'05 KJ EVIC Success Story

[Boilermaker]

Finally finished installing an evic in my '05...thanks to the how-to thread and a bunch of other evic threads from the forum.

Started by pulling out the dome light to find that I didnt have a retainer...but fortunatly thx1138 posted the part number in the how-to thread so i was able to order the part thru the dealership. Next up was running the wires under the headliner and down the A-pillar down to the dash area. I needed a 7/32 deep socket nut driver to take out the bolts in the A-pillar molding. For the fused ignition connection, i just hooked the wire up temporarily to a fuse in the fusebox, there didnt seem to be an easily accessable wire to splice into. The rest of the connections were soldered into data link connector at the bottom of the dash.

Started with an evic from an '02 WJ, and it worked ok...as expected it didn't show the temperature, instant mpg read 0, no tpms and no open door messages. It probably would have worked much better in and '02 or '03 KJ. The WJ retainer is close enough to the KJ retainer that it migh have fit with a little bit of modification, but since i knew i would eventually want to sell it, i didnt go that route.

Found an evic from an '04 on ebay (56010438AD) and it works almost perfectly. Temp readout works, seems like my liberty came with the sensor already installed in the grille. I get all the open door warnings, and I have a 4 tire tpms display...all blank because i don't have sensors yet. I get a warning when i turn the car on about faulty/missing tire sensors, but one button push and it goes away.

The only glitch is that the dome lights come on when they are supposed to be off, and go off when they are supposed to be on. Since i didnt have to touch the light connections, i'm guessing the wiring has changed between '04 and '05. I also wasnt able to swap the lights from my dome light to the evic because they arent the same (i'll post pics of as much of the install as i can if there is interest). I've left the dome light unplugged for now, at some point i have to go back in and run a new set of wires for an autodimming mirror from a wrecked '05 KJ that i also got off ebay.

 

[palla]

Keep us posted, I for one would be very interested in the pics. I am trying to do the same thing down here in Australia. Finding an EVIC from an 04/05 is the hard bit.

Palla

 

[garp]

I have all the parts to do this, and am about to pull the trigger.

I have a couple of questions:

1) How did you mount the retainer? I was planning on using 3M Red Tape

2) How did you line up the retainer? I have nightmares about it winding up at some odd angle that would drive me nuts for as long as I own the Jeep

Any tips would be appreciated

Thanks.

 

[Boilermaker]

1) How did you mount the retainer? I was planning on using 3M Red Tape

I think i used the same thing... .5 inch wide 3M Molding tape

2) How did you line up the retainer? I have nightmares about it winding up at some odd angle that would drive me nuts for as long as I own the Jeep

used a tape measure to take a couple of measurements...i used the center of the original dome light as a reference and the also found the midpoint of the center edges of the visors (before i removed the center torx screws). Marked the center of the headliner with a white chalk pencil, and marked the center of the retainer. That being said, i ended up a 1/16" off to the right...which doesnt sound like much, but if you are looking for it, it's barely noticable with the visors up. Since i also ended up nicking my headliner a little on the left side, i'm going to move it over so its centered when i run more wires for my mirror (which will also cover my nick).

Since the retainer is about as wide as the console molding, i mounted the retainer before i cut the headliner and used it as a guide for cutting. While i cut i made sure i left about 3/8" to a 1/2" inside of the retainer all the way around. It worked for the most part, there was an area or two i had to trim back a little more. I went slow cutting the headliner, so i ended up with enough headliner left inside of the console that allows move everything over a touch after the fact. I think its i the how-to thread, but its probably worth repeating... take your time cutting the headliner, and use a very sharp knife/cutter.

That will take care of left/right centering....as far as front and back, the retainer has that strange shape on the side that attaches to the roof....and it fits nice and snug to a ridge on the roof. I have a picture of it before i put it in, i need to upload somewhere so i can post it. But if you push the retainer back against that little ridge, it will pretty much ensure your molding will end up parallel to the windshield.

And for the final mounting, i put the screw in the front of the console first, then pushed the clips in. I was having a tough time lining everything up..having the one end screwed in made it easier for me, since it was tough to see where the openings for the clips were as i pushed the console in.

One more thing that i wish i had done....put plastic down where you can to catch the fiberglass from cutting the roofliner. I've vacuumed my jeep several times since, used armor all on the dash, and i'm still finding bits and peices here and there.

sorry that got kind of long, hope it helps out some.

 

[VTNomad]

04 install

I've got an 04 and have a retainer. My advice for those of you who don't is to line up the EVIC with the existing hole from the dome light and trace away from the driver, towards the windshield. The EVIC does not come any farther towards the driver than the dome lights did.

On a side note, I'm going to add the dome light over my rear seat. How does that stay in, is there a retainer? I guess I need to go to a dealership and get some measurements so I center it up right.

 

[Gentleman]

Re: 04 install

On a side note, I'm going to add the dome light over my rear seat. How does that stay in, is there a retainer? I guess I need to go to a dealership and get some measurements so I center it up right.

There is no retainer, the rear light is held in by tabs on the light that fit under the headliner.and sort of sandwiches it in

Bob

 

[Boilermaker]

Just a follow up and a bump...the 3m molding tape holds really well, i wasn't able to remove the retainer to move it over slightly. I might have been able to pull down enough to take it down, but the headliner would have come down with it.

A little correction to my a previous post too...it wasnt quite 1/2" of headliner i left around the inside of the retainer, but it was definatly a little more than 1/4" most of the way around. I also put a little bit of foam around the edges of the retainer to push the headliner tight against the evic housing. Looks a lot better now, and it appears more centered for some reason.

 

[stackthepads30]

I'm glad you got it done.....I know I was thrilled once I got everything the way it needed to be.....now I just have to purchase those tire sensors and have them installed, and then I'm ok......

I did my buddy's 04 as well as mine, and it was a success as well. Doing the job is half the fun, and then playing with the console is the other half of the fun

 

[Boilermaker]

now I just have to purchase those tire sensors and have them installed, and then I'm ok......

Yea, i'm looking for a good place to buy the sensors too....I think i need the sensors from an '04 since i have an '04 evic. See this thread, apparently there are differences in the '04 and ''05+ sensors. So far i'm completly happy with the install. Besides having a new toy to play with, I've gotten rid of the two remote openers that were hanging from the visors.

One question...how many miles to empty is everybody's evics showing after a fill up? Its been a couple of tank fulls, and its showed me about 420 miles to empty. I ran it to what i thought was pretty dry once before i installed the evic, almost all highway driving, and i got about 380 miles.

 

[stackthepads30]

My jeep says about 340 or something like that when I fill up. I haven't had the chance to do a lot of highway driving, but was getting somewhere between 300 to 330 a tank on the highway (depending if the wind was with me or not). Just remember because its an estimate I think it overestimates what your actual total is going to be (It did that in my sebring convertible when I had it as well). Coming back home from Illinois my miles to empty ran to 0 in front of the Lordstown GM plant off I80, and was able to drive about 4 more miles through the toll plaza and to youngstown for gas without even a sputter. I'm sure the tank can only register so lo and that there was enough residual left for me to get where I needed to go....but it had me sweating bullets though [-o<