Try and get your fingers under the trim panel above the ashtray. Pull firmly, you shouldn't be able to damage anything.

I put a whole system in my RS this weekend and this was the easiest part. The hardest part, surprisingly was putting speakers in the back.

 

thanks for the write-up! had planned to do this swap this weekend. one quick question...what's the "radio relocation" kit that the dealers are selling for $74? i've read elsewhere that it's necessary when moving the radio to the lower din. is this just necessary if you don't have the stock gauge kit installed?

thanks again!

 

Great write up, I followed it exactly and took me about 40 mins to do. The only part that slowed me down was the under panel that was holding the gauges, took a little bit more strength to pop it out than I expected. Clips were "lock tite" tight!!!

 

So no radio relocating kit required,right?just got an MR and that's the only thing that bugs me about it,oh and the clock/radio/gauges lighting doesn't match w/speedo. ?..thanks!

 

There's always this:

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=98158

Too ambitious for me at the moment.

 

Decent how-to but I give it a C+ because it's incomplete...

Does the gauge cluster panel need to be fed in through the back, or can it be angled in from the front? Also, where are we supposed to hook up the black ground wire?

 

Disconnect the gauges wiring and pressure line. Swap the harnesses positions. I swapped the voltimeter and boost gauges position on the panel. Reattach the wiring and pressure line. Installing an aftermarket stereo harness on an RS is only hard because you may have a lot of extra wiring. Go ahead and trim the aftermarket harness aggressively, there will be plenty of length left.

Congrats on the new RS.

 

Thanks! I got it in there now.

 

I am going to attempt this in about 5-6 hours on my '05 RS. I keep reading that in order to hold the gauge panel in the radio's location you will need the 4 screws that hold the radio in place. Is this true? Since I have a RS, I have no radio. Does the RS come with these 4 screws for the radio already in place? I dont want to attempt this only to find out once I have it all torn apart that I will need 4 screws that my RS didnt come with! How did you guys with an RS do it?

Thanks!
-Russell

 

Holding the sports gauge in the top dim is easy. Once you get in there you'll see what I mean. All the hardware for the swap comes with the car. I did it all in about 20 minutes on my '05 RS. However, if you want to install a head unit in the bottom dim I'd recommend a proffesional install. I messed around for a couple hours trying to do it...scratched my console a couple times ...then just finally said fuggit. I took it to Good Guys and they swapped the sports gauge back to the bottom dim and put the new head unit up top. I can't read boost in "BAR" anyways...lol...so I'm OK w/it.

 

They were there on mine. They hold the spacers out for the gauge pack as I recall. The only fasteners I needed I got from the install kit from my new HU.

Scott

 

No I actually want to reuse the factory radio delete panel on the bottom. I have no interest in installing a radio, I just want to swap the gauges with the plate that covers the radios hole. So youre saying the 4 screws that hold the radio in place are already there behind where the radio should be? I want to be able to do this on the first try, without running to the hardware store looking for a couple little screws, I hate that especially on a Saturday!
Thanks
-Russell

 

I don't know if the radio delete fits there or not. You use a couple of shorter screws on the top gauge faceplate.

 

i second that, i would like to know if it fits as well, sounds like you and i have the same idea.

 

I just tried to do this, but gave up after not being able to remove the plastic piece that surrounds the gauge cluster. How in the hell are you guys removing that? I tried for almost an hour! Do you pull straight out (towards the rear of the car) or what? I just couldnt seem to get a good enough grip on it. I am sure if I could remove that, the rest would be easy. I also tried to reomve the center (fan) knob in the HVAC controls but couldnt. Does this knob have to be counter clockwise also? Or does it come out with the HVAC surround piece?

For anyone wondering, (Crimson Shadow) I found an EBAY auction for a 2005 RS and one of the pictures shows the gauges swapped with the radio cover. You can see what I mean here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...ayphotohosting It seems that the owner made the radio face plate fit the gauge hole, so I guess it can be done!

-Russell