1995 3000GT VR-4: Defi Control Unit Installation

• Why Do I Want To Do This?

  • Defi makes some pretty cool gauges with excellent features. This control unit is the "brain" of the system, and should be mounted in a conveniently accessible place that is out of harm's way.
  • There's plenty of completely unused room near the front of the shift boot in the 3000GT, so why not put it there? It's out of the way, but accessible, and it protects the unit. The only downside is that the two buttons on the far right (REC and PEAK) are sometimes blocked from view by the shifter knob. I have not found this be be a significant inconvenience.




• How Long Will It Take Me To Do This?

  • If you're good at this kind of stuff, and have the right tools, plan on a couple hours. If not, then you could still get through it in a half-day.




• Anything I Should Do Prior To Attempting This Procedure?

  • If you want instant gratification when you get the control unit installed, you probably want to install your sensors and gauges before installing the control unit. Doing so also makes connecting the sensors much easier, and I'd recommend doing it this way.
  • Depending on where you're routing wires and how small your fingers are, you may want to pull out your radio. I already had it out when I did this, and it did make it easier.
  • You also may want to remove the carpeted panels on the sides of the center console as that will make mounting things easier.




• What Mitsubishi Parts Will I Need?

  • None.




• What Other Parts Will I Need?

  • Defi Control Unit II
  • Aluminum Stock (2" x 1/8")
  • Adjustable Pipe-Hanging Bracket
  • Misc small bolts, washers, and nuts
  • Velcro or something similar
  • Zip Ties




• Where Can I Get the Stuff To Do This?

  	Part	Company/Contact	Part Number
  	Defi Control Unit II	MVP Motorsports	De DF05001
  	Aluminum Stock (2" x 1/8")	Home Depot or any Hardware Store	N/A
  	Adjustable Pipe-Hanging Bracket	Home Depot or any Hardware Store	N/A
  	Misc small bolts, washers, and nuts	Home Depot or any Hardware Store	N/A
  	Velcro or something similar	Radio Shack	64-2360
  	Zip Ties	Home Depot or any Hardware Store	N/A

  
  
  




• What Tools May/Will I Need?

  • Phillips Screwdriver (#2)
  • Slotted Screwdriver
  • Drill
  • Hacksaw or something to cut aluminum
  • File or grinding wheel
  • Dremel Tool
  • Tapered Cone Sanding Bit for Dremel
  • Drill (Drill Press is nice)
  • A Couple of Small Wrenches to Hold Above Nuts




• Erik's Review

  • I really like my Defi gauges and I am also very happy with this mounting location for the control unit. After almost a year of having it installed here, I've had no problems at all.

The Procedure

	Disassemble Area Around Shift Boot
	You can remove as much or as little as you like in this step. At a minimum, you'll need to remove the shift knob (just turn it counter-clockwise and it'll screw off) and the shift boot (it just pops out). I also removed the radio and the active-aero switch panel to get some extra room to work with. And yes, I have cleaned up the rat's nest of wiring behind my radio - that picture was during an experimental phase :-)
	Fabricate Installation Bracket
	This is the part where you get to be creative. I chose to make a bracket, like the one shown, that bolts to the inner sides of the center console, just in front of the shifter boot hole. I used a piece of aluminum, cut a little wider than the control unit, and bolted it to a piece of adjustable pipe hanging material. Make sure you put the bolts that hold the aluminum bar to the bracket far enough out that the aren't under the control unit when it's mounted. I also made one end of the bracket go toward the front of the car and one toward the rear because this allowed me to line up the bracket with existing holes in the center console. Thus I didn't have to drill into the metal of the console at all.
	Test-Fit the Control Unit
	Make sure the control unit will mount to the bracket without any problems.
	Test-Fit the Mounting Bracket
	Put the bracket into the position in which you intend to mount it and make sure you have spaced the holes such that you can attach the control unit securely. If you're lucky (or took the time to line-up the holes in the bracket beforehand), you may not have to drill any new holes to mount the bracket to the car. You can also see that I already attached my "Superlock" strips to the bracket at this point. The other side of the strips will be attached to the Defi Control Unit.
	Prepare Control Unit for Mounting
	Assuming you've hooked up all your sensors, now is the time to connect them all. Also connect the power harness to the control unit and connect the gauge output harness(es). Then, attach the other half of the "Superlock" (or velcro) strips to the top of the control unit.
	Mount Control Unit
	Attach the control unit to the bracket. As you can see, I chose to wrap a large zip-tie around the bracket and control unit to provide some extra mounting security.
	Modify Shift Boot Trim Ring
	At this point, you'll need to remove the leather boot from the plastic trim ring so you can cut up the trim ring. I used a Dremel tool with a cone-shaped sanding bit to do most of the cutting. The left picture shows my first shot at it, and the right picture shows the final version. With this (and most custom fabrication) it's best to cut out a little less than necessary and then have to go back and cut more rather than cutting a whole lot the first time and ending up cutting too much. You want enough cut out of the trim ring to make for a snug fit once the leather is wrapped around the ring and everything is reinstalled.
	Put Everything Back Together
	After you power up the control unit and make sure everything's ok, you're just about done. Reinstall any panels and equipment you removed, and that's it!