101 Corvette Projects » Corvette Electrical

How to Program your Corvette Car2u or Homelink Garage Door Opener

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:26:58 +0000

I know it seems simple, but you would be surprised how many times we get this question…"How do you program your Car2u or Homelink Corvette visor garage door openers?". Really simple follow the steps below and you will be done in 30 seconds flat.

First we will show you how to do the Car2U Corvette Garage door opener (Corvette produced after 2006 have this system).

Programming a Rolling Code Garage Door Opener (Majority of units sold after 1996)

1 Press the outer two Universal Home Remote (UHR) buttons simultaneously and release them after they both light up.

2 Place you garage door opener into "learn" mode by pressing the small colored button on the back of the opener in the garage. This may require the use of a ladder; follow all safety precautions.

3 The LED on the garage door opener will go on immediately.

4 Press and hold the button on the Car2U Visor buttons that you want to use for operation of the garage door opener.

5 Watch for the garage door to activate.

6 When the garage door activates, release the button and depress again the selected button to lock in the program.

7 Programming of Rolling Code garage door opener is now complete

Programming a Fixed Code Device (Majority of units made prior to 1996)

1 Open your Garage door remote control and look at the dip switches in the battery compartment. Your remote control your remote may have 8–12 DIP switches.

2 Record the transmitter's DIP switch settings on the chart above (Figure 3), starting with the first switch position. If the switch is in the up, + or on position, circle "left." If the switch is in the middle, 0 or neutral position, circle "middle." If

the switch is in the down, - or off position, circle "right."

3 Press all three Car2U Visor buttons simultaneously and release.

4 Enter your corresponding DIP switch settings into your Car2U by pressing and releasing the buttons corresponding to the settings you circled in chart. If "left" is circled on your chart, press the left button. If "right" is circled, press the right button.

5 When you are done entering all the DIP switch settings, press all three UHR buttons simultaneously and release.

6 Press and hold the button that you want to use for operation. Watch for the garage door to activate.

7 When the garage door activates, release the button and depress again the selected button to lock in the program.

6 Programming of the Fixed Code device is now complete

Now here is how to do the HomeLink Corvette Garage Door Opener (prior to 2006 Corvettes).

For first time programming, press and hold the two outer HomeLink buttons, releasing only when the HomeLink indicator light begins to flash after 20 seconds. (Do not perform this step when programming the additional HomeLink buttons.)

Position the hand-held transmitter 1-3 inches away from the HomeLink surface (located on your visor), keeping the HomeLink indicator light in view. Using both hands, simultaneously press and hold both the desired HomeLink button and hand held transmitter button. DO NOT release until the HomeLink indicator light flashes slowly and then rapidly. When the indicator light flashes rapidly, both buttons may be released. (The rapid flashing indicates successful training.)

Note: Some garage door openers may require you to replace step 3 with the "cycling" procedure noted in the "View Canadian Instructions" section. Press and hold the trained HomeLink button and observe the indicator light. If the indicator light is solid/continuous, training is complete and your device should activate when the HomeLink button is pressed and released.

If the indicator light blinks rapidly for 2 seconds and then turns a solid/continuous light, proceed with the following training instructions for a rolling code device. A second person may make the following steps quicker and easier. Please use a ladder or other device. Do not stand on your vehicle to perform the next steps. At the garage door opener receiver (motorhead unit), locate the "learn" or "smart" button (usually near where the hanging antenna wire is attached to the unit). If there is difficulty locating the training button, reference the garage door openers manual or Homelink.

Press and release the "learn" or "smart" button (the name and color of the button may vary by manufacturer). NOTE: Once the button is pressed, there are 30 seconds in which to initiate the next step.Return to the vehicle and firmly press and hold the trained HomeLink button for two seconds and release. Repeat the "press/hold/release" sequence up to 3 times to complete the training process. Retain the original hand-held transmitter of the RF device you are programming for use in other vehicles, as well as for future HomeLink® programming. It is also suggested that upon the sale of the vehicle, the programmed HomeLink buttons be erased for security purposes. To erase the programmed buttons, perform the procedure shown in step number 1.

How do you check the Engine Codes on a C5 Corvette?

admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:25:34 +0000

If you have not experienced it yet, one day you will. You will go to start the Corvette or you may be enroute your destination when it happens:

So there you are, trying not to panic. The thing is, that sucker is annoying! It's like having a piece of lettuce stuck in your teeth on a blind date with Daisy Fuentes. It feels like it depreciates your Vette's value by at least $10,000. It screams, "I am a piece of crap!"

Well, never fear boys and girls, the Junkman is gonna help you work it out. Here's what you need to do.

1. Pull the codes! This is such a no brainer and yet, I'll see someone start a thread with the question, "Hey, my check engine light came on. What do you all think the problem is?" Answer... we don't have a clue without knowing what code is illuminating the MIL, or malfunction indicator lamp as it is technically called. How do you pull the codes? See step 2.

2. To pull the codes, turn the ignition key to the on position but DO NOT start the car. Make sure that your doors and trunk are closed so that the DIC (digital information center) doesn't start nagging you about a bunch of stuff.

Next, hit the reset button to clear any nag messages that may be on the DIC.

Then, while holding the Options button down, press the fuel button 4 times within a 10 second period.

