97EXP5.0
New Member
- Joined
- December 11, 2007
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Eugene,Oregon
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '97 XLT AWD 5.0
I first want to thank Gumby for the info in his thread that said wich wire needed to be cut to do this. I did the interupt switch mod last night and it was really easy. Here is a rundown of how I did it. This was on a '97 with manual climate controls.
Tools/materials needed:
-wire cutters/strippers
-9/32 socket and handle
-flathead screwdriver(unless you have the din stereo removal tools)
-2 at least 12" 16 guage wires
-1 switch (I used a small rocker type like Gumby did)
-Male and Female inulated spade connectors(I bought two packs of 12 from radio shack to make sure I had extras)
Step 1: take out the two machene bolts that are right above the AC controls using the 9/32 socket.
Step 2: if you have the stereo removal tools, use them to pull the stereo out and unplug it. If you dont, you can do what I did. pop the entire trim plate loose from the dash. It useses the same spring clips that the center consol cupholders use, so just pull on it with your hands and you can work it loose. it is a little more difficult if you don't have the stereo out yet. you will be able to see the big U shaped clip on either side of the stereo that holds it into the trim. take your finger or the flathead screw driver and push these in and pop the stereo out of the trim plate and unplug it. Set i aside and out of your way.
Step 3: unpleg the rear wiper, foglight, and rear defrost swtches along with the leads to the cigarette lighter. set the trim panel aside. you don't need to worry about what pug goes where because they only fit into the corresponding switch.
You can now have an un abstructed view of the wiring for the HVAC. You want to find the purple (violet) wire coming off of the back of the AC control swictch.
Step 4: take your 9/32 socket and take out the four machene bolt that hold the climate controls in and pull it out of the dash. You don't need to unlug anthing. this is optional, but I found it easyer to do the wiring with it hanging.
Step 5: cut the purple wire leaving a few inches comming off the plug. put a male insulated spade onnector on one side of the wire, and a female on the other. this way you can take the switch out and plug it back together if you need to in the future.
step 6: take your 2 12" wires and make one up so that it has a male connector on one end and a female on the other. then take the other wire and put a female on each end. put the two feemale ends to your switch and plug the other ends in to the terminals you put on the purple wire. depending on where you choose to mount the switch you may need to make up longer wires to reach your switch.
Step 7: fire up your rig and test it out! with the switch on you should be able to hear your AC compressor click on and cycle, and with it off you souldn't hear anything.
Step 8: Shut off your rig and put it all back together making sure you plug everthing in and put the bolts back in......and your done!
The whole proccess took about a 45 minuts for me, but it was also my first time tearing the dash apart and I didnt have the stereo tools, so there was some experementing time in there. I did this mod for two reasons. first being that my pump has the 5 second cycleing thing going on and it was driving me nuts. The second is that in the winter when I am not using the AC, I don't need the ac cycling and taking away fuel milage and power. I thought I would share the process that I used to try and help make the install a little easyer for other people to do. It really is an easy mod to do. Hope this helps somebody! sorry no pics. I can try and take some if needed
Good luck!
Scott
Tools/materials needed:
-wire cutters/strippers
-9/32 socket and handle
-flathead screwdriver(unless you have the din stereo removal tools)
-2 at least 12" 16 guage wires
-1 switch (I used a small rocker type like Gumby did)
-Male and Female inulated spade connectors(I bought two packs of 12 from radio shack to make sure I had extras)
Step 1: take out the two machene bolts that are right above the AC controls using the 9/32 socket.
Step 2: if you have the stereo removal tools, use them to pull the stereo out and unplug it. If you dont, you can do what I did. pop the entire trim plate loose from the dash. It useses the same spring clips that the center consol cupholders use, so just pull on it with your hands and you can work it loose. it is a little more difficult if you don't have the stereo out yet. you will be able to see the big U shaped clip on either side of the stereo that holds it into the trim. take your finger or the flathead screw driver and push these in and pop the stereo out of the trim plate and unplug it. Set i aside and out of your way.
Step 3: unpleg the rear wiper, foglight, and rear defrost swtches along with the leads to the cigarette lighter. set the trim panel aside. you don't need to worry about what pug goes where because they only fit into the corresponding switch.
You can now have an un abstructed view of the wiring for the HVAC. You want to find the purple (violet) wire coming off of the back of the AC control swictch.
Step 4: take your 9/32 socket and take out the four machene bolt that hold the climate controls in and pull it out of the dash. You don't need to unlug anthing. this is optional, but I found it easyer to do the wiring with it hanging.
Step 5: cut the purple wire leaving a few inches comming off the plug. put a male insulated spade onnector on one side of the wire, and a female on the other. this way you can take the switch out and plug it back together if you need to in the future.
step 6: take your 2 12" wires and make one up so that it has a male connector on one end and a female on the other. then take the other wire and put a female on each end. put the two feemale ends to your switch and plug the other ends in to the terminals you put on the purple wire. depending on where you choose to mount the switch you may need to make up longer wires to reach your switch.
Step 7: fire up your rig and test it out! with the switch on you should be able to hear your AC compressor click on and cycle, and with it off you souldn't hear anything.
Step 8: Shut off your rig and put it all back together making sure you plug everthing in and put the bolts back in......and your done!
The whole proccess took about a 45 minuts for me, but it was also my first time tearing the dash apart and I didnt have the stereo tools, so there was some experementing time in there. I did this mod for two reasons. first being that my pump has the 5 second cycleing thing going on and it was driving me nuts. The second is that in the winter when I am not using the AC, I don't need the ac cycling and taking away fuel milage and power. I thought I would share the process that I used to try and help make the install a little easyer for other people to do. It really is an easy mod to do. Hope this helps somebody! sorry no pics. I can try and take some if needed
Good luck!
Scott
