Tools Needed
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Wire strippers
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Plyers
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Drill bits
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Razor blade |
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Drill
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Zip-ties
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Glue or another adhesive
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Before you start, check the targeted mounting position to assure it will fit properly. If you are mounting your gauge in a pod, you may need to trim one of the studs on the back of the gauge. The blue arrow below points out a mounting stud I had to shorten with a Dremel to provide adequate clearance. The white arrow is pointing out the bracket I cut in half to facilitate easier mounting. Depending on your car and gauge this may not be necessary.
Now locate the fire wall pass through. Circled below is the cap which is located on the engine side. The end of the pass through has a rubber end piece that looks like a mini distributor cap. Cut one of the rubber ends off and pass through the vacuum line. Note: On S 70 and C 70 the engine side pass thorough is found under the main fuse box.
Now remove the trim below your steering wheel. It is held on with either 1 or 3 torx screws. Use a T25 to remove the screws. Above and behind the brake pedal you will see the other end of the pass through conduit. Make the necessary cut and pull through about a foot of vacuum line.
Go back to the engine compartment. Locate the throttle body cover. It is the plastic piece that covers the throttle wheel and the end of the throttle cable. With the cover removed you will see a vacuum tree like what is shown below. Note the two available vacuum outlets. This is where you will connect one end of the vacuum line. The best way I found to connect into the vacuum T is with a 3/16 vacuum cap. Buy a longer 3/16 vacuum cap. Using a small drill bit, drill a hole and pass through an inch of vacuum tubing. Now using a nail or similar object flange out the end of the vacuum line. This should keep the tube from pulling free under boost. Now, slip the vacuum cap onto the T and zip-tie in place for extra security. I also used a wire loom to keep the line from rubbing or coming into contact with hot engine parts.
Now back under the driverside foot well, pull through any extra vacuum line. Pull free the rubber trim from the door as shown below. Now work the vacuum line over the hood release and into the area between the door and the trim.
Turn your attention to the head light switch now. Using a small flathead screwdriver work the switch out. Be careful not to scratch anything. With the switch out you will need to splice into two wires. Splice one 3 foot wire to the pink wire, and one 3 foot wire to the black wire. Polarity does not matter. Now fish the two electrical wires to the same place as the vacuum line. Tip: If you are using the wire splices shown below, fill the channels with a silicon gel before crimping. Although this is not requires, this will help prevent corrosion.
With that complete, figure out exactly where you are going to mount your gauge on the pillar. For this installation we are mounting the gauge in a pod on the A pillar. Determine the best routing for the wires to thread behind the A Pillar. To accomplish this gently pry the A pillar out. It will snap straight out. Being careful to avoid drilling into the metal, drill a 3/8 inch hole through the A pillar in the appropriate place for the wires and the vacuum line to come through. You may wish to purchase a rubber grommet to line the hole and protect the lines and wires. Locate the vacuum line and wires you spliced. Work them between the door and up behind the A pillar. Pass them through the hole making sure not to crimp anything. All that is left is to connect the vacuum line with the provided fittings and hook up power to the light bulb. For the light, crimp a .25 inch female spade connector on each wire. With the connectors in place, slide them onto the gauges male spade ports.
Mounting the pod and gauge is the final step. There are many ways to do this. Velcro, double stick tape, screws, and epoxy are all readily available methods. What method is best for you depends on your skill. I found the most aesthetically pleasing method is bonding the pod to the pillar with industrial epoxy. This requires a little work though. If you are not comfortable with epoxy, screws will also work. Velcro and tape are also options, but from my experience are not as stable. They lack the durability needed, and leave large gaps between the gauge pod and the A pillar. Prior to mounting the pod to the A pillar is a good time to test all the connections.
Now that the installation is complete, the only thing left to do is crank up the engine and enjoy your new boost gauge, and the vital information it provides. It will be obvious if you have a vacuum leak, as the gauge will not move and the engine will idle rough.