Install was fairly easy but there were a few steps that I had to improvise a bit. Sorry about the picture quality but I'm an idiot and forgot to bring my camera home when I did the install so I had to resort to the camera phone. I'll replace them w/ decent pictures when I get a chance.
The install took me about 3 hours because of beer breaks and figuring out what to do, but it shouldn't take quite that long.
1.) Open the box. I didn't take a picture of what was in it but you can figure it out. There's a small metal bracket and a foam pad that came with the actual gauge and they won't be used.
2.) Open a beer. Repeat as necessary throughout the install.
3.) Remove the center vent. I used a feeler gauge to pry the vent away from the dash a little then popped it out using a flathead screwdriver. You can just use a flathead and pry at several spots along the bottom of the vent until it pops out (don't use too much force, it ends up coming out fairly easily). You may want to wrap a towel or cloth around the screwdriver so it doesn't scuff the dash.
4.) Once the vent is removed, unplug the power cable from the rear and remove the vent entirely.
5.) Next you'll need to remove the slats from the left side of the vent. Insert a flathead into the space shown and gently pry until the slat pops out. Repeat for each of the 6 slats and eventually they will all come free. Be gentle, you don't want to break the vent housing since I'm sure the stealership would charge a ton for a new one.
6.) Once the front slats are removed you'll have to remove the rear vertical slats. remove these the same way you removed the front slats.
7.) Next drill a hole in the bottom of the vent unit to pass the cables through. I chose a spot that is centered behind the gauge and far forward enough for the shutoff flap in the back of the vent to clear the wire.
I moved on to the engine bay at this point to get the stepper motor hooked up and feed the cables through.
8.) Find a vacuum hose that is suitable to tap into. I used the hose coming out of the intake manifold toward the front of the engine bay. You're given two hoses and a T-fitting in the kit, so you'll have to cut a short section of one of those to go from the intake manifold to the T.
9.) Connect the vacuum hose that was connected to the intake to the T fitting and connect a long section of hose to the 3rd end of the T.
10.) Mount the boost sensor to an area on the engine bay. I used the section straight back from where the T was fitted and simply drilled into the metal with a bit slightly smaller than the width of the screw.
11.) Run the hose from the T to the boost sensor and install the filter along this line.
12.) Next you'll need to run the wires from the boost sensor to the interior of the car. I ran the cables through the ECU housing and through to the interior. Remove the rain tray and ECU cover (there are 5 torx bolts holding down the ECU cover but I was able to get them out with a flathead).
13.) Remove the panel underneath the steering wheel. There are three bolts holding it on as shown, and the light will have to be disconnected if you want to completely remove it.
14.) Cut a small slit in the cable housing that runs into the ECU so you can run the sensor wires through.
15.) At this point you can shine a light through the back of the ECU compartment and see down to the pedals. I took a clothes hanger and threaded it through the slit in the cable housing and down behind the ECU so I could pull the wires down.
Once the wires are run into the cabin, you're done with the engine bay. You probably want to neaten everything up with some zip ties and make sure nothing is loose.
16.) You need to find a way to run the cable from the engine to the gauge so it won't be pinched by anything. I ran it through the eyes of the springs for the steering wheel. I figured they shouldn't get in the way there. From underneath the steering wheel you can look up and see the opening where the vent used to be. Run the cable up and pull enough slack through so the wire can stay there for a bit.
17.) Next splice the red/white/green/black extension cables into the cable coming from the back of the gauge.
18.) Run the rwgb cable back the same way the boost sensor cable went and toward the fuse box. At this point you need to tap into the appropriate wires. You can use t-taps, or be lazy like me and tap right into the fuses. Fuse numbers are for B6, I'm not sure if B7 is the same so double check.
-Red (12V switched): Fuse #7, ESP
-Green (12V constant): Fuse #39, Radio
-White (12V dimmer circuit): Remove the headlamp switch and tap into the gray wire with a blue stripe. To remove the switch, turn it to off, push in, turn to the right, and pull out.
-Black (Ground): Attach to the bolt as shown.
19.) Test the gauge to ensure operation, reinstall the panel below the steering wheel, pop the vent slats of the gauge into the vent housing, and reinstall the vent (be sure to plug in the power cable).
20.) Repeat step 2 many times, you deserve it.
Overall operation so far is flawless. It is very bright at night so I still need to add the included resistor in the 12V constant wire, but I have been lazy. The gauge matches the interior perfectly IMO and looks cool too. Thanks to Minh at CiM for all his help and quick shipping. This is my first DIY so please be gentle. If anything needs to be added or removed, or if there are any questions please let me know. I also have this in a .pdf if anyone wants it for printing out. Enjoy!
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Originally Posted by manguyen
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