3. At that point, the DIC will automatically start displaying all of the various modules and any codes that may be present in each module. You can stop this automatic mode and send the DIC into manual mode by pressing any button except the E/M button (that button causes the DIC to exit the diagnostic mode). You can then scroll through the codes using the Gauges button to go forward, and the Fuel button to go backwards. Here's an example of a code notification problem:

As you can see by the picture above, the Power Control Module (PCM) is displaying that it contains 2 codes. Because I have the service manual for my car, I know that the PCM is designed to maintain exhaust emission levels while maintaining excellent drivability and fuel efficiency. I also know that the PCM controls the following operations:

Fuel control
Ignition Control (IC)
Knock Sensor (KS) system
Automatic transmission shift functions
Manual Transmission: 1-4 Upshift and Reverse Inhibit
Cruise Control Enable (if so equipped)
Generator
Evaporative Emission (EVAP) Purge
A/C Clutch Control
Cooling Fan Control
Secondary Air Injection (AIR)

Armed with this information, I now have a clue as to what area of the car to start looking at, but there's more. While in the manual mode I can look at the actual codes that exist. By hitting the Options button again while the DIC is displaying the screen above, it will show me the actual codes. Doing so resulted in the following:

The first picture shows a PCM code of P0300 H. When writing this information down (which is what you should be doing while looking at it), you MUST be sure and include the module (PCM in this case), the code (P0300) and whether or not the set code is history (H) or current (C). This is detrimental information in trouble-shooting your codes. So many times, people will just write down the numbers. You need to write down everything.

The first picture is showing a code that is history, meaning it happened in the past and is no longer a issue.

The second picture is another story. It shows a code (PCM P0440 H C) that is not only history, but is also current. That means the situation existed in the past and is now a present issue. As it turns out, when this situation happens, it will illuminate the check engine light (or MIL).

The rest of my modules contained no codes so as I scrolled through them, they all read "no codes".

Now that I am armed with a detailed error code, I can check it against a data base of all the codes that can be possibly thrown by my car. That data base is located here. Locate the year of your car and then find the code that is being thrown. That will give you a basic description of the code being thrown. However, if you have the service manual for your car, you can look up the code and get a more thorough description of the code being thrown. Here's an example using the code that I was experiencing of what you will find in the service manual. Advantage: service manual.

4. At this point, I can do a detailed check into why my car threw this code. As you can see by looking at the page with my code, it even walks me through how to resolve my issue. The description is thorough and detailed. With the right tools and the service manual, I can save myself thousands of dollars in repairs. This is why no one touches the Junkman's ride but the Junkman. I have armed myself with the tools to remedy my own issues.

5. After you pull your codes and have wrote them down, you can then clear them. Any code that sets the MIL must be cleared before the MIL will go out. In order to clear a code, you must have it displayed first and then, hold the reset button down until the code clears. It will disappear and you will hear a beep. Again, you can scroll through the codes by pressing either the Gages button to go forward, or the Fuel button to go back.

Some codes a just a fluke. Sometimes, I tell people to reset all of their codes and see if they come back. If they immediately return, then you have an issue. If it returns a year later, then it was obviously a fluke. Still, you need to keep an eye on these things because not all codes will illuminate the MIL.

Right now my cluster looks like this:

Corvette C6 Braille Battery Relocation to Rear of Car

admin — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:39:18 +0000

Here are a few pics and step by step installation of a Braille Battery with relocation to the rear of the car (like the Z06)

You will need a

Battery: Braille B2317R

Moroso battery cable kit

This is where the fun starts, remove that old heavy ass battery

comparing both batteries

There are (4) 13mm bolts inside the battery tray loosen and remove

remove from inside your fuse box the 13mm nut ,remove the cable and follow it to your starter ,this is your original positive cable. Do the same steps for your negative cable.

put the 1 gauge ground wire together which mounts to the frame and the engine block

a little heat wrap for protection

use the same mounting bolt and location for the new ground cable

mounting the other end of the ground cable to the block, it's a 15mm bolt

Now on to the power wire, remove the rear wheel liner

Fish the 1 gauge wire thru the rocker panel

connect the positive power cable to the starter

Original Battery 34.2 lbs

Braille Battery 17 lbs

Odyssey bracket that had to be cut down an inch

marked holes with a sharpie

Original equipment
Battery = 34.2 lbs
Battery bracket = 1 lbs
Battery harness = 1 lbs
Total = 36.2 lbs

Battery Relocation Mod
Braille Battery = 17 lbs
Custom Battery Bracket = 0.8 lbs
14 feet of Cable = 5.2 lbs
terminal ends,bolts,nuts,etc = 0.7 lbs
Total = 23.7 lbs

36.2 lbs-23.7 lbs = 12.5 lbs weight reduction

Corvette C5 Power Window Motor Rebuild

admin — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:07:26 +0000

This procedure is only appropriate if:
The motor is getting power but not working. Unplug and check with voltmeter first.
The cables and all other components are in good condition. Otherwise you will need to replace the whole assembly.
The connector at the motor is making good connection. Some have reported problems with the connector itself.

If the brushes are too worn or if the commutator is melted/ burnt, it cannot be easily repaired. May as well just buy another motor.

