My apologizes if this was answered before, but I couldn't find it with a search.

I just got a 2002 MC and really hate the onboard nav. Can the nav screen be safely removed without breaking other systems (e.g. radio doesn't work at all, gas gauge stops working, mechanic can't diagnose things)?

What I'd like to do is take apart the dash and remove the screen and replace it with a garmin nuvi, which I would modify to look nice (by fabbing some sort of plastic holder and possibly other things). I realize I'll loose the nifty gas mileage and miles left on the tank guage, but that would be acceptable. I just want to make sure I won't be doing any collateral damage by removing just the screen.

 

If you remove only the display (#2 in the diagram), I doubt it will affect anything else. It's easy enough to verify -- take it apart, disconnect the display, and see what happens. Item #1 in the diagram is necessary because it contains the electronics for gauges and warning lights.

 

FYI I removed the "navi" unit and everything else seems fine after a few days. Radio seems unchanged, gas guage and emergency flasher light button seem fine. Only thing different is the big gaping hole in my dash