Access through firewall to engine?

[Bonthron]

I'm installing a new Nav headunit (Pioneer AVIC-X910BT) tomorrow (hopefully weather permitting) and I need to hook it up to a speed sensor wire. The only one I can confirm and find in the repair manual wiring diagrams is on the back right corner of the engine, in of course, the engine bay.

Temperatures tomorrow are expected to be around freezing (canada) so I'd love it if someone with a little experience can let me know the easiest way through the firewall so I can route this wire to the proper location on the engine harness, and spend the least amount of time outside.

Any prior info would be most appreciated! (bow)

A post with pics to follow soon after.

 

[skyhawk]

No experience here. But I do have a print out of the remote starter install..
The cable for the 'hood-open' safety switch uses the 'opening for the hood release cable'
to find its way from inside the car to the engine bay. You should be able to go that way
as well..


question: Why the need for speed sensor signal? doesnt the nav calculate the
speed using satelite signal?

 

[Bonthron]

question: Why the need for speed sensor signal? doesnt the nav calculate the speed using satelite signal?

It uses the speed sensor signal so it can use the speed to estimate location when travelling through tunnels, urban areas with a lot of tall buildings and whenever satellite signals are blocked or degraded. The Pioneer also has built-in gyro and accelerometer to provide even further accuracy.

You wouldn't have a copy or photo of that remote-starter install that you could email me, would you? Any information I can get going into this would be great.

 

[skyhawk]

It uses the speed sensor signal so it can use the speed to estimate location when travelling through tunnels, urban areas with a lot of tall buildings and whenever satellite signals are blocked or degraded. The Pioneer also has built-in gyro and accelerometer to provide even further accuracy.

You wouldn't have a copy or photo of that remote-starter install that you could email me, would you? Any information I can get going into this would be great.

I'll try to get a copy later.. Basically, it says to follow the steel cable that opens the hood.. as it goes through the firewall to a lever on the drivers left side.. ('hoold-open' lever.). You use clothes line of some sort to 'fish' and pull your vss cable.

You mentioned you were using a wiring diagram. Is it the mazda5 wiring diagram you have? i.e. page 53 and 54?

 

[Bonthron]

You mentioned you were using a wiring diagram. Is it the mazda5 wiring diagram you have? i.e. page 53 and 54?

It's actually page 54 and 55 but I couldn't locate the plug/wire that I needed. That speed sensor that I thought was on the back right corner of the engine was not there, or if it was it didn't have the wires I expected coming out of it. I was looking for a B, G and W/R going into a grey plug, but just couldn't see it... for all I know it's back down on the other side of the transmission or something. Anyway, it's still work without it connected -- it just won't be as accurate.

I haven't even gotten to running that VSS wire to the engine bay yet, but I found the rubber boot on the footwell side so I'll just run a fish-wire up through it.

Otherwise, it has all been installed except for that VSS wire, the reversing camera and the video output to the Clarion rear-seat entertainment unit. All things that can wait until a warmer spring day.

 

[Bonthron]

So has anyone ever seen this plug and can direct me to where it is on the engine?

 

[Bonthron]

So has anyone ever seen this plug and can direct me to where it is on the engine?

Okay, looked a bit further into the manual and found that the VSS needs to have the battery covers and battery removed to access it. This certainly looks like it will be job to be done in the spring.

 

[skyhawk]

You wouldn't have a copy or photo of that remote-starter install that you could email me, would you? Any information I can get going into this would be great.

I sent you a pm with the link to the pdf file.

As for the VSS signal.. the wiring diagram does indicate they exist for
auto transmission mazda5 only.

 

[Bonthron]

I sent you a pm with the link to the pdf file.

As for the VSS signal.. the wiring diagram does indicate they exist for
auto transmission mazda5 only.

Thanks for that.

And yes I have an auto.

As for the VSS wire not connected yet... accuracy seems good at this point but we'll have to test it out a bit more to see if there are any issues.

 

[stykerdk]

It should already be there in the connector Pin 9 , there is a pin diagram here of the standard Mazda connector.
http://www.tobias-albert.de/ta_autohifi/mazda_audio/2001/mazda_2001.html
Jens

 

[Bonthron]

That pin is listed as unused in the North American wiring diagram. Although when I pull the radio again to make this connection I will certainly look to see if I can find a wire in this spot.

thanks for the heads-up!

 

[mazdadude]

Yes the speedsensor can be taken from the instrument cluster harness by inserting a pin and wire into the harness. The output signal is present at this location and there would be a wire going from that pin, to the factory GPS system if you had one. The install kit I ordered several years ago actually came with the wire and correct pin to insert to the harness at the location noted above.