The idea of the system is to reduce injury to pedestrians if you are going over 12 mph. It is the Jaguar F type that seems sensitive to speed bumps. I have not heard of the Mazda system going off over speed bumps (yet!) but it has gone off in various over frontal impact circumstances e.g. hitting kerbs, dogs, birds and errant wheel trims. As far as Mazda are concerned the system has initiated correctly if you hit a kerb at over 12 mph or any of the other scenarios, as it cannot differentiate between a kerbs, dogs etc. and a pedestrian.
Hi. I unfortunately hit a curb with my ND and my active bonnet has deployed. Bumper damaged as well. My situation is different in that my ND is a grey import as they aren’t sold new in my country. Also bodyshops do not have experience with these cars are they are rare.
I will have to get the parts myself and I have many questions. Can I order a bonnet from the United States? ND bonnet should be the same between all regions? Are bumpers also region specific?
Does anyone have a repair manual?
Any help would be appreciated.
Will your insurance not cover it ?
Which country are you in?
Insurance can cover it but that’s not the problem. The body shops here don’t have experience ordeing parts for these vehicle, particularly the active bonnet system.
I‘m in Trinidad in the Caribbean.
You’ve first got to establish which parts you actually need, do your local laws require an “active” bonnet, if not you needn’t replace those “active” parts. Then you’ve got to actually get them, surely the Mazda people in Port-au-Spain or San Fernando could order them for you? If not you’ve got to find an external dealer (in the USA?) willing to supply/ship them otherwise you’ll have to arrange all that yourself, not easy or cheap, and check with the local Customs authorities about the possibility of import duties/taxes. For help finding a helpful dealer in the USA I would suggest you get in touch with members on the Miata OC website. I wish you luck because I don’t think you’re going to have an easy time sorting it out.
PS: I’m assuming that your car was an import from the USA.
I’ve been reading this thread with interest and feeling relieved that I don’t have an active bonnet.
The one thing that has struck me throughout is that Mazda released a car that self destructs on impacts as small as a wheel cap from another car. Apparently no thought was given to this in the design stages of the car. Their response to the engine being too close to the bonnet for the safety of pedestrians was destroy the bonnet to raise it five inches.
At the design stage there was a much simpler solution. Have the bonnet hinges at the front of the car. The hinges can then act as a natural pivot point for the bonnet, the catch could release at the same time as the rams go off simply opening the bonnet on impact. False alarm? simply replace the rams and close the bonnet. No damage required.
Whilst this is very true the resultant change would require strengthening the front structure of the car to support the weight and leverage which would probably result in a much heavier look and we would lose the radical look (For an MX5 anyway) which the owners of the ND know and love. A key reason why some, like me, bought one in the first place.
Hello BrilliantBlackBirdy - love the name by the way !
Welcome to perhaps the most divisive thread on the whole forum. This subject has certainly polarized members’ opinions, and no mistake.
Opinions seem to range from those who think the whole Active Bonnet system is a pointless waist of time, to those who consider that we should think ourselves lucky that we can still drive our little roadsters, and that any system that protects pedestrians that stray into our path is worthy of our blind loyalty and support. There are also, as usual with anything involving human beings, a number of stages in between. Cynic ? Me ? It does make for an interesting discussion though.
I really feel for poor Rawcpoppa who lives in Trinidad, and has curbed his ND setting off the Active Bonnet system, and because MX-5s are so rare there, is looking towards an absolute hell of a job trying to get his car fixed. I wish him well.
If First Rider Off is correct in his writing that Mazda consider the system has deployed correctly in the various scenarios we have heard about in this thread (hitting kerbs, dogs, birds, stray hub caps etc) because it (the system) cannot differentiate between these objects and a human being, then in my opinion there is something seriously wrong with the whole set up, and it should never have been fitted in the first place, until it had been proven to be reliable, deploy only when intended, and not go off ‘half-cocked’. Perhaps though, that is asking too much for the current technology, in which case maybe a non-destructive system should have been fitted instead.
