One pointer is to lower the ashtray and cup holder before removing the center cover. I didn't do this, and put a scratch on my ash tray door that is a little annoying on a 3 week old truck. Also, it is easier to get the instrument cluster out of the dash if you lower the tilt wheel as low as it will go, and put the gear shift lever down in first gear (set your parking brake first). Also, the cluster won't come out unless you first disconnect all of the cables, which is not a trivial task unless you are a contortionist. I discovered a great shortcut though - if you feel with your hands around the back side of the instrument cluster, you can find the place where the keyless entry module plugs in, and just snap it into place, without pulling the instrument cluster all the way out (just pull it as far as you can without unplugging the cables). There is a square opening that the whole module presses into, and it won't go in if it isn't lined up right, so you really can't hurt anything by doing it blind, if you can find where it goes. This will probably save you about 30 minutes, and a lot of frustration...
Thanks again wsmoore for your response #652, your comments will be most helpful to me. As you can appreciate I was a bit ticked off when Dodge told me they want at least $200 to install this for me.
Hey, I also know how you feel about the scratch you put in your ash tray. I did one better. My truck was a week old and I jump in it to back out of the garage and I hear this ungodly noise - guess what, the garage door didn't open the whole way, it was about 8" of short of opening and I didn't notice that so I just ripped the 3rd brake light out and scratched the roof real bad all along the leading edge. Ask me if I was peeved off.
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cover. I didn't do this, and put a scratch on my ash tray door that is a little
annoying on a 3 week old truck. Also, it is easier to get the instrument
cluster out of the dash if you lower the tilt wheel as low as it will go, and
put the gear shift lever down in first gear (set your parking brake first). Also,
the cluster won't come out unless you first disconnect all of the cables,
which is not a trivial task unless you are a contortionist. I discovered a
great shortcut though - if you feel with your hands around the back side
of the instrument cluster, you can find the place where the keyless entry
module plugs in, and just snap it into place, without pulling the instrument
cluster all the way out (just pull it as far as you can without unplugging
the cables). There is a square opening that the whole module presses
into, and it won't go in if it isn't lined up right, so you really can't hurt
anything by doing it blind, if you can find where it goes. This will probably
save you about 30 minutes, and a lot of frustration...
Hey, I also know how you feel about the scratch you put in your ash tray. I did one better. My truck was a week old and I jump in it to back out of the garage and I hear this ungodly noise - guess what, the garage door didn't open the whole way, it was about 8" of short of opening and I didn't notice that so I just ripped the 3rd brake light out and scratched the roof real bad all along the leading edge. Ask me if I was peeved off.