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Aftermarket solid antennae have a nasty habit of breaking the threads off the antenna base when pressure is applied to them (for instance, you strike the antenna while clearing snow off the car or washing it). The flexible base of the stock antenna minimizes this risk, and this is truly a hack: One of the cheapest things you can do as far as exterior styling is concerned.
Finished product:
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Taking Apart the Gauge1) Take out the three Philips Screws holding the dash bezel in
2) Remove the connector for the Trunk/Hatch Release Button3) Remove the four small bolts holding the cluster into the dash
4) Using a small screwdriver, pry black lever open to release the cluster from the electrical connector.5) Remove the cluster from the Dash
6) Pop open all four tabs to release the lens from the gauges7) Using a TORX Screwdriver, undo the three TORX screws holding the gauges in the cluster.
8) Pull the gauge face firmly out of the cluster. You'll see some light bulbs and the LCD Display left in the cluster.9) Using the small screwdriver, very carefully pry the black bezel off that surrounds the Raised LCD Odometer.
10) Pull the top of the LCD forward to expose the material on the back of the Display.11) With a fingernail or small screwdriver, peel the green tint off the back of the LCD. Keep the Green Tint, Move the Gauge components aside.
Gutting the LimeLight for it's Electroluminescent Film And Putting stuff Back Together!1) Take the LimeLight in your hand.
3) Remove the EL Film from inside the Light
5) Wrap the wires around each metal tab and secure them with electrical tape or optionally solder. Make sure these wires do not touch each other and that they're very secure. 6) You may want to cut the plastic tabs that are on the top behind the LCD because they'll get in the way of our new electroluminescent material. Then, place the new material behind the LCD just like the old piece was. Secure it to the top of the plastic housing with electrical tape so it is out of the way of the connection for the Tach.
8)Secure the loose wire inside the cluster with tape so it does not move all over the place! We'll connect it to power in a bit.
9) Insert the gauges back into the cluster, making sure the odometer backlight wires stick out the top of the cluster.
11) Notice I taped the old green filter to the back of the cluster just in case I want to un-do this Hack. I secured all excess wire to the back of the cluster too.
13) Put the three TORX Screws back in the Gauge face.
14) Snap the lens back onto the cluster.15) Secure the cluster in the dash with the four small bolts.
16) Re-Install the dash bezel. Remember to hook up the trunk/hatch release connector!!!Enjoy!
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I have gotten a lot of comments on the blue LED's in my air vents, so I figured I should write up a how-to. This is very simple as long as you know how to crimp wires and drill holes. In less than 10 easy steps, you will be shining bright.
Note: These Installation notes are provided as-is and were written from memory 3 Months after the installation of me helping install SoundQ's Wings West Avenger Kit. I Can't guarantee this is all totally correct, but I can guarantee that reading this will prepare you to do the installation of almost any body kit that replaces the side skirts and bumpers. No Guarantee can be made for anything. This includes document accuracy, fitment issues, or for body kits involving flared fenders or other parts not mentioned here. Materials Needed: Primered/Painted/Finished Body Kit Side Skirts and Bumpers Socket Set (Ratchet, Extender Rods, Full Metric Socket Set) Screwdriver Set (Screwdriver with bits helps) Standard Bit Philips Bit Torx Bits (15 and 30 Mostly) Power Drill and Bits OPTIONAL: Floor Jack, jack stands & wheel chocks Electrical Crimp Tool and Crimp-On Connectors Tape Measure and/or Measuring Calipers Black Paint, Masking Tape, and newspaper Wax Marking Pencil Time Needed: A Whole Afternoon would be niceProcedure: Front Bumper Body Kit Pop The Hood on the car Take out the plastic "Screw" connectors holding the upper grill cover (over the turn signal lights) Take out the four bolts holding the upper grill Go under the car (use floor jack if needed, observe safety when working under a raised vehicle. Always Chock wheels and use jack stands!), remove the electrical connections to the fog lamps and turn signals, un-clip the air dam under the radiator, and remove the three bolts under each head lamp holding the front bumper cover on. Remove the front Bumper Cover Put a bit in the drill and drill out all of the rivets holding the foam impact absorber block from the front frame of the car and remove the foam piece. If you are going to paint the body-colored metal frame that sits behind your front bumper, you should probably do it now. Mask off all parts of your car that are not going to get painted (especially fenders and radiator), and paint the frame black so that it's harder to see it through the new holes in the body kit. (I.E. Wings West Avenger Kit) Let it