ScottA
09-12-2008, 08:10 PM
The Scan Gauge is such a great little tool that I decided to make mine built in. If you get a replacement radio bezel this is completely reversable too. Being the chicken that I am about cutting up my Miata , I first bought a 2nd hand radio bezel on E-Bay and did all my hacking on that one and saved the original away. Believe it or not I got it right on the first one. It really is not that hard to do. Just take your time with the file.
To remove the radio bezel you must first loosen the center console to get at the 2 screws on the bottom edge of the bezel that are hidden.Once these are removed it can be pull straight back and out. Remember the one screw that is hidden under the power window switch's. To get at that screw, you must remove the power window switch by sliding a credit card under the front or back edges of it, to depress the plastic retaing clips.Pop it out and you will see this screw hidden under it. . Remove the wiring from the cig lighter and pop out the airbag switch. I left my airbag switch turned on and wrap it with some padding to keep it from rattling and stuck it back under the dash out of the way.
Now is the time to go slow and easy. I took a flat file and just opened the hole, that was made for the Air Bag Switch, working on the passenger side first.Then the top and bottom. Stop often and check fittment.:
You will notice on the side corners of the Scan Gauge there are small relief holes on all 4 corners. Keep this in mind as you file material away. If you leave a small protrution in the plastic on these areas of the bezel ,they will engage and hold the Scan gauge at these pionts. Check your fit often as you make progress and stop when it becomes a firm fit. When it finally fits in place you will have a small cruved gap on the drivers side of the Scan Gauge and the radio bezel. You will have to search thru your junk pile to find some color matching piece of plastic that you can whittle to fit. I used a piece from my old Sears shop vac nozzle . I just use a dap of the Ultra Black silicone to hold it in place. Reassemble the car in the oppisite manner that you disassembled it in.:cheers2:
If you want to be able to close your fuse box lid with the Scan Gauge pluged in to the OBDII port . You can depress the sides of the OBDII port and push it out of the retainer bracket. Then plug it into the Scan Gauge cord and zip tie it up under your dash in convenient place.
To remove the radio bezel you must first loosen the center console to get at the 2 screws on the bottom edge of the bezel that are hidden.Once these are removed it can be pull straight back and out. Remember the one screw that is hidden under the power window switch's. To get at that screw, you must remove the power window switch by sliding a credit card under the front or back edges of it, to depress the plastic retaing clips.Pop it out and you will see this screw hidden under it. . Remove the wiring from the cig lighter and pop out the airbag switch. I left my airbag switch turned on and wrap it with some padding to keep it from rattling and stuck it back under the dash out of the way.
Now is the time to go slow and easy. I took a flat file and just opened the hole, that was made for the Air Bag Switch, working on the passenger side first.Then the top and bottom. Stop often and check fittment.:
You will notice on the side corners of the Scan Gauge there are small relief holes on all 4 corners. Keep this in mind as you file material away. If you leave a small protrution in the plastic on these areas of the bezel ,they will engage and hold the Scan gauge at these pionts. Check your fit often as you make progress and stop when it becomes a firm fit. When it finally fits in place you will have a small cruved gap on the drivers side of the Scan Gauge and the radio bezel. You will have to search thru your junk pile to find some color matching piece of plastic that you can whittle to fit. I used a piece from my old Sears shop vac nozzle . I just use a dap of the Ultra Black silicone to hold it in place. Reassemble the car in the oppisite manner that you disassembled it in.:cheers2:
If you want to be able to close your fuse box lid with the Scan Gauge pluged in to the OBDII port . You can depress the sides of the OBDII port and push it out of the retainer bracket. Then plug it into the Scan Gauge cord and zip tie it up under your dash in convenient place.