First, pull the door panel and speakers. I used some paper towels around the big opening to keep the black sticky stuff from getting all over the place. Remove the switch assembly from the door panel and plug it back into the harness for testing. Unplug the window motor and check for power with a voltmeter. Here's a picture of the plug, and the button you have to push to pull it out:

Once you have determined that the motor is getting power, remove the regulator assembly. Once again, other instructions are very detailed how to do this. On my car ('99), the rubber on the window clamps was stuck very securely to the glass, so I had to remove the bolts completely and break the glass away from the rubber. If the clamp half sticks to the window, that's even better, it will assure you put the window back in the same place. Otherwise mark it.

Here is the regulator assembly removed :

Next, I pulled the can off the motor to inspect. This pic was actually taken during reassembly after it was all cleaned up. Now is probably the best time to remove the brush retaining springs to relieve the pressure on them. Refer to post #5.

I was able to pull the armature free from the regulator assembly without disassembling it, but then I couldn't get it back together. I recommend just taking it apart to begin with.
Rotate the armature to equalize the tension on the springs, if needed, and remove the top plate. Take note of where the cables are routed.

Here's a pic of the cover removed

*NOTE: THE CABLE CLOSEST TO THE MOTOR IS IN THE WRONG PLACE. DO NOT REASSEMBLE THIS WAY OR THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH TENSION IN THE CABLES*
(Ask me how I know.)

The spool slides right out. It looks like a mess, but goes back together relatively easy.

Finally, remove the cover and the gear. The armature will then slide out easily

Here is the motor disassembled. Note all the black junk that fell out.

A close-up of the dirty brush housing and brushes

And the armature

I used a electronics cleaner to spray everything off. On the armature, I used a dental pick to clean the slots on the commutator and very fine sandpaper to clean it up.

I found that one of the brushes had been contacting the elevated pads on the commutator, and I assume this is the reason for all the black dust. As a precautionary measure, I cut the grove a little larger and deeper to prevent further contact. Be very careful with the brushes, they are brittle and fragile. I cleaned them by scraping lightly with a razor blade.

Once everything is clean, reassemble in reverse order. The safest way to put the brush holder back onto the armature is to remove the caps and springs that hold the brushes in. Here are pics of the caps disassembled and assembled. I reached in with a dental pick to undo the clips. Keep a finger over the cap as you're removing them, as the spring has quite a bit of pressure on it.

There was plenty of grease inside the gear housings to re-lube the motor shafts (both ends) and the gears during reassembly.

When putting the spool back into place, I wound up the wires and clipped the green cable ends into place then slid the spool onto the splines.

Once everything is put back together, take it back to the car to verify that it works. My first time, the window operation was reversed. I'm not sure what caused this, but I took everything apart and put it back together, and the only thing I did differently was rotate the motor housing ("can") 180deg. This time it worked. Not sure if that was the problem or if it was something else. If anyone has input, I'd appreciate it.

A couple more notes on reassembly: The rear lower track bolt is adjustable. As you're removing the nut off the stud, hold the stud to assure it does not turn. Same with reassembly. The front lower track bolt is also adjustable in a slot. If you forgot to mark where it was, you can probably look closely and see a dust/ wear ring where it was previously mounted.

And here is where the zip-tie retainer clip fastens to the door. It is important, as it keeps the cables out of the window as it goes down.

Corvette C6 A-Pillar Fuel and Boost Gauge Installation

admin — Wed, 18 May 2011 01:09:47 +0000

1. Check your gauges before you take them out of the packaging to make sure they are at 0

(zero) psi for both boost and fuel pressure.

2. Read through the instructions supplied with the gauges you purchased. These instructions

are how we install the gauges when you bring your car to us. There may be better, faster or

cheaper ways to do it, but this is what we have found to be the best.

3. In addition to the gauge pod and the boost and fuel pressure gauges, you will need two (2)

48" pieces of 16 gauge wire. (Preferably two different colors so you don't cross the wires.)

Electrical tape, soldering iron and heat shrink tubing.

4. We highly recommend soldering and heat shrinking all wiring connections mentioned in

these instructions

5. Connect the white wire from both lights together and also connect a wire about 48" to the

other side. This wire will go to a dimmer wire in a harness under the dash near the steering

column.

6. Find the loose black wire that comes off the fuel pressure gauge harness. This is the gauge

ground wire and will need to be shortened to around 12". Connect the black wire from

both lights together and also add the ground wire that you just shortened. Connect all 3 of

these wires to a piece of wire about 48". This will be your ground wire that will be fastened

under the dash near the steering column. You should have something similar to the photo

below.

7. Attach the nylon vacuum tubing and brass fitting that came with your gauge to the back of

the boost gauge. Attach the harness to the fuel pressure gauge. Attach both lights to the

gauges. Have the lines running out the face of the pod but don't push the gauges into the

pod yet.

8. Using some electrical tape, tape all the wires together for about 15". When you do this,

make sure to leave the gauges about 2-3 inches out of the pod so you will have room to

remove the gauges in the future should the need arise.

9. Push gauges all the way in the gauge pod and place the pod over the stock pillar. Do not

drill and mount the gauge pod over the stock pillar yet. Push the part of the wires that you

taped in between the side of the dash and the pillar.

10. Using a T-15 Torx bit, remove the two screws under the steering wheel.

(T-15 SCREWS UNDER STEERING WHEEL)

11. Pull out the gas/trunk button assembly and unplug the harnesses. Pull the panel out

towards you for it to unsnap. The opposite side has the engine start button. The wire going

to this button will need to be disconnected and then remove the panel from the vehicle.