dry while you work on getting the new bumper cover ready to install. Line up the new Bumper Cover next to the Old one. You'll need to drill mounting holes in the same location as they are on the old bumper cover. If installing lights or other accessories on the body kit, take the time to do it right. Measure distances and mark your drilling points with a wax marker to make sure you have it symmetrical. Wings West Avenger doesn't come with any corner turn signals, so drilling holes and installing a new set is typically a must for street-legal cars. If also painting the frame of the car, give it about 30 minutes to dry if you haven't spent that much time prepping the bumper cover. (go get something to drink and eat :) When ready, Test fit the front bumper cover. If all looks good, re-install the 3 bolts under the headlamps on each side. If needed, install any mounting brackets meant to hold the bottom of the front bumper securely. On the Avenger Kit there are two metal bars that screw into the frame under the radiator. Drill pilot holes in the frame and attach the metal bars with the provided screws. Align the metal bars with the front part of the bodykit and drill pilot holes. Attach the bars fully with provided screws. Attach any wires needed for turn signals or aftermarkt fog lights. You will probably need to use a crimp tool and terminating connectors to do this. Secure and seal any un-used wires (wrap them in electrical tape if needed. The avenger it comes with no way to install OEM Fog lights) Re-Install the upper grill using the four bolts. Re-Install the Upper grill cover with the plastic connectors. Rear Bumper Body Kit Pop the Hatchback open and remove the connectors from the top of the bumper cover. Optional Step: Using a Floor Jack, raise both sides of the car in the back, supporting both sides with jack stands, and remove the rear wheels. We didn't do this, but retrospectively we probably should have. Using Torx Bits, remove the inner rear wheel well lining. Get behind the rear wheel well and loosen the bolts holding the bumper brackets on. They're pretty difficult to find and remove. Be Patient. To the same to the other side. Remove the rear bumper cover by pulling the cover outward from the part nearest the wheel on both sides. Once removed, take off the 2 black mounting brackets from the bumper cover. We'll need them later. If you are going to paint the body-colored metal frame that sits behind your rear bumper, you should probably do it now. Mask off all parts of your car that are not going to get painted (Fenders, Exhaust, and hatch) and paint the frame black so that it's harder to see it through the new holes in the body kit. Let it dry while you work on getting the new bumper cover ready to install. Line up the new Bumper Cover next to the Old one. You'll need to drill mounting holes in the same location as they are on the old bumper cover, and tweak the cover sufficiently to install the black plastic mounting brackets from the old bumper onto the new one. If also painting the frame of the car, give it about 30 minutes to dry if you haven't spent that much time prepping the bumper cover. Remove masking material and tape if you painted the frame. When ready, Test fit the rear bumper cover. Start with just the plastic snap-on connectors on the top of the bumper. Snap the side mounting brackets into place to test for fitment. There's a good chance you'll have to work on the top of the rear bumper and where it meets the side body panels to get good fitment. Once it looks good, put all the connectors back in, and fasten the brackets on. Replace the rear wheel well lining, and if you removed the wheels, replace them. Lower the car if raised. Side Skirts Pull the front plastic piece of the side skirt off with your hands. Find the TORX head screw behind it, and loosen it. Do the same for the screw near the rear wheel. Pull the side skirt firmly down and away from the body to pull the snap connectors out. If any plastic snap connectors remain on the car, remove them carefully with hand tools. Perform Thorough cleaning of the car's surface under the side skirts. Test fit the aftermarket side skirts, making sure door clearance and fitment is satisfactory. Use 3M Adhesive Promoter (Ships with most side skirts, but available at auto body shop supply stores) on the areas that will meet with the 3M Double-Sided Mounting Foam on the side skirts. Let it sit for 5 minutes before beginning final skirt placement. Remove the protective Film from the double-sided mounting foam on the side skirt. Carefully line up the skirt without allowing mounting foam to touch the car body. When it is lined up correctly, press the skirt firmly against the car, applying pressure along the whole length of it. If needed, drill pilot holes and install any mounting hardware that came with the side skirts. the WW Avenger kit has a bracket for the back part of the side skirt to reinforce the large vent-like rear part that flares out. Other kits may or may not have this. Again, make sure for final fitment that all mounting tape is securely attached to the body of the car. Enjoy the new look, and watch for big bumps!
