Finally Opened It Up and Stuck My DIC In

[MidwestMike]

Yep

I bought the DIC switch the day after getting my SSV. Had it hanging out of the trim as I played with all the cool new features.

I left it there as I searched for the mythical good-price on a piece of trim.

Finally gave up, figured my piece of trim is worth nothing anyways, if I screw it up I have to bite the bullet. The most amazing part is how simple it popped off. I just ran something along the top clips and next thing you know it was in my hands.

To build my confidence I first dremeled a hole in a CD case cover. Got some practice, and then ended up with a template.

I looked at the pictures and used those to measure. I saw that the length of the silver line between the buttons was the same distance between the switch and the line on the right edge. Also saw that the switch sits a bit lower than the vent control.

Looking at a factory one I should have opened it up around the edges a little more. But I also gave myself room in case I screwed up. Instead of the factory type cutting I could keep going and trim it out on the second shoulder if I needed to correct a bad cut.

Used my glue gun to mount the thing when I was done.

Not perfect, but better than having it hang out of the trim as it has been sitting for months.

Figured out the location



Rough template for practice

Install (could have went wider)


Plan B, if needed

 

[CobraKing]

Looks great bud plus you saved a ton of money. That trim piece is a little over $200 CDN.

Really wished they only offered the cutout piece as opposed to the entire damn part with the A/C vents.

 

[2011SSVHOE]

Really wished they only offered the cutout piece as opposed to the entire damn part with the A/C vents.

No shit, But why in the first place didn't GM install it at the factory? It's bad enough Cops hang out at the donut Shop , I guess they didn't want them playing with their DIC'S all day !!!

Sorry guys I had to. LOL

 

[2011SSVHOE]

Install (could have went wider)

Nice Install, I did mine the same way, take your time and it comes out well. why pay more.

 

[MidwestMike]

Pulling the trim piece off is what I was most hesitant about. Reading other threads of dash pieces being brittle, especially as they age. And this thing has a black interior so I figure it's been cooking for a while in there.

But that was so simple, never even touched the bottom clips. And for some reason I was even thinking it included the right vent too.

The DIC is useful, even for cops. What display on there would they not want them to have access to?

Some of the stuff they do on these SSV/PPVs is really hard to understand. Those dummy rear window switches had to cost within half a cent the cost of the real switches.
You think they would just leave a few wires off instead of designing, building, inventorying and installing a switch without contacts.

 

[2011SSVHOE]

Some of the stuff they do on these SSV/PPVs is really hard to understand. Those dummy rear window switches had to cost within half a cent the cost of the real switches.
You think they would just leave a few wires off instead of designing, building, inventorying and installing a switch without contacts.

leave the switches in but unplugged.

Tooling and engineering costs, just to dumb down a product is just plain stupid, no wonder GM needed a bailout.

The radio controls on the steering wheel, had to redesign that also just to remove a feature. Makes no sense

 

[Perro]

Looks good Mike and adding photos is great too.

 

[Polease]

thanks for the detail. where was your wire harness? was it already behind the trim panel? or below the dash?

 

[MidwestMike]

Right behind the panel, right where the switch goes.

Before I did anything I pried open the left side of the panel to check for the wire.
Then I ordered the switch and plugged it in to see if stuff worked.
Then I left the switch hang there for 3 months while I looked for the unicorn of a good-price on a trim piece. (It really did not bother me, it was hid by the steering wheel).

Then I finally gave in and cut it.

 

[Big English]

Looks good. Im trying to get a DIC switch now.