ok first things first... i take NO responsibility for anything you do... 
no matter what it is... blowing your engine, toasting your ecu, anything that would mean i owe u even $0.01 i take no responsibility... your following this diy on your own time, your own dollar, and your own risk.
tools:
several... (whats in the ecu removal diy and whats below)
wire strippers,
crimpers,
utility knife (or something similar),
VERY good flashlight (i suggest Dewalt or led)
very long flat-head (longer than 12"s suggested)
SHORT philips (the 1-2" long one)
a patience... u can find this at the local bar...
skill level required (out of 10):
mechanical: 1
electrical: 5
intelligence: 7
patience: 6
time taken: 4 hours (after 2 days of no sleep and plenty of pain pills...)
benefits:
fuel management unsurpassed by other piggy-backs
partial timing control (fail-safe timing retarding)
open-loop tuning ability
emissions friendly
other diy's referenced:
ecu removal - Thanks to C-Shark
support thread:
(link added once created)
Pre-install steps:
disconnect battery
also... since u need to reset your ecu back to it's base fuel trims before u can tune it in closed-loop... u need to disconnect it anyway...
> Starting from where somewhere around where the ecu removal left off....
step 1:
un-clip and unplug the white plugs slightly to the right and below the blower assembly
![Image]()
step 2:
get the harness out of the way... because it will get rather annoying if u don't...
![Image]()
step 3:
remove the bolts that hold the ecu firmly in the rubber grommets... disconnect plugs then remove the ecu... take your time getting the plugs out... if u can't quite grasp how he explains it in the guide... ask somebody before u start yanking things... u can't just buy new plugs...
![Image]()
>>pic of harness length before blower removal
![Image]()
step 4:
unplug the harness from the blower motor itself. Remove the first bolt on the bottom of the blower housing.
![Image]()
step 5:
remove the second screw/bolt (left most bottom bolt on blower housing) and remove the screw/bolt holding the relay next to the ground point (right behind it u can't miss it)
![Image]()
step 6:
remove screw/bolt 3 and 4 (left side near the top of the housing) they hold the housing to the... vent distributor... that's what ima call it...
![Image]()
step 7:
remove screw/bolt 5 (holds housing to the vent to the outside which also holds the air filter)
![Image]()
step 8:
un-clip the two clips holding the plastic which holds the cabin filter in place... then remove the cabin filter
![Image]()
step 9:
remove screw/bolt 6... looking straight back from the screw is the next step (that way u get a general idea)
![Image]()
step 10:
remove the right rear clip... i had an 18-22" long flat head... I'm not sure what you should use if u don't but there is VERY little room... i put it underneath it and (what i almost forgot to note is that i magnetized the flat-head with my sub right before hand... so i didn't lose the clip) then turn the screw driver and it will pop it right off
![Image]()
![Image]()
step 11:
remove the three screws/bolts holding the blower in the housing (this could have been done between steps 4 and 5... this is just when i got around to realizing i was going to have to...) and yes i forgot to take a pic of it before i took it out...
![Image]()
step 12:
this one should be fun to explain... i couldn't get any pictures that actually show the location... if you look down the left side of where the filter is held (opposite of other clip) you'll notice there isn't a clip there... that's because they decided to put it on the BACK side of the housing... yes now u can cry... i did NOT find a professional or even reasonable way to remove this clip (or be able to reinstall it) but it isn't needed structurally as long as every other screw and clip is put back. I used a medium sized flat head and about 1/2" away from the corner pushed through the seem between the two... (fairly bendable plastic) didn't take much force to make it's way between the two and the clip popped off with a satisfying ricochet off the firewall
![Image]()
![Image]()
step 13:
Ok now that all the screws/bolts and clips are removed the housing is now only held there by the magical powers of Annoyance... (wouldn't it be nice if everything just came out perfectly?) pull down on it until it separates from the top portion of the housing... then slide it right (which will slide it out of the vent assembly on the left) and at this point it seems like it's stuck and you've gotten yourself into a mess your gonna regret...
push the front (top most towards you) up into the top portion a little and "twist" or "turn" it so that the back side comes down towards u... it'll try to catch on the carpet and every little thing in the floor... it's a pain (it's not meant to be removed with dash still in the car)
oh there is also a harness attached to the left side i forgot to mention... i forgot it when i was taking it out and had to un-clip it then... I'm hoping i don't forget it when i put it back together...
