Key Ring Color Change Tutorial

What you need:

1-2 (.2) Lamp Covers CLICK ME
Philips Screwdriver

Procedure:

Take the Philips screwdriver and take out the one screw under the steering column:

Drop down steering height adjuster arm:

Pull off the bottom half of the plastic trim surrounding the steering column, use some force.

Slide off the plastic ring towards the passenger side.

Unscrew the bulb from the plastic ring, replace the lamp cover. (Make sure you leave your door closed and the light it off for 5 minutes, bulb will get HOT)

Reverse order of install to put your car back together, There is a notch that the plastic ring goes back on to.

Note: This may sometimes take more than one bulb cover to get the desired color, on a side note, I tried blue using the lamp cover method, it came out a little too teal for my taste, the red colors seem to work far better.



Modification of your car involves risks and may void your warranty. I can not be held responsible for the modifications you consciously decide to undertake nor the results of doing so. If you believe anything is incorrect in this post or you have something to add please PM me.

Very nice job with the included pics!! Thanks!!

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Thanks for the great pics...

...now if someone will tell me if I can make all 3 of my factory guage pod guages red I'll be set!!!

I'm pretty sure I can do the boost guage...not sure about oil temp and voltage.

Anyone else with an STi done this, or maybe even an '05 STi? I did it and don't recall being able to slide the plastic ring off, which made it a real PITA. Maybe I just didn't pull hard enough though...

Ill have the green->red factory gauge cluster up within an hour, maybe even the boost gauge, I did em all so im workin on tutorials for them. I also put up how to do the radio and HVAC, take a look on the interior mod forum. WR^2X You just have to give it a wiggle and then slide it off, I imagine the design is the same.

Maybe not an hour, those 2 took the life outta me.

Radio and HVAC: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=690333
Gauge Cluster: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=690378
Key Ring: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=690308
Factory Boost Gauge: Coming soon

you should have all 3 threads stickied.

Is the stock bulb green? Wouldn't that make kind of a dirty red color? Or is the bulb clear with a green bulb condom on? Either way, I think I'll be doing this mod for fun.

It's clear with a green condom on.

How come my 02 WRX doesn't have a key light? It's just a round black plastic....

oh is THAT all you have to do... wow that's great. I have some leftover bulb condoms too

That's the way Subaru made them in '02.

Question is- can you add a lighted key ring to a 2002-03????

Short answer: Well I don’t think that question has been answered one way or the other.

In theory you would need the illuminated key ring, a new upper and lower steering wheel cowling (or whatever it's called) due to the fact the ring needs a larger opening around the ignition barrel. The problem lies in the wiring since the existing wiring works off the dome light circuit. I compared the diagram of the 04 RS with a STI and noted there is no wiring for the RS.
I also physically checked it. So how would you power it? My idea would be to install the ring and see if the light could be powered off the positive brake light switch. Get in the car in the dark, push the brake and illuminate the ring.
If that worked , then buy the cowling to go with it.

Sweet. Basically, fitament is no issue- just coming up with a viable power source eh? I can swing working with that

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Well from what I can see I don’t think fitment is an issue but I cant say that with a high degree of certainty. Having had a WRX, a STI and an RS I did not see any structural difference in the key barrel or in the cowlings.(other than the increased barrel hole size) but it's always possible there is something i am not seeing. After all , for example, if the two metal posts that hold the bottom cowling were a 32nd off in the two different models that would not be noticed in a visual inspection. Nor am I certain if the bulb in the ring can be powered by a full 12 volt source. I will give this a try sometime this summer but have a few other priorities right now. Currently I am using a blue glow wire
inserted into the space around the key barrel and using the brake light as a power source.

the 03 had a lighted key ring... one of the very minor changes to the 03 from the 02.

NO
NO
I need info on the factory 3 guage pod (BOOST,VOLT,OIL TEMP)
Will the gauges pull out from there?

So it seems im the only one with the performance gauge pack

I originaly had the Per. Gauge pack install but decided to go with the Defi Cluster setup mainly for the JDM look and function but also cause they matched the stock G cluster on the 04 STI so well + monitor the vitials when haveing her tuned.
But to answer your question is to remove the two screws on the cup holder and pull it out, then the rest of center console and vents just pop out with a lil tug. now you have ease of access to the bottom clips of the gauge cluster w/ out diging up the dash w/ a screw driver! Push them in in the front and then work your way to the back and it easily pops out. Now remove the cluster and unscrew the bracket bolts that hols the gauges one buy one. Now this I have not done but would imagine that it would be possible! By observing the gauges after removal, I'd imagine that you can remove the face and then access the bulbs. The removal time for all is 10-20 min tops, so its not hard if you have time to experiment.

When you pull the bottom half of the column plastic off, do you pull it straight down, or do you pull it toward the rear of the car? I'm not looking at the piece right now so it could be that i just have to look at it to know how to pull it off.

I pulled straight down. Just did it last night actually.