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Let's start with the basics. What is Microfiber? Well, unlike what most people believe MF (short for Microfiber) is a process rather than a material. It's a process that takes ordinary material like polyester, and weaves it into fibers so small that a single strand is a 100 times finer than a human hair. The advantage to such a process is that the material that results is much softer than the original. Also, several materials can be woven together to take advantage of specific properties they may poses. An example would by polyester, and polymide, which are the two most common materials, found in a MF towel. Polyester is used for its ability to be split and hold dirt, while polymide is used for its absorbency. Other materials that are often woven into MF are cotton, nylon, and even silk. Another key term used when describing MF is whether or not the material has been "split". Splitting refers to the actual process used to split the fibers that make up a MF towel. When split, the fibers are better at removing contaminants from the surface, and pulling them into the material away from the finish.What is the advantage of Microfiber? Well, a few of the many advantages are greater absorbency, reduced risk of scratching, and greater cleaning ability. The truth is a MF towel will beat a 100% terry cloth towel every time in the above categories if they are of equal quality.
What makes a good Microfiber towel? A good MF towel is a mixture of many things, but perhaps the most important is weave style. Different weaves are used for different applications. The best example of this is waffle weave drying towels. It was discovered that a waffle type weave was better at removing water from the surface because of the suction effect created by the weave as it moves across the surface. Other examples include coarse weaves for wax and polish removal, and softer thicker weaves for quick detail use. Another key element in a good MF towel is the material that is used, and the percentages of them. The most common materials are polyester and polymide. Depending on the towels use, these materials will be varied in percentage. Usually the percentage is 80-20 polyester to polymide. However, natural fibers like cotton are also used. These towels while softer and more scratch resistant usually don't have the "bite", or cleaning power of synthetic blends. This again emphasizes that certain towels are for certain jobs. Perhaps the final key element that makes a good MF towel is the seams. The seams of a towel are the most dangerous areas as they can easily scratch the surface. There are several ways manufacturers go about seaming their towels. There are seams where a material such as silk is sewn around the edges. This is nice as it limits the chance of fraying, but the thread used to sew the silk on the edge can scratch a vehicles finish. Another type of edging used is hot cutting. A hot blade is used to melt the edges together. This is also good as it limits fraying however once again the melted material can scratch the paint. The third type of edging is actually no edge at all. Often called edgeless towels these towels employ some sort of reverse sewing that keeps the wave together. This is most scratch resistant, but depending on the mfg they may be more prone to fraying with continued use.
Do you really need Microfiber? The simple truth is MF has proven to be safer on painted surfaces than 100% cotton. However, it really comes down to the person. Many people still feel uncomfortable using synthetic materials like polyester on their paint, while others don't want to go out and buy all new towels. Eventually though, MF will take the crown for detailing towel of choice.
Where can you get Microfiber towels? You can get MF at almost all auto parts stores and warehouse stores around, whether or not they will be of acceptable quality is another story. For now, the Internet is the best source of MF around…and the only place to get the best towels. However, recently large detailing supply companies like Meguiars have started offering a line of MF. In fact, the majority of the Megs MF offerings are very nice for their price and availability. Companies like Zwipes also sell decent Microfiber products.
Here are some quality MF vendors on the internet- (special note: Many of these sites also have great info about Microfiber if you wish to read more.)
Thanks, Pzev!
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This is a little time consuming, but patience is rewarded here. There are two ways to do this, the "quick way", and the "less quick way". The less quick way requires you to remove all the wheels to be thorough. The quick way keeps the wheels on, but you may not be able to cover as much as with the wheels off. Either method will make the wheel wells look much better in any case. The only difference is how picky you are and your access to other tools such as lug wrench (which you should have anyway), and access to a good lift (so you can forgoe all the running around).This covers the quick way.
1. First, you need to rinse out the loose dirt in the wheel wells. Starting with the fronts, simply lock the steering wheel in one direction or the other. If I am starting on the driver side, I start with the steering to the left, and on the passenger side, lock to the right. Lock the wheel to the other side if you need more clearance.
2. Spray into the well at full blast from the hose to lossen up any mud or dirt. While you're at it, might as well do the struts and springs If you have a UDP installed and did not replace the shield, be gentle with the spray in that area, or rinse by hand. Also, if you do rinse off the struts and springs, be careful where you aim the water. Reason for this is to prevent any excess water from getting on the strut rod if there is no cover for it. The rod is meant to be lubricated with oil, but to be on the safe side, don't aim at the exposed rod. Rinse around that area by hand if need be.
3. Spray on your all purpose cleaner. If using dawn, just mix up some in the bucket with water as hot as you can get. Use one of the foam toilet brushes to scrub off the stuck on grime. If you need to to really remove the tougher stuff, get in there with your gloves and the sponge w/ scuff side. If you're doing the springs and struts as well, only use the sponge side, as the scuff side will scratch up the painted surfaces.
