Hi all,
I just called Mazda customer support to double check the original options that came with the car. Before I bough the car I had called them and was told that it had Torsen but today they told me that it didn't come with Torsen (it's a '96 Miata). Does anybody have/know of some sort of online tool to decipher the VIN code so that I know for sure whether it did or did not come with Torsen? Thanks all.
The VIN won't tell you, there's no option information in there. Mazda's looking up the details of that particular car in their database.
Keith wrote:The VIN won't tell you, there's no option information in there. Mazda's looking up the details of that particular car in their database.
Thanks for the info Keith. So what do I do if I got different answers when I called them twice? I guess I can try one more time to see which answer I got 2 out of 3 times...
Put the rear up on ramps. Remove the fill plug. Look inside with a flashlight and see if you have a Torsen.
If you're sure it's a 96, this guide will tell you what else to look for to say if it originally had a Torsen.
http://www.miata.net/faq/america/1996.html
Keith may know if the guide is definitive, but that's the best info I have. Mazda seemed to reluctant to give out the torsen later in the NA run. You had to have a pretty well equipped 96 or 97 to get the Torsen.
Mazda was decontenting the cars like mad trying to stay in business around 1996-97 
As far as I know, the "Miatas in America" guide is accurate for the NA models. It sort of peters out as the cars get newer. There is a more complete version in a book called "Mazda Miata: Find It, Fix It, Trick It" written by some guy 
But that will only tell you what was in the car from the factory, not if it's been monkeyed with. A visual inspection like Randy describes is more accurate. You can also try the more entertaining "put two wheels on different surfaces and hit the gas" technique that can be performed on a test drive.
I can personally attest that the most accurate (and fun) way to tell is Keith's 1/2 grass / 1/2 road trick. It works on 944's too! 
ea_sport wrote:So what do I do if I got different answers when I called them twice? I guess I can try one more time to see which answer I got 2 out of 3 times...
Crank the wheel over and dump the clutch?
So Mazda emailed me the factory spec for my car and it had Package 1PE which did not include Torsen. I guess I am in STS then...I'll try the half and half test...if I have one spinning wheel that means I don't have Torsen right?
The thing about that test is that it works for any type of limited slip.
Ahh, the PEP - my '96 had that also. A/C and power steering were the "popular equipment" it added IIRC. Still had manual crank windows, cloth seats and open diff.
pigeon wrote:Ahh, the PEP - my '96 had that also. A/C and power steering were the "popular equipment" it added IIRC. Still had manual crank windows, cloth seats and open diff.
Mine too, but the PO added a Torsen.
pigeon wrote:Ahh, the PEP - my '96 had that also. A/C and power steering were the "popular equipment" it added IIRC. Still had manual crank windows, cloth seats and open diff.
But mine has power window which was not listed in the list I got from Mazda...the power window looks stock and there is no hole for the crank window on the inside door panel...I'll definitely try the half and half test...