![Image]()
![Image]()
continued in further posts...
no matter what it is... blowing your engine, toasting your ecu, anything that would mean i owe u even $0.01 i take no responsibility... your following this diy on your own time, your own dollar, and your own risk.tools:
several... (whats in the ecu removal diy and whats below)
wire strippers,
crimpers,
utility knife (or something similar),
VERY good flashlight (i suggest Dewalt or led)
very long flat-head (longer than 12"s suggested)
SHORT philips (the 1-2" long one)
a patience... u can find this at the local bar...
skill level required (out of 10):
mechanical: 1
electrical: 5
intelligence: 7
patience: 6
time taken: 4 hours (after 2 days of no sleep and plenty of pain pills...)
benefits:
fuel management unsurpassed by other piggy-backs
partial timing control (fail-safe timing retarding)
open-loop tuning ability
emissions friendly
other diy's referenced:
ecu removal - Thanks to C-Shark
support thread:
(link added once created)
Pre-install steps:
disconnect battery
also... since u need to reset your ecu back to it's base fuel trims before u can tune it in closed-loop... u need to disconnect it anyway...
> Starting from where somewhere around where the ecu removal left off....
step 1:
un-clip and unplug the white plugs slightly to the right and below the blower assembly
step 2:
get the harness out of the way... because it will get rather annoying if u don't...
step 3:
remove the bolts that hold the ecu firmly in the rubber grommets... disconnect plugs then remove the ecu... take your time getting the plugs out... if u can't quite grasp how he explains it in the guide... ask somebody before u start yanking things... u can't just buy new plugs...
>>pic of harness length before blower removal
step 4:
unplug the harness from the blower motor itself. Remove the first bolt on the bottom of the blower housing.
step 5:
remove the second screw/bolt (left most bottom bolt on blower housing) and remove the screw/bolt holding the relay next to the ground point (right behind it u can't miss it)
step 6:
remove screw/bolt 3 and 4 (left side near the top of the housing) they hold the housing to the... vent distributor... that's what ima call it...
step 7:
remove screw/bolt 5 (holds housing to the vent to the outside which also holds the air filter)
step 8:
un-clip the two clips holding the plastic which holds the cabin filter in place... then remove the cabin filter
step 9:
remove screw/bolt 6... looking straight back from the screw is the next step (that way u get a general idea)
step 10:
remove the right rear clip... i had an 18-22" long flat head... I'm not sure what you should use if u don't but there is VERY little room... i put it underneath it and (what i almost forgot to note is that i magnetized the flat-head with my sub right before hand... so i didn't lose the clip) then turn the screw driver and it will pop it right off
step 11:
remove the three screws/bolts holding the blower in the housing (this could have been done between steps 4 and 5... this is just when i got around to realizing i was going to have to...) and yes i forgot to take a pic of it before i took it out...
step 12:
this one should be fun to explain... i couldn't get any pictures that actually show the location... if you look down the left side of where the filter is held (opposite of other clip) you'll notice there isn't a clip there... that's because they decided to put it on the BACK side of the housing... yes now u can cry... i did NOT find a professional or even reasonable way to remove this clip (or be able to reinstall it) but it isn't needed structurally as long as every other screw and clip is put back. I used a medium sized flat head and about 1/2" away from the corner pushed through the seem between the two... (fairly bendable plastic) didn't take much force to make it's way between the two and the clip popped off with a satisfying ricochet off the firewall
step 13:
Ok now that all the screws/bolts and clips are removed the housing is now only held there by the magical powers of Annoyance... (wouldn't it be nice if everything just came out perfectly?) pull down on it until it separates from the top portion of the housing... then slide it right (which will slide it out of the vent assembly on the left) and at this point it seems like it's stuck and you've gotten yourself into a mess your gonna regret...
push the front (top most towards you) up into the top portion a little and "twist" or "turn" it so that the back side comes down towards u... it'll try to catch on the carpet and every little thing in the floor... it's a pain (it's not meant to be removed with dash still in the car)
oh there is also a harness attached to the left side i forgot to mention... i forgot it when i was taking it out and had to un-clip it then... I'm hoping i don't forget it when i put it back together...
continued in further posts...
