? (ie. Mazda 5, Mazda Tribute from similar year, or Mazda 6).
I think others have tried this approach in the past. From what I've read folks even grabbed a VIW wiper stalk from a later model (07-09) MZ3 and tried it. It seems the PJB (progrmmable junction box) in the 04/05 MZ3s does not have the capability to do VIW. I am prototyping a mod right now to try and recreate the mod that billm did several years ago. icspots was kind enough to send me a few pics. I am working on building that up to test it. I am also working to try and come up with a circuit to use the VIW wiper stalk from an 07-09 MZ3 to somehow control a VIW function. A member on another forum took some resistance measurements for me of the VIW wiper stalk. I am trying to figure out how to use the stalk to control a circuit which will do VIW.
Speedfreely
Member
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- 2005 Mazda 3S
Hey auzoom79, I am trying to find a VIM mod for my wive's 2005 3S. Can you keep me posted if you do end up successfully creating one? Thanks million. That is the only pet peeve we both have with the 3. Otherwise, love it!
I have been able to prototype and test a circuit that will create VIW for the 04/05 MZ3. I need to do a few more tweaks to get the timing right, but I have it working. I tested it in my 04 MZ3. Once I get things finalized, I will post again on here to let folks know. It is pretty similar to what billm came up with from what I can tell. The only caveat for my circuit is that the potentiometer won't have click positions. I am not using LEDs either, they really aren't necessary for the circuit to work.
auzoom79,
Getting it to work maybe, but making the variations visible at night since there are not any clicks yes. Keep us posted and post lots of pictures and circuit diagrams. I was about to install a circuit I created to from member plans to fix the AC/LED problem on my Protege5 before I totaled it.
Getting it to work maybe, but making the variations visible at night since there are not any clicks yes. Keep us posted and post lots of pictures and circuit diagrams. I was about to install a circuit I created to from member plans to fix the AC/LED problem on my Protege5 before I totaled it.
Not sure what exactly you mean by making variations visible at night. Even with clicks the variations aren't visible. You have no way of knowing even with factory VIW where the timing is set on the VIW. Clicks only give you a general feel and offer a coarse way to 'count' where you are. I think it is a small inconvenience not to have the clicks, but the advantage is a finer delay setting on the VIW. I probably won't have many pictures to post as the instructions have been detailed already. I am following the same procedure that billm did a few years ago. Once working, I will post some pics of the module I create and what wires to connect into which locations in the factory wiring harness at the wiper stalk. It is pretty straightforward. If any is interested, I can build up a few more of these. It shouldn't be too expensive, I just need to total up the component costs and see how much that ends up being and then I can see if anyone is interested in them.
Hey auzoom79, I am trying to find a VIM mod for my wive's 2005 3S. Can you keep me posted if you do end up successfully creating one? Thanks million. That is the only pet peeve we both have with the 3. Otherwise, love it!
I have successfully prototyped and tested a mod circuit. I figured out a way around using a potentiometer with a switch so I can use a detented potentiometer that has clicks you can feel. I am working with a member on another forum to make the mod circuit work with a factory VIW stalk from an 07 MZ3. This would not require any holes in your steeging column cover...but does require more cash (to buy the VIW stalk). Let me know if you are still interested and I can probably build one up for you. It may be a little time since I am working on getting the mod to work with the factory VIW stalk, but I do have a mod circuit that will work that can be built.
For the mod that doesn't need the factory VIW stalk, the cost would be $40. I will try to get a video up soon showing it working. I have it prototyped on a bread board right now. I don't plan on building one for myself since I think I now have a way to make this work with a factory VIW stalk, so I will build myself one of those. If anyone is interested, just let me know and I can build up the mod circuit. The wiper intervals on the stand alone mod circuit (withouth factory VIW) in seconds are approximately 1.57, 3.14, 4.7, 6.27, 7.84, 9.41, 10.98, 12.55, 14.11, 15.68, 17.25. There are 11 steps on the detented pot so you end up with 2 more steps than what a factory VIW stalk has.
I'd be happy to build one and sell it, but I've put a lot of time and effort into this and the components are not cheap. I'm sorry, I can't just hand parts out with as much as I've put into this.
If anyone is interested, I can build modules that will have clicks and will only require the one hole like billm's mod required for the potentiometer. It would have 11 clicks and be timed as I have listed in my last post and would be about $40.
If anyone is interested, I can build modules that will have clicks and will only require the one hole like billm's mod required for the potentiometer. It would have 11 clicks and be timed as I have listed in my last post and would be about $40.
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