(PULL OUT THIS BUTTON ASSEMBLY)

12. Locate the black 36-pin connector under the steering wheel. There are two yellow wires on

the harness. You will need to find out which one gets 12V when the key is set to "ON." Use

a test light or a volt meter to find the correct wire. When you have the correct wire, cut a

small strip of insulation off to solder and tape the red wire from the fuel gauge harness.

(You could also use a water resistant insulated crimp connector)

(USE A TEST LIGHT TO FIND THE CORRECT YELLOW WIRE)

13. Install a small ring terminal connector on the end of the ground wire. This needs to be

connected to a known good ground. We use a small self tapping screw to attach the wire to

the exposed metal cylinder on the left side of the 36-pin black harness.

(GROUND WIRE FIXED TO KNOWN GOOD GROUND)

14. Reach up behind the dash where the dimmer is located and disconnect the harness. Pull

the harness down and remove some of the electrical tape so you have room to connect to

one of the wires. Find the brown wire and cut a small strip of insulation off to solder and

tape the light wire from the gauges. (You could also use a water resistant insulated crimp

connector)

15. Remove the foot rest pedal by using a 10mm deep socket and wrench to remove the two

(2) nuts that hold the foot rest pedal.

16. Pull back on the plastic mat to reveal where the hood release wires enter the rubber

grommet. Drill a 7/8" hole about one inch below the cables.

(PEEL THIS FLAP BACK TO GAIN ACCESS FOR DRILLING)

17. Using a wire, coat hanger or fish tape, run the pressure sensor harness and nylon vacuum

line through the hole and into the engine bay. You will want the wires to come up by the

power brake booster assembly. Fill the hole around with silicone to create a waterproof

barrier.

18. Push the flap back down and reinstall the foot rest pedal. Reinstall the panel under the

steering wheel and reconnect the engine start button and the gas/trunk button harnesses

and reinsert into the panel.

19. Place the gauge pod over the stock pillar and find the best look and fit. Drill (4) 3/16" holes

and insert the small push pins that came with the pod. (you can get away with 3 if

necessary)

(3 PUSH PINS INSTALLED ON LEFT SIDE)

20. Place ¼" high temperature wire loom over the wires going to the fuel pressure sensor from

the harness all the way down to where the wires exit the passenger cabin.

(1/4" WIRE LOOM INSTALLED)

21. Go to the driver side fuel rail and unscrew the black plastic cap that is on the end. This cap

covers the Schrader valve.

(UNSCREW PLASTIC BLACK CAP)

22. Put a rag under the end of the rail to catch any fuel that may leak out. Bleed any remaining

fuel pressure by depressing the Schrader valve. Using a valve core removal tool or a small

blade screwdriver, remove the valve core.

(SCHRADER VALVE CORE REMOVED)

23. Connect the supplied -4 to 1/8" NPT swivel fitting to the end of the fuel rail. Apply a small

amount of thread sealant on the pressure sensor and connect the sensor to the swivel

fitting. Turn the key to the "ON" position to see if you have any leaks coming from the new

connections.

(FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR & SWIVEL FITTING ATTACED TO DRIVER SIDE FUEL RAIL)

24. Rout the fuel pressure sensor wiring harness to the fuel pressure sensor. Run under the

coolant reservoir and then along the positive wire coming out the back of the alternator.

(ZIP TIE THE WIRE LOOM OUT OF THE WAY)

25. Go to the power brake booster and mark a spot on the vacuum hose for the metal "T" to be

inserted. If you already have a "T" in this line from the blowoff valve installation section of

the supercharger kit, you will just need to insert a nylon "Y" fitting to the line going down to

the blowoff valve to attach the boost gauge vacuum hose.

(MARK THE HOSE AND CUT FOR THE "T")

("T" INSERTED AND VACUUM HOSE ATTACHED)

26. Check all lines and connections and then start the vehicle.

Courtesy of A & A Corvette Performance, Ltd.

Corvette C6 Power Windows Re-Indexing

admin — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:43:57 +0000

After disconnecting the battery on a Corvette C6 or a dead battery, the window index-up feature will not function until the system

is re-initialized. Once power has been restored to the system you will need to reindex the Corvette windows so that they know the distance to travel when they index. Follow the steps below to rest the window indexing function on the Corvette C6.

1. Close the door.

2. Raise the window by pulling up the on the window switch.

3. After the window full closes, hold the up switch in the up position for three seconds and then release the switch.

4. Hold the window switch in the up position again for three seconds and release.

This is called resetting of the window indexing or power window initialize and is in the owner's manual. See page 2-17 of the 2005 owner's manual, page 2-18 of the 2006 owner's manual, page 87 of the 2007 owner's manual, page 2-18 of the 2008 owner's manual, page 2-18 of the 2009 owner's manual, page 3-18 of the 2010 owner's manual, or 2-18 of the 2011 owner's manual.

How to Replace a Corvette C5 Convertible Power Antenna

admin — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 04:39:45 +0000

How To Replace a Defective Telescopic Antenna

Now this is a simple mod and the OEM assembly with motor is $130+. You'll know you have the problem because the antenna won't fully retract

Parts:
Adjustable wrench
GM OEM Power Antenna Replacement ($13 E Bay).

