i asked some guy at tweeter the other day about a stereo install w/sub, amp, and the swi-x adapter for radio controls and he told me that there is no way i would be able to keep the dte/trip/mpg gauge functional if i were to go through with the stereo install. is this true?

 

lol, lucky i got here first or you probably would got flamed for not searching. It's all in the stickies my friend.

"This question has been asked quite a few times, so I am posting the answer here:

"How do I make the steering wheel controls work with an aftermarket headunit on a 2k2 or 2k3?"

This is a two step process. First you have to obtain the PAC SWI-X adapter from Crutchfield or some other mobile audio dealer. This will allow you to utilize the radio functions on the steering wheel.
Secondly, to regain use of the trip computer (the one with temp, DTE, MPG, etc.) you have to first locate the small wiring harness you removed from the stock deck, but diudn't use in the install of your aftermarket deck. This is a small harness with 4-5 wires in it. One of these wires is brown with a white stripe/marking. This wire must be cut from the harness, the stripped and grounded. I recommend grounding it to the large metal peice below the vents (you can use a small screw or electrical tape), or any other grounding site. This will now give you full use of all steering wheel controls."

 

RKYAT! YOU THE MAN! I installed a full aftermarket stereo, and I could not get that to work. Thank you for the INFO! I can't wait to put it back on working capacity!!