Miata Mailing List: March 2000, Message #117

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My car has a lot of holes with cutouts in them that I can't figure a
reason for.  As far as  I know, I have all the options installed which
require interior switches, gauges, etc.

There's the two on the sides of the center console, facing the footwells,
for example.  They appear to be for additional interior lighting?  I have
seen aftermarket lights which go into those holes, but I can't imagine
Mazda installing cutouts just to make aftermarket products easier to
install.

> 
> Kevin Lahey and I noticed this hole when we were doing our oil pressure
>   gauges. My guess is that it's used at some point during assembly.
>   There's probably something that might require access after the column
>   cover is installed. So they can install the cover without the cutout,
>   then later after they've done whatever they need to do through the
>   hole, they can just pop the cutout into place.
> 
> The removable part looks like it can only be removed when you have the
>   whole cover off, so it's not for access after the car is built. But it
>   could easily be installed while the cover is in place.
> 
> Of course, this begs the question of what they need to get in there for?
>   I have no suggestions for that one.
> 
>   Keith Hearn
>   '99 10AE "Sexy Sadie" the Sapphire Shark
>   Milpitas, CA
> 
> In message <38BC8B84.C8E29161@mediaone.net>, John Suchak writes:
> > Okay, here's one that's been bugging me for a while now..   While
> > changing my '91's steering wheel I  had the top part of the plastic
> > steering column cover off, and observed a removeable cover in what was
> > obviously an intentional cut-out.  IIRC, it was rectangular, measured
> > about 2 inches by 3 or 4.  What is this there for?  It sort of was in
> > the place where the automatic trans indicator would have been in a
> > column shift car, but that's clearly not it...  Is the column cover
> > maybe used in another model line where it's used for a flasher switch or
> > something??!?!?  Mazda wouldn't have gone to the trouble of cutting a
> > big cut-out and making a plate to cover it if there weren't some reason.
> > 
> > (It's bugging me!)
> > 
> > John
> > 
> > Team Ponder This Stuff
> > 
> 

-- 
Matthew Hill                    Wappingers Falls, New York
matt@megahertz.njit.edu         1999 Emerald