Make sure the antenna is fully retracted and that the radio is off

Remove the antenna mounting nut located on the base of the mast on the outside of the car. If the mast is bent it may be necessary to cut off the old mast). If you can't all of the plastic cable out as one piece, (sometimes the plastic gets really hard and breaks into pieces then falls down into the motor), you can just pull the motor after you have pulled the mast out and get all of the pieces out. To do that you'll need to take out the outer right turn signal housing.

Turn on the radio and pull out the old mast and serrated cable completely out of the antenna motor. (Note which way the serrations on the cable are facing)

Feed the serrated cable of the new mast into the antenna hole and stop when resistance is felt. (about 12"). Make sure the cable is fed in with the teeth the same way the old cable came out.

Turn the radio off to lower the antenna until the serrated cable catches.. You may have to cycle the antenna a few times until the cable catches the gear mechanism and retracts into the antenna motor.

Replace and tighten the antenna nut into the mast base.

Turn on and make sure that the mast fully extends without binding. Clean the surface of the antenna to remove any adhesive etc.

10 minute job.

If you encounter a stuck mast here's advice from the mast vendor:

You see the new "Retaining Sleeve" (silver, 2 inches or so, with slots) on the shaft of the new antenna mast, the original one is most likely a little corroded/frozen into the shaft of your antenna No problem : You are in need of what I refer to as the "snap and tap" technique of mast removal

Turn radio on and let cycle to as much extension as is currently possible

Take hold of the thickest metal mast section (closest to fender) with you thumb and forefinger about 2-3 inches above the top of the antenna shaft hole

Push the thickest mast section into the shaft (as much as it will go within that 2-3 inches)

Hold tightly with thumb and forefinger and Snap your Wrist upward.....you will hear the mast bottom "tap" the bottom of the frozen in place retaining sleeve (what this is all about) Repeat this over and over again In-Snap-Tap-Repeat Short Firm Bursts of Energy Focusing the energy blow to the point of the tap This will free the retaining sleeve little by little till it comes out completely

1997 – 2004: Corvette C5 Headlamp Actuator Replacement Procedure

admin — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:45:24 +0000

1997 - 2004: Corvette C5 Headlamp Actuator Replacement Procedure

Subject: Headlamp Actuator Replacement Procedure
Source: 97moneypit - Corvette Action Center Forum Member
Models: 1997-2004 Chevrolet Corvette

The CAC has been a very helpful resource so I thought I'd give back some pics and explanations of my first DIY repair project on my '97 yesterday. The driver side headlight actuator needed to be replaced. Decided to do it myself after c4c5's recommendations and it went without a hitch. So here are a few pics I took trying to explain the process for others that want to do this simple repair. Hope it helps.

As for all electrical work, first remove the negative lead on the battery as noted in the service manuals.
Remove the headlight bezel and the opening door. There are three phillips screws for the bezel (Figs. 1 and 2) and four T-15 torx screws for the opening door (Figs. 3, 4, 5).

Now you can disconnect the main wiring harness (Fig. 6) and reach behind the lamps to disconnect those wiring harnesses (Figs. 7, 8). Be sure to note which one goes where. They are color coded.

I used a bungee cord to support the headlamp assembly (Figs. 9 and 11 (my wife was too busy to help). The assembly will have nothing holding it up once the actuator is removed. I made sure that the bungee didn't put too much pressure on the unit. Just enough to hold it up.
There is one through bolt (Fig. 12), (2) one inch long bolts and one nut holding the pivot arm. (Fig. 10). Also see figures 17 and 18. I have labeled each bolt/nut A, B, C, D.

These are not the easist to get to but you can reach under the lamp assembly with your right hand to slip a 10mm socket on the inside nut of the through bolt and hold the outside bolt head with a 10 mm box end wrench using your left hand (Fig. 13). You'll have to reach around the actuator and under the headlamp assemble to get your right hand in there. I did it pretty much by feel and worked the 10mm socket wrench in there to remove the actuator bolts and the nut on the pivot arm. (Figs. 15, 14 respectively). Figure 16 shows the slotted hole on the pivot arm that will aligned with the shaft on the actuator.

Figures 17 and 18 shows the four locations for the bolts and the shaft nut for the pivot arm.
To install the new actuator I rotated the manual control knob on the actuator until the flat sides of the shaft aligned as shown in Figure 18. This way it will be closely aligned with the slot in the pivot arm.
Putting the actuator back in is just the reverse of removing it. I installed the long through bolt first (A), then put in the front most bolt (C) to help hold the motor in place before putting in bolt (B) and the shaft nut (C). It's a little tricky getting to the nuts with the socket wrench and you might bang your knuckles a few times but it works.

Once you get the actuator bolted in and the pivot arm on the shaft tightened up, replace the wiring harnesses to the back of the lamps Fig. 19).
To put the opening door back on, you will have to lower the assembly to get to the two screws on the back of the door and have it raised to get to the two onthe sides. Replace the bezel with the assembly in the up position.
Now you can reconnect the main wiring harness. I pulled the old pop-in connector out with a pair of pliers (Fig. 20 and 21).

This saved me over $200 in labor charges and took me about 90 minutes (not including the time taking the pics.)
I got to work on my tan to boot.

I could have included so many more pics. But I think these should be enough to describe the basic procedure. I hope these pics and description make sense.

