The Outside Line

Jan 30, 2008 - Danger is my middle name

Question of the Day: What is the main difference between the photos below?

Before

After

On Sunday afternoon, the mod, as in modification, bug bit me again.  I purchased a red hazard switch from Subaru Genuine Parts a few months ago, but never got around to installing it.  Late last week, I contemplated installing the switch and finally decided I would attempt to do it last weekend.  What held me back so long was the concern that I would break or scratch an interior trim piece in the process.

What's the big deal about a red hazard switch?  It's a JDM item.  That's what!  JDM stands for "Japanese Domestic Market."  If you don't understand the JDM craze, you won't understand why something this retrofit is cool.  The red hazard switch made its first appearance on the Japanese 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI S203.  Since then, Subaru limited its use to the Japanese STi/STI models until the 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Limited was released in North America.  Because of that model's introduction, the switch became readily available on this side of the Pacific.

To retrofit the new red hazard switch, here are the methods to the madness:

1. Remove the upper cupholder.  On USDM (United States Domestic Market) MY2002-2004 Imprezas, the cupholder is located under the right center A/C vent.  To remove it, one must open the cupholder, unscrew and remove the two screws that secure it, and carefully extract the cupholder from the dash.

2. Pull out the upper vent assembly.  This was the trickiest step because the lower left corner of the assembly didn't want to come out.  I was really afraid I was going to break something.  It got to a point where I stopped what I was doing to return to the computer to make sure I was following my friend's directions properly.  After rereading what I already knew, I was determined to get the vent assembly out!  I finally finagled the assembly out after a few more minutes.  It would be smooth sailing from that point forward.

3. Disconnect the wiring harness from the hazard switch.  All I had to do here was unplug the wiring harness from the switch.  Doing this releases the entire assembly into one's hand(s).

4. Pop the hazard switch out of the vent assembly.  To free the hazard switch from the vent assembly, its top and bottom need to be unlatched from the vent assembly.  I unlatched the top with a finger and the bottom using a small flathead screwdriver.  The screwdriver isn't absolutely necessary but made the task easier.  Once free, the hazard switch will come out from the front of the vent assembly.

5. Press the new hazard switch into the vent assembly.  Just push the new switch into the hole where the old one was located until you hear and feel a faint "click."

6. Plug the wiring harness into the new hazard switch.

7. Re-insert the vent assembly.

8. Re-install the cupholder.

Now, I and everyone who rides in my car will clearly know which button is the "panic" button! =Þ

I also snapped a few photos of the car after I was done.  Yes, there was actually a break in the rain in Southern California on Sunday.

1:12 am | Categories: subaru, impreza, wrx, sti Permalink | Alert Administrator

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