OkPart #4 Making a one piece bezel which eliminates the ashtray
After using the original Double DIN unit for the summer months I thought that maybe I would prefer to have the buttons under the head unit rather than in the former cup holder bezel. I decided to give it a try. I thought that the new bezel should be in one piece, to this end I purchased another head unit bezel and combine it with the bottom half of a bezel I had left over from my first project.
The new bezel was cut in two places, one cut just above the switches and two cuts that went through the single DIN aperture, this cut was just below the two locators for the bezel.
A lap joint was cut into the top and bottom halves of the bezels and the switch plate carefully fitted to the tapering aperture in the front centre console.

The wiring to the speakers is modified so that I have left to right and front to back sound adjustment using the RCA plugs.

Below are the parts bonded together after fitting them to the curve of the centre console. The skirt is in two pieces to achieve the spine which goes through the console.



This is a trial fit of the bezel in the console. There will be a charging outlet or lighter socket on the right -hand side of the gear shift bezel, the light for the passenger airbag will be on the left-hand side.
Notice the black skirt fitted and cemented to the bezel, the lower edge of this spacer is shaped to fit the forward edge of the gear shift bezel.



The bezel with primer now shows the joints that were not so obvious before the paint. These will be filled and resprayed with primer.


The gear shift bezel modified to locate the passenger airbag light and the lighter. The skirt that fits against the gear shift bezel has been fitted.



The passenger seat belt light and cigarette lighter will use small hose clamps to hild them in place.





The painted parts.


Transfers added prior to the matte clear-coat being applied.



Finally, assembled at last.

 

This looks much better than your previous design. Nice work!!

 

 

View of the fitted skirt, which is made in two pieces to achieve the spine through the console.

 

this looks great

now you just need to move the lighter (power port) and seat belt light to the shifter bezel

there is a hole in the black portion of this bezel

 

Thanks, it is taking me ages this time around, adding and fitting the black bottom skirt to the shifter bezel took more time than I expected. It also needs the lower two screw brackets to connect it to the lower ash tray mounting points, they are next. Maybe an iPod connection to the radio. I am thinking of omitting the lighter and replace it with charging ports. The lighter could go into the side of the centre console.
You have major work on the rockers, looking good. It will be nice to see the finished product.

 

i did both

i have the lighter location and 2 charging ports in the console along with a long iPhone cable from the headunit so I can connect without bluetooth

also installed an HDMI cable to the head unit and ran it to the console too

 

This is a trial fit of the bezel in the console. There will be a charging outlet on the left-hand side of the gear shift bezel, the light for the passenger airbag will be on the right and the cigarette female socket will be on the passenger side of the centre console. An iPod outlet may also be added somewhere on the console or shift bezel.


I have to shorten the wires to the seven buttons, splice, solder and cover them with heat shrinkable tube.
I had better get the first aid kit out first as I have a bad habit of burning myself.
Using some nice old fashioned Kester Rosin Cored Solder with good old lead in it, had it for years.
There are enough wires behind the radio to choke a horse.

 

Was there supposed to be a picture ?

 

I lost it on the computer, it was not where I thought it was.

 

Very nice Dave! When may I expect you will have mine finished?

 

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I started the first design in November ‘17 and had it done with camera set-up and air line replaced in trunk by February’18.
I started this one in November and you can see how far I have got to now. The second time around is a chore, a third one would never get done.☹️

 

Nice work, Dave. The final product should be something to see.

 

I have hit a snag with the wiring, the switch on the dash that locks and unlocks the doors etc does not work.
It worked last year when the buttons were in the centre console, I have shortened the wire now it does not work
The locks operate using the fob and key in the driver's door lock and the lights flash correctly.
I assume the switch is a momentary type switch, it shows a resistor in the switch, what does that do?
Can anyone tell me what kind of signal I should see from the switch, please?

 

The BCM will interpret 12v as unlock, and some lesser voltage ( depends on resistor value ) as lock.
The spoiler switch on non SRT6 works the same way, that's why decreased voltage from a weak battery causes the spoiler to go up.

 

Thanks professor, I thought that the resistor caused a lower voltage but never thought it would cause a different response, thanks again.

 

From the continuity tests that I have done it looks like the switch is toast, the other two switches on the emergency flasher module work OK. I have a couple of these spare and hopefully my diagnosis is correct, maybe it got damaged by leaning on it.
Using a test light on pins #4 and #8 in the spare emergency module I can see the reduced lamp brightness, I will check the module in the car again, I hope that is the solution.

 

After more testing I have found that the switches OK and the wires that go to it are fine as well. But when the car battery is connected the doors do not lock or unlock. The bulb tester lights full brightness and with a lesser brightness when the button is operated.
I have spent too long on it, so I am moving on.

 

Having thought about this problem for sometime I have come to the conclusion that I cut the ground wire in the harness and never reconnected it, as I said there are enough wires behind the radio to choke a horse.

 

So, what was the reason?