Kirk

Corvette C5 Dash Removal and HUD Installation

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:04:42 +0000

For those not familiar with heads up display, You get 9 different ways to project critical info on your windshield, like speed, Tach, gas level, oil pressure, coolant temp, turn signals, high beam indicator, shift light indicator (6 Speeds) and check gages. You can control which are displayed, adjust the height of the projection on the windshield, and the intensity. Some are shown here:

Heads up display wasn't even offered until late 99, but for those who were not fortunate enough to get this way cool option here's the directions to install it yourself. It can even be retrofitted in a 97,98, Early 99, and 01 Z06 Corvette when it wasn't even an option. Its plug and play. Any confident installer can install it within an afternoon. The factory HUD cars have a special HUD windshield that is not necessary as the projections shown above are taken on my non-HUD glass in direct sunlight. Also all 97+ C5's have the pocket for the projector, and the outline for the dash to be cut.

The following are the necessary components needed HUD to work

• HUD projector - 10279814 - (GM LIST: $1,118.82) You will have to drill 2 small holes in the dash to mount it. Even the 97,'s and 98's have the seat for the projector
• HUD Projector Bezel - 10425223 - (GM LIST: $25.52) You will have to cut a hole in the dash and the bezel is there to cover the hole. Its very easy to do though because even the 97 and 98's have the cut marked out under the dash pad. The bezel simply covers the hole.
• HUD Enabled Cluster – This is a must for a 97-99 owner that currently doesn't have a HUD enabled cluster. The cluster may be HUD ready or it could have come from a HUD equipped car. If it is only HUD ready you will need a HUD switch and 11 pin wiring harness.
• HUD Switch - Part # 12198648 (GM LIST: $124.04)
• The very important 11 Pin wiring harness which is not available from GM, you will have to find a harness, or you will have to build your own using your existing harness.

There are 2 different HUD install scenario's.

97, 98, or early 99 C5's without the HUD enabled cluster - You will need to get a late 99+ Cluster. The only way to tell whether you have the HUD enabled cluster is to remove the one you have and look for the white connector in the very back. If it doesn't already have the HUD Switch you will have to install one and find a 11 pin harness. If you need a HUD enabled cluster you will have to have it programmed with your existing mileage. I've heard ~$50 to do this, but contact your dealer. You will have to drill 3 holes to mount the projector, 2 in the plastic dash support, 1 in the aluminum column support. If you use a late 99-04 cluster you will also have to move the airbag warning light located next to the fuel gauge to the location on the Tach or else the light will remain lit al the time.
Late 99-04 C5's with a HUD enabled cluster - You will need the projector, dash bezel, switch and 11 Pin from the switch to cluster. You will have to drill only 2 holes in the plastic dash support, the third is already notched out.

Tools Necessary:

• A small assortment of flat headed screw drivers.
• Very sharp razor Blades
• Something to cut the plastic under the dash pad (Dremel tool, utility knife, angle grinder etc...)
• Something to drill mounting holes (I used a right angle electric screw driver with a 1/8" conical grinding bit)
• Torx T15 driver, or bit with compatible holder to use with 1/4" ratchet.
• 7mm socket and driver
• 10mm Socket with swivel and various extensions
• 1/4 ratchet for the 7mm socket
• Needle nose pliers
• 2 #10 rubber expansion nuts available from home improvement store (Lowe's, Home depot, Ace, Etc....)
• 2 Allen Screws for the expansion nuts. With proper Allen wrench.
• JB Quick Weld or similar to affix the bezel
• Clamps or similar to hold bezel
The install is pretty basic. If you have a roadster or coupe now is a great time to open the car up. This is also a great time to move both seats all the way back to allow your self plenty of room to work. I myself just completed this modification on my own 2000 Corvette on 8/5/03 and the pictures seen here are from my own install. These instructions are for a 2000 six speed coupe

Removing the Center Console:

1)Remove the center console. To do this you will need to open the console remove the little covers in the rear of the console to access the 2,10mm nuts. Remove these.

2) Move up towards the front of the console bin. Insert a flat headed screw driver or similar to pop off the panel with the Traction Control / Active Handling.
3) Disconnect all wiring.
4) Remove the 2, 10mm nuts under the cover, at this point you need to disconnect the fuel door switch and the rear center console is ready to be removed.
5) To remove the front half you will need to remove the shifter knob, and pull out the ash tray.
5a.) To remove the shifter knob, first pry the black shift pattern diagram. Then you will need a pair of needle nose pliers or similar to pull the key out of the shaft before being able to spin the knob off. I'm assuming the A4 has a clip in the front of the knob that has to be pulled straight out before pulling off the knob.
6) There are 3, Torx 15 screws holding the front of the console in. These are located
• 1. Under the temperature sensor panel, located to the right of the steering wheel. Pop off the bezel with a flat headed screw driver. Disconnect the air temperature sensor (If equipped with the dual climate)
• 2. to the Left of the cigarette lighter
• 3. behind the ash tray

7) At this point the center console pulls straight off. There are a few clips that still hold it in around the radio and climate control. Don't forget to disconnect the cigarette lighter by reaching around the back and pulling the connector off. With the center console completely removed, you are now ready to work on the panel under the steering column.