4. Rinse again with the hose, and in the second bucket, mix up some Mop N Glo with water. The intensity of the mixture will depend on how much shine you want in the well; for less shine, use less Mop n Glo, and for more shine, use more Mop N Glo. For maximum shine, don't even bother with the water, just use Mop N Glo full strength. Dip the toilet brush or sponge into the mixture, and squeeze off some of the excess. Apply the mixture to the wells until every bit of the well is covered in the mixture. Let the front sides set, and then go to the back.
5. Raise and support the rear of the car. Lift the rear up just enough to give you some room to work with, and just follow all the previous steps. If you do not have a jack, or you're a bit squeamish about working with the car raised, then you'll need to just work with sponges, toilet brushes, or a combination of the two.
6. Once all wells have been treated, you can go back to the fronts and inspect the work. The wells should have a glossy look to them. If you are not happy, you can re-apply another coat of Mop N Glo, and allow to dry.
7.Once the mixture is fuly dried (which should take about 10-15 mins depending on how much you used), your wells will be much easier to hose out clean, while leaving a nice glossy finish. You can repeat this step every 3-4 weeks, to insure the wells remain clean looking.
(Submitted by usdm from the Focaljet.com discussion forums)
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Simply rub the eraser over the areas where the wax residue is present. Only use the eraser on plastic trim. Don't rub it on painted surfaces, as it could leave rub marks. You can also try using products such as Mother's Back To Black, however, these often don't work to permanently remove the excess wax, they just mask it for a while.Tools Needed:
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Mad Props: LuvMyFoci for having a Cervini Hood, and FocusZoomin, for discussing with me about the details of how her hood got installed. Tools Needed: Socket Set Torx Bits and Screwdriver Set Power Drill and Bits: Optional Time Needed: Depends, but you can have it done in 15-30 Minutes if you don't want windshield Washer Nozzles. Procedure: Prop your hood open. Remove the hood Latch Loop from the underside front of the hood. Detach the windshild wiper fluid line from the hood. If replacing wiper fluid nozzles, Go to the steps at the bottom before continuing with the installation. Un-Bolt the two bolts on each side of the hood holding it to the hinges. Remove hood. If installing hood pins, it's still a good idea to leave the stock latching mechanism intact, but it is not required. It is a good safety measure to keep snoops from opening your hood and stealing your Cold Air Intake and plug wires. :) Attach hood latch loop to underside of aftermarket hood. If needed, drill pilot holes. Be careful to place this exactly in the right spot or else your hood will be dangerous (it could not latch properly and flip backwards while driving, blocking your view, and potentially injuring you and damaging the car at the same time!). If mis-aligned, it can also cause bowing and un-due stress on the hood and latch. If needed, Drill Pilot holes in the new hood for the hinges. Again, make sure the holes are in the correct location if you must drill them yourself. Attach hood to hinges Use the hood prop and/or a friend to help hold and line up the hood. Re-attach the hinge bolts. Carefully lower the hood and make a quick visual check that it will not hit anything in the engine compartment, and that the latch is properly engaged. If installing hood pins, find a suitable mounting point on the frame of the car. Drill pilot holes for mounting the pins, and install pins with supplied hardware. Carefully lower the hood and mark where you need to drill holes for the hood-pin pass-through. Carefully drill the holes, and place the anti-scuff protector washers on the hood surface. (they're usually self-adhesive). Lower the hood through the pins and latch hood in place. Install hood pin retainer clips. * Steps for re-installing OEM Washer Nozzles: Remove washer nozzles carefully from the Original hood, or acquire new washer nozzles (OEM or Aftermarket). Option 1: On the hood (Original Placement) Carefully mark and drill new holes in the new hood for the nozzles. Place the nozzles on the new hood Attach mounting hardware to hold nozzles in place. Re-attach washer fluid hoses. Continue with hood mounting. Option 2: Under the hood Place nozzles under the hood at a location where they can spray the windshileld. Mount with custom hardware or drill holes in the plastic vent dam in front of windshileld. Attach Washer Fluid Hoses. Continue with hood mounting.
2. Open fuse box and locate R13 according to the map on the fuse box cover
3. Pry, pull, or otherwise remove Relay #R13 from it's socket. It is in there tight but it comes out!
4. Cut a length of wire about 2 inches long. Strip the ends and crimp a spade lug to each end.
5. Push the lugs in to connect the two parallel sockets (not the 3 parallel ones).
6. ALL DONE! This modification might cause you to fail inspection if they check to see that fog lights are only on with your low beams and at no other time. I keep the relay in my glove box just in case.
