What's behind the engine and fuel gauge face? A possible loc for 9500ci display
 

I'm thinking of locations for installing the 9500ci display, as cleanly as possible, and one of the locations is that blank area in the engine and fuel temp gauge. Since I don't have tiptronic, that space in the gauge is blank.

The issue I see is that the display module for the 9500ci is pretty thick, and just mounting the 9500ci display module on the gauge face would not leave clearance for the gauge window. But if I could modify the display so that the electronics is behind the gauge face, a nice clean install would be possible. The 9500ci display, when taken apart, is a sandwich of the electronics control board and the display dot-matrix LED board, attached by a few soldered standoff-like pins. I can desolder those pins, drill the same hole pattern on the gauge face. The control board PCB would be behind the gauge face, the dot-matrix LED display PCB would be in front, along with the red lens cover.

The other option is to cut a window in that blank area of the gauge, and let the 9500ci display be flush with the gauge face like all other dot-matrix displays on the gauge cluster, but cutting a nice oval hole on the gauge face is much tougher than drilling small holes that would be covered by red lens cover.

In either case, this is assuming there is room behind that blank area of the gauge. Anyone without tiptronic replace their gauge faces recently and knows what is behind the gauge face?

Thanks!
Andy

Interesting idea. I was just thinking about where to mount the remote bi-color LED for the 9500ci and was looking at places not typically obscured by my legs or the wheel in turns. My current top contender is right above the emergency flasher button in the middle.

But your idea has me thinking... what about there in your spot, or in the tachometer under the 4 (though due to the various warning displays and having to sink it in to not interfere with the tach needle that is probably a bad idea).....

So who can shed light on whats behind the gauge faces and how much room (if any) do we have to work with? (and if it is a good location, then I'll dig out how to uninstall the instrument cluster to work on it)

I keep forgetting, I have the Belltronics STI-R (red lens) rather than the 9500ci (blue lens), but same thing, right? :)

To remove the cluster, I found this renlist link:
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...uster-diy.html

I just didn't want to pull needles (yep, two of them for this gauge) if I didn't have to.

I also thought about the tach, but I was thinking along the same lines as you, the needle.

You have the chrono? My installer said thats a great location. I do not have chrono so
I placed mine in the center console pocket and the control head in the ashtray. Nice clean install I think.

Heres the control unit.

Did you consider the hidden rear view mirror display option?

SixGuns- great install ideas; nice clean, inconspicuous install. I'm currently set on placing the ctrl unit either flush or on the surface area between the PSM and sport\PASM switches. The sport chrono is a great spot for the led, but would require fabrication of a gauge face to display the dot matrix display.

GasOn\Off - Mirror idea might me the same difficulty as the gauge install - medium tough, but still on my list since I still don't know whats behind the gauges.

My car is getting a LN Engineering bearing upgrade, so I've got some time to think about the radar detector install.

Thanks for the link to the cluster removal. Hopefully someone who has peeked behind the faces can chime in and say if its even worth the effort.

In addition the mirror is about $700, add that to the 9500 and the install your are looking at 3k.

$500 minus 6speeder discount. But I agree, if you can rig something behind the gauges, that would be sweet.

i've installed my display with a velcro on the steering column (pic 1) for easy viewing / easy install.

The control is located on the right side (see pic 2 & 3) for easy reach.

IMO, the display integrated in the rear-view mirror offers the cleanest install with minimal work. (pic 4 & 5)