Practicality of Mazda 3 BM active grille shutter retrofit (OEM)
 

So, I just got myself a low mileage mazda 3 BM SP25 hatch, which I'm quite pleased with so far. However, looking over the various features it doesn't have the active grille shutter system, and so far as I can tell it wasn't ever offered on the Australian models - at least, there's no mention of it anywhere in the marketing material that I could find.

I can get the actual device (shipped from the US) relatively cheaply (about $130 USD), but I'm unsure how easy it would be to set up. I'm not even sure the mounting holes will be there, the car (almost) certainly won't have the wiring for it, and I imagine the ECU would have to be programmed to recognise / use it. I'm thinking it may be more practical with semi manual control (i.e. opening or closing seasonally or with the weather) rather than trying to get it working automatically.

Has anyone retrofitted one of these to a car that didn't come with it, who could offer some advice / insight into the idea?

I didn't even know Mazda3 offered such a device. I live in a hot climate near the Gulf Coast of the US, so I wouldn't be interested in one anyway. In fact, I put louvers in the hood of my Mazda3 to let out some of the heat developed from my catalytic converters. I think the venting helps keep my battery alive a bit longer.

Good luck with your search.

Thanks :D

It's for a similar reason I'm not keen on a fixed grille block, and would rather have louvers - I'm in Australia and summer temperatures will hit 45C (113F) most years, sometimes as much as 48C (118F), if only for a few brief spells each year. On the other hand, during winter, daytime temperatures will hover around 15-20C (about 60-70F) for a few months, and my commute is mostly highway driving, so it really doesn't need the full intake area all the time.