Electric Window Cable

From: <TROUR1@DALH.jcpenney.com>

Subject: ELECTRIC WINDOW CABLES (LONG)

HELLO, I WANTED TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE FIXING A BROKEN CABLE ON ONE OF MY ELECTRIC WINDOWS. WHEN I GOT IN MY CAR, THE PASSENGER WINDOW WAS DOWN HALF WAY EVEN THOUGH I HAD LEFT IT UP. USING THE MIATA ENTHUSIAST MANUAL AS A GUIDE, I REMOVED THE DOOR PANEL AND PLASTIC DOOR PROTECTOR UNDERNEATH AND SAW THE PROBLEM. ONE OF THE TWO CABLES THAT MOVES THE WINDOW UP OR DOWN HAD BROKEN. THE CABLE WAS THE ONE THAT HELD THE WINDOW UP; THE LEAD PIECE AT THE END HAD BROKEN. I REMOVED THE ELECTRIC MOTOR, CABLES AND WINDOW MECHANISM FOLLOWING THE STEPS IN THE MANUAL. WHEN I OPENED UP THE MOTOR I COULD SEE WHERE THE CABLES HAD WRAPPED AROUND EACH OTHER. I DON'T KNOW IF WRAPPED CABLES CAUSED THE CABLE END TO BREAK OR IF WHEN THE CABLE END BROKE THE WIRES IN THE MOTOR GOT WRAPPED. ANYWAY, MAZDA DEALERS OR ANY AFTERMARKET DEALERS WON'T SELL JUST THE CABLES. (THEY LOOK LIKE $2.00 BICYCLE CABLES) THE DEALERS WILL ONLY SELL THE ABOVE 3 COMPONENTS TOGETHER. I GOT QUOTES RANGING FROM $215 TO $285 FROM SEVERAL DEALERS.

I CALLED SOME SALVAGE YARDS AND WAS ABLE TO LOCATE THE PARTS FOR $125. I WENT TO THE MIATA DEALER AND ASKED TO SEE THE MANUAL PARTS. EVERYTHING IS THE SAME EXCEPT THE MANUAL VS THE ELEC. MOTOR. I PURCHASED THE MANUAL PART(S) AND CONNECTED THE CABLES TO THE MOTOR. THE MANUAL PARTS WHICH INCLUDES ALL THE COMPONENTS MENTIONED EARLIER COST $55. I PUT EVERYTHING BACK TOGETHER AND THE WINDOW IS LITERALLY AS GOOD AS NEW. I WANTED TO POST THIS INFO IN-CASE ANYONE ELSE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. THE DEALERS DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU COULD SUBSTITUTE THE MANUAL PARTS FOR THE ELECTRIC.

SOME ADDITIONAL ADVISE: IF THE WINDOW IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY *DON'T* KEEP MOVING THE BUTTONS UP AND DOWN, YOU COULD DAMAGE THE MOTOR AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO BUY THE ELECTRIC PART. ALSO, THE MIATA MANUAL WAS INVALUABLE IN ACCOMPLISHING THIS TASK.

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