There are a number of videos on You Tube showing other manufacturers’ Active Bonnet systems in operation, which do not destroy bodywork, and can simply be reset by the driver, by pushing down on the raised rear end of the bonnet.
I guess ND drivers should be thankful that the system is not in the habit of going off whilst driving over speed bumps, which seems to be a problem with the Jaguar.
Why would it be heavier? Many of the original sports cars that the MX5 was copying had bonnets that opened the other way (spitfires, the TR range, E types) and none of them particularly heavy. A simple relocation of gap where bonnet meets bumper to make it straight (like the original mk1) would allow for a very simple hinge mechanism without changing the look of the car at all. The bonnet only weighs around 10kg so any hinge wouldn’t need to take much weight and some of that could be reclaimed by not requiring such a sturdy catch at the rear as it won’t have to resist the wind trying to pull it up. I would imagine the current structure would be more than capable of taking the weight otherwise woe betide the person who inadvertently leans on their car whilst changing the plugs!
I did say “heavier look” because I believe that the front would need “beefing-up” a bit thus losing “That look”. it would then would have looked like another face-lifted NC, a Mk.3.4 ? or heaven forbid, like the Fiat 124 !!! And I wonder why after 30 years Mazda (and most manufacturers) have still come to the conclusion that a rear hinged bonnet is more practical and is less restrictive of design than a front hinged one.
Having helped take the head off a friend’s ‘rusty old’ E-type forty-odd years ago, where we needed to first remove the unbelievably heavy front hinged bonnet+wings+bumper etc (we used straps and an engine hoist to take the weight), I prefer the smaller rear hinged bonnets…
However Mazda do make cars without the bonnet lifters, eg my Mazda3, but with a steel bonnet, and the pedestrian can explore several inches of air and wide flat plastic covers below it before getting down to the lumpy hard metal bits. But then, it is a taller heavier car and not quite so much fun to drive.
Jaguar did go over the top with the whole front of the car folding off. Triumph just hinged the bonnet for the TRs
Obviously front hinged offers less access to the engine bay so I reckon that’s why most vehicles are like that these days.
I do miss being able to look at the engine whilst cranking it over though. That was very handy for checking if you were getting spark and didn’t have someone else to help
Trinidad is a RHD country so I’m assuming the car is a Japanese or UK grey import. UK certainly has active bonnet and I would guess Japanese market does also. Can anyone confirm this. US models do not have the active bonnet.
The laws here do not require “active” bonnet. New Mazdas here do not come with this system so the dealer is not familiar with them. MX5 isn’t sold by Mazda locally which is why I had to import mine myself. Getting the parts is not really a problem. I’m more worried about the installation of the “active” parts but you raise a good point in simply not reinstalling it.
I know from reading this thread so far that I will need a new bonnet, front bumper, new hinges for the bonnet, new grille, new finishers for the front bumper (where the DRL’s usually are). I can get these from A US dealer as i can have the items shipped here via shipping company from Florida. Thanks for the advice. Will check Miata OC.
Yes Trinidad is a RHD country and yes the car is a Japanese grey import: 2016 1.5L manual in ceramic metallic. Japanese market has active bonnet. I’m thinking to just purchase a US bonnet and hinges and not reinstall the active parts. Don’t know how I’m going to clear error codes yet.
Think you will need to change the control unit to clear the warning light. As you won’t be fitting new explosive rams you will need to replace these with resistors to fool the new control unit. The really annoying part is that the control unit can’t be reset, needs replacing. Even more annoying, once all this is done if it triggers again although the bonnet won’t move you will still get a warning light and will need yet another control unit.
I’m surprised that there are no options to reset it. I’m not accustomed to that from dealing with other manufacturers. US vehicles don’t have this module I’m guessing. The vehicle is driveable despite the flashing active bonnet icon. Might be something I can live with temporarily once the vehicle is drivable.
I believe that the 6 sensors are situated in the bumper, so if your replace the bumper with one from the USA maybe it won’t have the sensors fitted. Or am I missing something? Maybe Roadie can answer that?