Preparing for Dash Pad Removal

Start by removing the Trunk release/fog light switch bezel, with a flat headed screw driver, disconnect wires. Remove the Torx 15 screw. Remove the 2, T15 screws located up top of the instrument panel directly above the steering wheel

9) Look under the dash, towards the rear and remove the 2 T15 screws. At this point you're ready to remove the lower steering column cover. Simply pull evenly towards the steering wheel; there are 2 clips that hold near the left hand upper corner.
10) You will need to remove the radio to help reach the hazard switch to disconnect when you start to remove the dash pad. Remove the 2, 7mm screws on each side of the radio and slide it out disconnecting all connectors from the back of the radio.
11) Take a flat headed screw driver and gently pry the defroster vent grill, Disconnect the sensor on the left side and twist the sensor loose on the right, now take your 7mm 1/4 ratchet and remove the 2 screws to the outsides of the defroster

12) Remove the side pillars. To do this start from the top and pull towards the rear/center of the vehicle. Move down the pillar, there are 3 clips to completely disengage the pillars.
13) You are now ready to remove the rest of the dash pad 7mm screws. There are 2 on the top on the sides of the dash pad that were covered by the pillars. There is one on the passenger side of the dash near the hinge of the door, (look at the side of the dash with the door fully open) one near where the cluster resides on the drivers side, and the rest are visible around the stereo was

15) Once all the screws are removed from the dash pad, gently pull the dash pad away from the window. Once moved enough disconnect the hazard switch connector. This is where you're going to probably want a helper. Finish pulling the dash out of the car.

Preparing for HUD installation

16) Its now time to drill the holes for the rubber expansion nuts or whatever you decided to use. I'm sure you could also use self tapping bolts if you can managed to get space between the window and ratchet. Place the projector in into its seat pushing it all the way towards the front of the car. Mark the 2 holes with a marker or whatever you can manage to get between the window. Also mark the column support on the pre 99 cars for the 3rd mount. The 99+ cars should already have the cutout for the screw to reside in. Remove the projector and drill. Once drilled, mount the projector with whatever method you chose.

17) Once the dash pad is out, you can flip it over and see where you're supposed to cut. Cut to the very edge of the sides, and about a 1/4" from the bottom (Front of dash closest to steering wheel) to provide a step for the bezel to grip the dash pad. Cut slowly, KEEP cutting device perpendicular to cut while watching where the bezel rests. This is the most time consuming part of the install. Cut little by little constantly fitting bezel until snug. Cut the foam and pad with a sharp razor blade. TAKE YOUR TIME, you don't want to know what a replacement dash pad costs!!! (My diagram is for illustration purposes only)

18) Once you have the hole trimmed to fit the bezel, fit the bezel in place and hold it with some clamps. Make sure the bezel is flush with the rear edge of the dash (side under/closest to windshield) You can choose your own method to secure it to the dash pad. I mixed up a batch of JB Quick Weld filled the holes, glued the front tabs of the bezel, removed the clamps and was done. One of my customers cut the legs by enough to use screws into the legs.

19) While your waiting for your bezel to set you can use swap your stock 97-99 non-HUD cluster with the reprogrammed HUD enabled cluster, or to add the HUD switch and wiring harness to your HUD enabled cluster. To remove the cluster from the car with the dash pad already removed you need to remove 2, 7mm screws located just below the cluster and reach behind the cluster and pinch the large grey connector while pulling, rocking or whatever else it take to get it loose.

• 19a.) If your cluster came from a car with HUD already installed, install your new cluster and move to step 20
• 19b.) If you have a HUD enabled cluster that came from a car without HUD you will have to purchase a HUD switch from the dealer and swap it with your existing dimmer switch. If you can find a factory wiring harness, just plug it in, install and move to step 20

Putting your Vette back together

20) Congratulations take a step back and look at the mess you've created. Maybe have a drink or two, because reinstalling it all is the easiest and fastest part.
21) Plug in the main cluster harness, and now the HUD projector harness to the back of the cluster. Key the ignition on and make sure everything works. All the gauges should do they're full sweep as well as the projection on the windshield should do similar.
• Play with the intensity, make sure it gets bright, dims, disappears...
• Cycle through the page button, to switch displayed fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure, also hold it briefly to switch Tach on/off cycling through the different views.
• Also move the display up and down the window to make sure everything is hooked up correctly.
• If everything appears to work correctly move on to step 22. (make sure you firmly plugged in the fuel buttons on the right if you installed the HUD switch)
22) Re-install the 2, 7mm screws holding the lower cluster in.
23) Don't forget the sensor, and wire harness you disconnected from the defroster grill. Tape them up to the defroster so they will be accessible when you reinstall the pad
24) Get your helper grab the now "HUD enabled" dash pad and move it back into place. Before pushing it all the way back toward the window, make sure to hook up the hazard switch. (Forget to do this and your turn signals will not work)
25) Re-install the various 7mm screws you removed throughout, not forgetting:
• 2 under the defroster vent,
• 2 off to the side/under the pillars,
• the one on the side near the passenger hinge area.
26) Re-install the 2, T15 screws above the cluster to dash pad
27) Re-install the side pillars by starting in the bottom, and working to the top
28) Re-install the stereo with 2, 7mm screws
29) Re-install the glove box, get all the 7mm screws, and 2, 10mm bolts in loosely before tightening everything down
30) Re-install the center console not forgetting to hook up all electrical connections
31) Re-install the shift knob/selector
32) Sit back and take a look at a job well done, hopefully there will be no mysterious screws left over.

