Well, I did check to see if I could still scroll through the DIC functions with the radio disconnected. No problems there. The DIC info gets displayed on the radio on some GM cars, but not ours, so I didn't expect it to be affected.
excellent news bro. Thanks for all of your efforts.
Thank you so much for posting these pics, I love to get a look at the inner workings of the dash and displays. You said that it would take some 'fiberglass work' to move things around, but from the look of the components everything would be 'do-able'.
Such a tight fit for the components, do you have a background in assembly or manufacturing? Where did you learn to do the disassembly?
Keep it up, and keep us posted on what you’re doing.
I've pretty much taken apart every toy I've gotten my hands on since I was strong enough to turn a screwdriver. I've sucessfully put them all back together as well... I'm pretty sure at least. I guess you could say I'm "mechanically inclined."
I also worked a few years as a "professional" stereo/alarm installer before I joined the AF... and I've tackled a few other "amateur" installs before and since that job.
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I've never met a Solstice I wouldn't autopsy.
'06 #101409 - Sold to move to Germany
'08 GXP #105359 - Bought and stored 10 months before I move back from Germany!
Nice job, 2KWK ... I've been hoping for somebody to get the time and motivation to dig in there for a while. At some point, I hope to replace the airbag light altogether as well ... possibly with some other switch panel or as you mentioned, a radar display. Did you see what holds it to the dash? Is it one or more screws or could you describe the way it's mounted as best you can? I just unplugged the light on mine as a temporary fix, but one of these days, I'm sure I'll be looking for a more permanent solution and am curious if it would be feasible to remove it from the instrument panel access area instead of pulling the dash. Any thoughts?
We're definitely on the same wavelength here ... that and the bright highbeam indicator bugged me too. I stopped short of pulling the tach/speedo needles too ... I'm thinking I may just custom fit a piece of dark tint over the plexi in front of that light for now. Let us know if you come up with anything else on that front.
Nice job, 2KWK ... I've been hoping for somebody to get the time and motivation to dig in there for a while. At some point, I hope to replace the airbag light altogether as well ... possibly with some other switch panel or as you mentioned, a radar display. Did you see what holds it to the dash? Is it one or more screws or could you describe the way it's mounted as best you can? I just unplugged the light on mine as a temporary fix, but one of these days, I'm sure I'll be looking for a more permanent solution and am curious if it would be feasible to remove it from the instrument panel access area instead of pulling the dash. Any thoughts?
We're definitely on the same wavelength here ... that and the bright highbeam indicator bugged me too. I stopped short of pulling the tach/speedo needles too ... I'm thinking I may just custom fit a piece of dark tint over the plexi in front of that light for now. Let us know if you come up with anything else on that front.
The first picture in this thread shows you exactly how the airbag status indicator is mounted. It's two little screws/bolts. You might be able to get them out without pulling the IP trim off. The heads are 7mm (or 9/32"). You can probably color directly over where the high beam indicator is on the surface of the plastic sheet that has the speedo, tach, etc faces printed on it. It's pretty easy to pull the plexiglass cover off of the gauge cluster. Might not even have to take the gauge cluster out to do it... but you WOULD have to remove the big IP trim piece.
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I've never met a Solstice I wouldn't autopsy.
'06 #101409 - Sold to move to Germany
'08 GXP #105359 - Bought and stored 10 months before I move back from Germany!
The first picture in this thread shows you exactly how the airbag status indicator is mounted. It's two little screws/bolts. You might be able to get them out without pulling the IP trim off. The heads are 7mm (or 9/32"). You can probably color directly over where the high beam indicator is on the surface of the plastic sheet that has the speedo, tach, etc faces printed on it. It's pretty easy to pull the plexiglass cover off of the gauge cluster. Might not even have to take the gauge cluster out to do it... but you WOULD have to remove the big IP trim piece.
Cool, thanks ... I missed that thread. I don't think it would be too big of a deal to pull that airbag light if it's just those two bolts. I didn't bother trying to actually take it out since I didn't have anything to replace it with anyway, but I was able to get my hand back there, so a ratchet should be able to get those suckers off. Knowing the size will help since I won't have to fumble with it blindly for multiple tries. Thanks for the info.
As for the highbeam indicator, I got to that through the instrument guage cluster without actually pulling the dash also ... I got the plexi off in addition to the small black spacer behind it and they can both come out through that same hole if you turn them right. But I don't want to actually darken anything permanently. I tried putting a small piece of tint directly over the indicator light, but the stuff I had didn't seem to help much, so I may try getting some limo black tint or something for it if I don't come up with something better.
Location: The avatar shows my motivation to work .... Work takes place in Houston, Republic of Texas .... Motivation takes place in CA, NV, UT, CO and similar locations.
with Fortimir! I have a need to know if my brights are on.
I also have a need to know if my gas is low (as most members have already heard) so make THAT light brighter and bigger and make the bell LOUDER and make the gas gauge bigger.
I also have a need to know when my turn signal indicator is on. Make the arrow lights brighter and make the clicker louder.
PLEASE!
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Her name is MariSOL
VIN 6Y101319, delivered 10/15/05. 69,991 miles.
I mean, seriously... my high-beam driving time probably consists of 0.01% of my total driving time.
Same here, but when I do have my high-beams on, it's usually because I'm on a very dark and desolate road where I'm driving kind of fast and want to be able to see as far ahead as possible ... which means I want my night-vision to be at its best. And when I have something bright shining in my eyes, it kills my peripheral vision at the edges of a dark road. Think of what you see walking into a room when you first turn out the lights versus the much improved view that you have once your eyes adjust to the darkness and your pupils dilate accordingly. That's the reason I usually dim my interior lights very low and it really helps me identify potential hazards just off the road much faster (thinking of animals and such that may dart out in front of me).
I also have a need to know when my turn signal indicator is on. Make the arrow lights brighter and make the clicker louder.
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Noooo! I was actually hoping they turned the volume down a bit on that damned clicker ... it kind of annoys me it seems so loud at low speeds and such.
But I guess I'm usually very attentive to such things as leaving blinkers on and dimming my high-beams ... any tiny little light on the dash seems to slap me in the face and draw my attention to it, so I don't like anything too bright/loud or it tends to annoy me. Hmm ... a volume adjust switch for the beeps/clicks might be nice so we could each suit our own taste.
I guess it's just because I am so young and my vision is still top notch. :-)
Nah ... that's not the problem ... I've got excellent vision, but it's just science that when you've got a light shining in your eyes, your pupils get smaller to allow less light in and that automatically reduces your ability to discern objects that are poorly lit. And no matter how good your vision is, that will have a negative impact on it. In fact, the effect will usually be even more pronounced on those with good vison than those who already start out with poor vision (relatively speaking, of course). Now if I were driving the speed limit, it probably wouldn't be that important, but when I'm going around 100 mph and starting to overdrive my headlights anyway, it becomes very important to have as much warning as possible about possible problems along the sides of the roads. Oh well ... not like it's that big of a deal, but it annoys me so I'll most likely try to find a solution that suits my taste.
with Fortimir! I have a need to know if my brights are on.
I was actually hoping they turned the volume down a bit on that damned clicker ... it kind of annoys me it seems so loud at low speeds and such.