Maintenance Switch

Whenever the check engine light comes on (hasn't happen in my car yet, but I'm sure it will eventually...and I've seen it in Matt's a few times), to pull the code (see what it blinks and check it in your Helm Manual) you have to crawl over to the maintenance switch port in the passenger's side footwell and bridge the gap, either with an expensive piece of wire from Acura, or a paper clip or something equally ghetto. Why not bling up the whole process, and make it something you can do without leaving the drivers seat? Borrowing on the success of Matt's fine Antenna Switch placement, he thought of doing a switch for the maintenance connect as well while installing my cruise control. We needed to steal the metal plugs from inside the blue maintenance plug for the cruise to work...why not extend the wires and make a switch? While installing my cruise control, he suggested wiring it up since we had most of the parts available. For once, my car gets something first :)

I'd recommend doing this at the same time you do an antenna switch, because you'll be working in most of the same areas, and using most of the same parts. Get two switches, a few more quick disconnects, and a couple extra feet of wire, and you're ready to pull DTCs like a champ while raising and lowering your antenna at a whim.

Take out the center console (see antenna switch page), and remove the radio and plastic pocket assembly. Remove the glove box as well (two 8mm bolts underneath, two rotating L-shaped tabs that keep it from opening too far, one screw on the end of the plastic damper). Then, take out the metal bracket behind the glove box, and pay attention to how it comes apart (it gets sandwiched between layers on the right)

Cut the wires between the blue maintennance harness and the loom (we had to use the internal metal pieces, so our wire was pretty short on both ends...if you don't need the blue plug, give yourself more to work with.)

Solder some extentions onto the existing wires, enough to get you to the center console where the switch will be mounted.

put a switch in the plastic pocket below the radio, as done in the antenna switch install. Notice I have both now.

Loom makes everythign look nice, run this behind where the metal bracket will be.

Plug in the quick disconnects, and you're basically done!

Won't this look nice! Put everything back together, hope you don't have to use it too much :)

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