Corvette C5 Headlight Switch-Blinker Arm Removal

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:30:50 +0000

This write-up will show the steps involved with removing the headlight switch / blinker arm / multi-function switch assembly, either for repair or replacement. There wasn't a good picture-rich write-up that I could find so I documented my process, and maybe it'll help somebody out.

My particular problem was that when I turn on the headlights, the taillights wouldn't work and the instrument panel would not illuminate. After removing and repairing my headlight switch, I'm fully functional once again.

Tools Needed:

-Beer of Choice (to be used whenever the heck you feel like it!)

-Torx driver or keys, for the following: T15, T20, and T25.
If you are going to open the headlight switch, add T8 to the list.

-The T25 should be a one-inch bit, OR an L-shaped key with a one-inch leg.

-1/4" open-end wrench

-Diagonal cutters (optional)

-Flat-bladed screwdriver or other thin prying device

10mm socket, 4mm socket, 7mm socket, socket wrench, and 6" extension (or equivalent set of nut-drivers)

The Procedure:

In order to get to the blinker switch, we'll be removing the knee panel that goes under and beside the steering wheel; the steering column covers; and we'll loosen the center console pieces. Here's how to do all this.

0. Turn the steering wheel such that the TOP of the wheel is facing LEFT. You'll see why in step 10.

1. First, I'd recommend loosening the center console and radio bezel. This just makes it easier/safer to remove the paneling around the steering wheel I think. For a good procedure on this, check out this guide at Vette Essentials:

Beginning with step 2 in that guide, it'll show you how to remove/loosen these pieces. That guide also parallels some of my write-up here, so you can refer to that guide for additional pictures/info. Once you have those panels removed or loose, come back here and continue on!

2. Remove the trunk release switch panel by using a flat screwdriver or somesuch to pop it out of the dash panel. It's connected to a wire which easily unplugs once you pull the switch forward.

Behind this switch is a T15 torx bolt; unscrew that and set aside with the trunk switch.

3. Next, we'll unscrew the big knee panel under the steering wheel. There are two T15 torx bolts that hold it in place... unscrew those.

4. To remove this panel after having unscrewed those two bolts, you'll need to pull TOWARDS YOU from the LEFT SIDE of the panel. There are two tight clips that you need to unsnap: (red circles are where these fasteners attach; you'll see those once you pull the panel off). The blue circle is the wire that was attached to the trunk release button.

5. When you have the left half of the knee panel loose, carefully begin to work the right half of the panel free. The HVAC sensor is attached; so mind the connecting wire (red circle in below picture). It's easily disconnected; and at that point you should be able to remove the knee panel completely and set it aside.

6. Next, let's remove the steering column covers. First we'll need to remove the bottom half. It's held on by two T20 screws, located as follows:

Once those screws are out, gently pull downward on the bottom half. It will separate from the top half... they are connected at this point solely by plastic latches (red circles) and hooks (blue circle), as shown below. With some maneuvering, the bottom piece will come free. The tricky part is getting it off from and around the tilt steering lever.

7. Unfortunately I didn't get pictures of this step; but I'll try to explain the removal of the top half of the steering column: It's held on by two torx bolts from underneath. However, these are not normal torx bolts. Instead of the torx pattern being recessed like most bolts; this star-pattern is RAISED. I don't know about you, but I don't have torx equipment for those bolts. I found that a 4mm socket does the trick nicely. A six-inch extension is preferred to reach the bolts with. There will be one bolt on each side of the steering wheel. You can see them if you can get your head underneath and look up. Unscrew these bolts, and the top half of the steering column cover will come right off.

8. Now we have the headlight switch exposed, but before we remove the thing, let's tend to the wires first. To get to them easier, I would remove the metal guard that sits behind the knee panel we removed. (It's got the styrofoam on it). You'll want the 7mm socket and a 6" extension to easily do this: Insert the socket/extension through the holes (circled in red) to get at the bolts (circled in blue). Obviously, this picture is AFTER the guard has been detached but you can still see where and how to get at the bolts.

9. The wiring from the headlight switch attaches in two locations to the car: There is a large blue connector and a small black connector. You'll want to unplug both of these. They are shown below. (To detach the blue connector... push on the small tab (circled in red) and pull apart.

You may also find that the wires from the headlight switch are cable-tied together with some other wires... If this is the case, use some diagonal cutters to cut the tie away so you can fully free the wires from the headlight switch. There is another, larger clasp/cable tie that can simply be undone without cutting it through.

10. Now we can remove the part! For this step you'll need the T25 bit/driver and the 1/4 open-end wrench. here's the part, fully exposed: Note there are TWO bolts; both T25's. The one on top is easy to get at if you tilt the steering down as far as it will go. The one facing forward, however, sits behind the steering wheel.

To remove this, we'll simply use our 1" T25 torx bit and the 1/4 inch wrench to turn it from the side: Real easy!

Get these bolts removed, and you're home free.

One word of advice... when you remove the headlight switch, you may inadvertently beep your horn. The front of the switch has a small brass pin that sticks out, that... upon touching the steel disc at the base of the steering wheel, evidently makes the horn sound off. Remember playing that game "Operation" in preschool? It's rather like that!

At this point... your switch is free of the car and ready for repair or replacement.