A note to all those installing new EATC's

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

During a recent upgrade to a hard button EATC I wanted to make sure the unit worked before I put the whole dash back together. I turn the key on and it cycled thru properly but would only blow thru the defrost vents. No other amount of button pushing would get the vents to work. Dag nabbut, this unit is junk!! I put my old unit back in only to notice the same problem. hmmmm

Turns out that the unit has a vacuum line on the back of it, the removal of this line when replacing the unit causes the system to lose vacuum and requires you to start your car for it to work properly again.

whew!!!

 

[Toolman]

What else is involved in putting in a hard button EATC? I have one I want to put in my 90. TIA.

 

[ohioshodude]

not much, once the dash panel is off. 4 screws on the eatc, two plugs and to nuts on the vacum caister in the eatc (which you do not have to rescrew back on). then button it back up as long as the eatc is the correct one.

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

Toolman:

There are 4 hex screws and one big nut holding the gen 1 dash trim on...two hex screws visible above the speedo, and 2 behind the metal cover underneath the steering column (which is removed by 4 additional hex bolts). The big 3/4 inch nut is behind the headlight switch.

Once those are all out, gently remove the trim piece away from the dash...it will only come a bit then you have to begin disconnecting wire connectors (no biggie), there is the rear defroster, the fog lights, the attenna, all on the right, then there is one wire on the left that powers the illumination light for your light switch. With all those removed, the dash trim comes totally out.

Now you remove the 4 hex screws from the EATC unit and slide it out as far as the harness will allow (6 inches or so) and disconnect the 2 wire connectors. Slide it out some more and there are 2 nuts holding the vacuum connector to the back of the EATC (3/8 IIRC). the connector comes right off after that. I dont know what others are talking about when they say you dont have to put those two nuts back on, the connector needs to be tight to maintain a seal, and with a vibrating turbo sho, I could see your connector coming off over time.

Slide the new unit in and put it all back together. You could test the unit before assembling the dash, but you will have to start the car

Total time: less than 1 hour

 

[Toolman]

Cool, yeah, I have pulled that panel out countless times in the turbo, but just have never messed with an EATC. I had the old stlye knobs in the turbo.

Thanks