Well I decided to install my metra kit today but for the most part ended up watching football all day. Anyhow, I went to put everything back in the car, and find that there is absolutely no room to fit everything. I ended up just disconnecting the axcess box and fitting my new HU back in as best as I could.

My question - Since none of the hvac things and hazard light are connected, will this affect anything? I understand they wont work, but having them disconnected like so, and driving the car will the features somehow become inoperative for some reason? Do they need to be hooked up?

Thanks for your time in reading,
Michael

 

Had to move my car, just going to assume that them not being connected will not hurt anything, will finish up in the near future when I have the time.

Anyone have tips how to fit everything back there, behind the radio?

 

its a squeeze it does fit i hope you cut the dash like they said it will not fit unless you do ... also it helps it you tuck it behind near the glovebox area that works better

 

Heyy, funny you say that, I installed mine yesterday while watching the games too! But yeh, if you squeeze it in the back right, theres like an open area.. also make sure that your putting it in flat, so that the bottom of the box is facing the engine.. not facing the ground/sky.. But yeh, it fits.. give it a nudge!

 

Thanks for the tips - Looks like your patriots crushed the titans. I have not cut the dash, must have missed that part.. did you have to cut it tamz?

 

Haha yeh, did well with the snow I guess. But yeh, I did end up cutting the dash in several places to be honest. I was installing a 7" screen, so it was a bit bigger than the regular double-din standard size. I ended up filing down the tops of the A/C ***** (from inside offcourse, nothing visible when its closed up) and I also had to cut the corners where the brackets mount. The two little hinges where the screws go that hold in the new HU in place. If you dont cut those, you wont be able to slide in your new HU. But yeh, dont be afraid to go at your dash.. If it looks like itll do the trick, and itll fix ur problem, then do it. Its not very easy to render a whole dashboard useless with an exacto knife!

 

Did you get the double din or the single din version? If just the single din, you shouldn't have to cut anything (I didn't). I also took the cover off of the Axxess box and taped it up to protect the internals and actually taped it to the bottom of the pocket. slid right in with no problems. I also didn't have the extensions, so I was definitely limited there.

 

I have the double din version. I was able to put it in as best as possible yesterday, and it still sticks out pretty good and looks like ****. I also took apart the axxcess box and electrical taped it for more clearance. Looks like i have to do even more cutting... also I lost my a/c heater temp controls, the AC button no longer lights up (no A/C, all heat, I see there is a diy to fix this), and the lights to light up the assembly at night don't work. So as you can tell, this is working out great. I'm crossing my fingers that there are [multiple] pinched wires back there, since well its nothing short of a clusterfuck.

 

Hey Mike,
Sounds like its pretty rough on your end.. Can you take a few pictures? Clear ones? Maybe I can see something that doesnt fit in?

 

Appreciate your feedback. I should be able to get back to it tomorrow evening. I lost functions of pretty much everything today, pulled the kit out a tiny bit with my fingers and some things came back. Gotta be pinched wires/smooshed axxcess box affecting some of this. I will try and take pics tomorrow.

Thanks again,
Michael

 

yea probably some disconnected wires just be careful when you do it again the install is prety straightforward if you cut enough of the dash out!

 

The best part is that I don't even have my rca's hooked up or the tr7 video bypass for my 7" screen. So basically I have more crap to put back there and I can't even fit it there now! I'll look back at this one day and laugh.

 

Umm, if I may ask, what EXACTLY are you putting in there?

 

Its an alpine w505 7" touchscreen. After reading the metra thread, there is a another member that uses the same head unit, sounds like he had a fun time with it like me, but it will fit. Should be able to get back to it after work tonight!

 

Some good news on my end, got it fit in there snugly right now. Given I don't have the head unit harness connected, just the axxcess box. I have A/C again, accomplished by overturning the temp dial (DIY heater control fix will be necessary I feel).. Couple more things I need to figure out:

When I turn my headlights on - the lights in the temperature control panel telling you which defrost is on/AC is on/etc, dim so that you can hardly see them. If I turn off the headlights they go back to normal brightness.

Temperature control panel lighting does not light up at all anymore.

I plan on doing the DIY for the temp control, but need to figure out how to fix the lighting on there. I can't see anything at night.. Wondering if I should just buy a whole new temp control panel.

Well, thats where I am right now.

Michael

 

Sounds pretty intense bro. I dont know how else to help you. I CAN tell you that my dealer tried charging me 724$ for a climate control unit, that I found for 100$ right here.

http://www.partsgroup.com/store.aspx...ctrical&Page=0
(site only works in IE for me)

If you DO decide to get a new one, thats the best deal I could find online! Hopefully it'd spare you some time looking around. You might wanna make sure its the actual unit tho, and not some wires along the way that are getting pinched..

 

Hows it going on your end buddy?

 

No real changes right now... I actually just took my car in to get the hood and roof painted, so its probably going to be down and out for the rest of the week. Hope to have it back so I can do some more work on it Sunday.

I did notice that my defrost was working and the lights were illuminated, but I couldn't switch from defrost to directing to the feet, head, both, etc. So gonna have to look into that when I get it back. Weird since it was working perfectly a couple days ago and I hadn't messed with it. I would like to get this all situated before it gets really cold out/starts snowing.

I will update as it comes along.

Michael

 

Alright cool, good luck!