OK, after numerous PM's on how to do this... here's the official write up.

Start off by removing the Center Console, Center Stack w/ Trim, and Lower Steering Column Cover. Here's a link to a thread w/ PDF's on how to remove the console and stack, the lower steering column cover is held on w/ three screws, you may want to also remove the drivers knee bolster (I didn't).

Link to PDF's

Next remove the Cigar Lighter. I do not know of an easy way to do this, I literally picked, cut, and carefully pryed it out of there. I'm sure that's not the right way to do it, but it worked for me. If someone knows how to take it out the right way, please add the instructions to this thread.

Before I forget to mention it, do not cut any factory wiring in this install, simply strip away the insulation as shown in the pics, and everything will also work as normal.

More to come, I have to split this up so I can post the pics... Give me a few minutes.

Next it's time to tap into the starter wire, it's located at the rear of the ignition cylinder, under the steering column. The starter is the darker solid green wire as shown in pic, strip this, attach a like gauge wire, and feed through dash to center stack near cigar lighter. Connect to location -3 on the engine start button. Wrap/tape, ok to reattach lower steering column cover. 2 pics, one showing wire, 1 showing location.

Here's a pic showing the starter wire ready to be wrapped/taped.

Next, I picked up a wire to power the light inside the engine start button. I picked a light so the engine start button light will work with the dimmer switch w/ the rest of your dash lights.
Under the center console, there's a wiring harness for lighting up the lights for the auto tranny gear indicator (both auto and man have the wiring). I tapped in to the blue wire w/ red stripe. Strip, attach a wire, wrap/tape and run behind center stack to where cigar lighter was and connect to X1.

Here's the one thing I wasn't 100% sure about doing. I needed a 12v source to power the button, I used the power for the cigar lighter. You might want to use something that normally draws a little more power and would have a lower gauge wire going to it, you could even pull directly from your battery (please make sure to fuse it if you do it that way). I've seen people plug all kinds of crap into the cigar lighter w/out overloading it, so I think it'll be OK, I put an additional fuse on it anyway, just in case. This is the wire that provides power to the unit, to send to the starter.

If you do it my way...
(poster nor site assumes no responsibility if your car burns up, blows up, or gets screwed up)
The wire from the cigar lighter harness is the blue wire w/ stripe. Strip, attach wire and fuse, wrap/tape, and attach to location -4 on button.

All that said, mine works fine, never a sign of the slightest problem, and I'm only using a 3amp fuse, so there's no problems.

Wiring's almost done. Attach your ground wire to the x2 location and attach to a good ground. I chose to ground it to a bolt for the e-brake. The red wire is my ground wire. Easy to do there since everything's already apart, and it's easy to get that one solid. Run wire behind stack and under carpet to e-brake location.

Take some time and put the button assy from behind into the cigar lighter hole, and attach the chrome trim ring from the front. Then reverse the PDF instructions above to reassemble everything. I recommend testing the button before putting everything back together.

Here it is installed, hope these help you guys. It's a cool functioning mod. No one has even thought that it wasn't OEM. Very impressive and fun. Looks and works great. Everything else functions as stock as well (works w/ the key). And yes, you still need the key to start the car, put the key in and push the button instead of turning it all the way forward. I'll answer any questions I can, right now I have to go pick up my wife from work... any excuse to drive the stang! :drive:

Excellent post. I have been thinking of doing this, and now that you have and even listed out step-by-step on how to, I am really considering this. I have the same interior you do, the red button looks great.

Thanks again.

The button also came with blue and yellow covers that say Engine Start on them. So anyone w/ a Sonic Blue or Screaming Yellow would have something that matched too!

Images fixed, or my computer was flaky last time I was looking at the thread :nice: excellent tutorial.

Time to make it a sticky! :nice:

Really neat mod. . Where do you get the START button shown?

Thanks, John. You are a brave man! Electrical issues always make me break into a cold sweat! :jester:

Your step-by-step is a classic example of TMS member generosity. :nice:

Anyone else having problems w/ the images?

I got mine from PepBoys, it's brand is Conduct-Tite. You can get them all over the internet, the most popular one is 'Ignited'. I believe they're nearly identical.

I know what you mean, this was pretty straight forward though. My Mom had trouble seeing when she was reversing in her CR-V. So, I installed a set of Aux back up lamps on it for her. I tapped into the lead for the stock reverse lamps (which worked), and the Airbag Light came on!!! What? The Airbag light??? I brought it to the dealer and for some reason the airbags are tied into the reverse lights... WHY? What kind of stupid crap is this? Talk about over-engineering a car/safety. :shame:

It's been in for over a week, 2400 miles, about 30 starts, no problems.

To get it to work....you just insert the key, turn it to Access, and press the button?

Yup, put the key in, turn it forward 1 notch, push button... Varooom! Works with just the key as well, but great for showing off! Everyone who has seen it has thought it was really cool, no one had the slightest negative thing to say, and everyone thought it was from the factory that way. Showed about 20 people, including one of my best buds, who has every Road and Track, Car/Driver, MotorTrend, etc for the last 15 years, a real car nut... even he thought it was OEM until I told him I put it in. I couldn't be happier and would do it again in a second.

I got mine from PepBoys, it's brand is Conduct-Tite. You can get them all over the internet, the most popular one is 'Ignited'. I believe they're nearly identical.
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Thanks for the fast reply

05GT, I'm goint to order the Ignited one from Pepboys today. Just wondering, looks like yours is illuminated. Is it lit up all the time or just when the lights are on? Do you find it distracting at all? Trying to make up my mind illuminated or not :dunno:

Thanks for the great post, very helpful.