BIU

Ok guys im curious about this...

i was driving a Mazda 3 the other day and i've found out the even the base model Mazda 3 has the auto wipers and auto lighting mode..............

why dont our 8s have it?! I mean.... its only logical that a more expensive car will have these features that a less expensive car in the same line-up has?

I do see that our 8s came with the rain sensor dots on the top of our windshields......... but our wiper controls doesnt have a AUTO mode on it?!

I drive a Canadian 8 GT if that makes any difference..

Please enlighten me ppl

Sputnik

Well, in other cars, we have seen where new options aren't quite ready for production, and aren't included in the car's initial release, only to be included in later years.

For example: Toyota initially intended to include it's SMT in the MRS when it was first released, but did not have it up to their standards by that time, and it was only included over a year later. Pontiac was unable to get their traction control working well enough to handle the extra torque of the GTP supercharged engine when they released their then new Grand Prix in '97, so they had to work on it and include it in '98 models.

This might very well be the case with the RX8, where they didn't have those options up to their standards for the release of either the RX8 or Mazda 6, or they didn't think about putting them in those cars until it was too late for the 2004 models, or they may have wanted to include something unique in the 3 release that the others didn't have at first.

Or, it could be something else altogether...

---jps

G8rboy

I personally would rather decide when to turn on the wipers and the headlights for myself. Seeing that the RX8 is somewhat of a sportscar, I can understand leaving off features that are more suited to a mini-van or land yacht.

Bob The Eskimo

The 8 is already set up for it but does not have it as a useable function. If you notice on the passenger side of the dashboard, there is a sensor near the window. There is just not a function for it.

Either that or my 8 is watching me. . .

spoooky. . .

BIU

Well its just the fact of whether having or not having that function avaliable...... even if the AUTO mode is avaliable it doesnt mean you have to use it... you can still control manually..

but i just find it weird that the rain sensor dots ARE on the windshield......but yet it does not have the controls to utilize it...

Sputnik

Actually, that's quite normal. If the same sensor locations are present in the RX8 dash, then it means that they designed the dash to handle this option in the future, but just didn't get it in this model for some reason. The electronic sensors and other gubbins obviously aren't in there. It's just like the sensor port next to the NAV screen that some of these people are trying to figure out. The sensor behind it might not even be there, and the port could either be part of some other installation of that NAV in other cars or an aftermarket setup with an IR remote.

Which is nice, because if they come with the 2005 RX8, for example, then a 2004 owner wouldn't have to replace the whole dash if they want to retrofit them into their car. Even if they don't come with the 2005, one could even retrofit the Mazda3 parts into their car.

---jps

BIU

so if i get the control arms from a Mazda 3........ is it just a plug and play on the 8?

Would the functions work?

anyone know?

Omicron

Probably not, but it'd be great if you'd play the role of ginuea pig and report back to us all if this work! :D

BIU

lol nah..... thats too much mula to "experiment" with :D

Well if anyone finds a wrecked Mz3 in a junkyard that would work!

Sputnik

It's doubtful that it's just plug and play. The question is how much custom work and wire hacking one would have to do. It's doubtful that the appropriate plugs are already in the wiring. And like everything else in the car, we won't know until someone got some manuals and/or got into the two cars.

---jps