:)
Tools Needed: Screwdriver Set with TORX Bits very short phillips screwdriver 7mm socket Electrical Tape double sided tape (optional) cleaning agent for the gauges (optional but highly recommended) any associated wiring terminators (I used an eye for the ground) Fuse puller (if you tap in at the fuses) Time Required: 30 minutes to 1 hour Procedure: 1) Remove the three Philips screws in the upper part of the sweeping dash. Pull it loose. 2) Pull the wire harness off of the trunk release button behind the dash insert. 3) Disconnect the rubber top of the steering column cover from the dash insert. Put the dash insert in the back seat. 4) use a 7mm hex bolt driver to remove the 4 bolts on the top and bottom corners of the gauge unit 5) pull the gauge unit out far enough to locate the snap tabs on top and bottom that hold the clear & black gauge front to the white gauge back. 6) Use a flathead screwdriver or your claws (fingernails) to pull the four tabs open. Remove the front (black & clear) of the gauge unit. 7) I had better luck installing the gauge face after pulling the gauges out of the white housing, so I could work with it and not have to disconnect the wire harness from the gauges. Locate the 3 TORX (Star-shaped) screws on the front of the gauges, and un-do them, and pull up on the black gauge face. You will not damage anything this way. 8) I pulled out the "pegs" that limit the sweep of the tach and speedo to aid in gauge face instertion. 9) Use electrical tape to cover the exposed thin wiring going to the face insert. 10) Slip the face over the needles. Line 'em up and you won't have to dissect your gauges. A little force is mandatory to get it to all line up right. Hold the face up to the light to line up things like the upshift arrow. 11) Use some electrical or masking tape VERY SPARINGLY around the edges. There is very little clearance after youput the black and clear cover on. Hold it up to the cover to check. This tape will keep it lined up the way you want it. You may also use double-sided tape under the overlays to help hold them firmly down against the original cluster. 12) pull up on all four needles just a bit. use gentle but firm force. none of the needles came off the spindle. I pulled all mine up about a millimeter (thickness of a penny) to clear the thicker gauge face. You'll thank me for this step, and if you pull a needle off the spindle, you never read this step. :) You'll have to use the Instrument Cluster test mode to get your car idling and install your needle at the RPM shown on the digital readout. Then you'll have to drive at 20MPH while placing the needle on to point at 20MPH. Not fun. 13) move the electrical-tape-coated ribbon wire out of the way, and plug the face plate back into the lighted white casing, and replace the three TORX screws. Replace the "pegs" for the tach and speedometer. flip the needles to the original positions (0 MPH and 0 RPM) They're magnetic, so they can spin around and around and around all day long with no adverse affect. 14) start the engine. I know that it's not put together yet. 15) Play with the needles. Rev it. Drive around. Make sure the needles aren't sticking or dragging on the new face. If they do, pull 'em up a bit more. Make sure they're calibrated (see other postings) if you wish. Maybe make sure your upshift light is lined up still? 16) Snap the front cover back on. Make sure all 4 snap connectors engage. Examine the face for showing tape and anything strange. If everything looks good, snap it together. 17a) For setting the indiglo's up to operate with only the provided brighness control: tap the positive wire of the transformer into #47. use a fuse piggyback, or just pull the fuse out, and jam it in while pushing the fuse into position. 17b) For Wiring it to dim with your stock dimmer control AND the one provided with the set: Reach up inside the fuse panel and remove the wire harness from the back of the headlight switch. Find the wire that's Orange with a blue stripe (not black) and splice the red wire to this orange/blue one. 18) I grounded the black transformer wire to a screw I saw next to the fuse box. 19) I mounted the indiglo controls to the "flap" thing under the fusebox access panel. 20) Fish that pesky indiglo wire out and plug it into the farthest plug on the transformer. 21) wrap up excess wire and hold it out of the way with zip ties or something. 22) turn on headlights. Make sure indiglo works. Helpful to pull under a tree or into a garage. Change the color & brightness. 23) If they don't work, your set is defective or you didn't follow my instructions, or these instructions are wrong. 24) if they work, put the 4 seven-millimeter bolts back in the four corners of the gauge assembly taking care tomove the indiglo wires out of the way. Short Circuits - BAD! 25) Get the dash insert out of the back seat and get it close to position. 26) tuck the rubber part of the steering column under it 27) attach the wire harness for the trunk release 28) snap the dash insert firmly into place and put in the 3 screws to hold it in. 29) Wait till dark and have fun!
