Ok I recently picked up a blk on blk parts car. I want to swap in the black interior since my drivers seat is gone. I was wondering if the dash is attached to the heater systems? I was going to replace the blend motor and heater core but I really don't want to remove the A/C lines until my compressor completely dies (don't want to pay for R134 twice). So can I get away with just swaping dashes or do I have to get into heater/A/C systems? And how long should it take to remove the two dashes and install one? I am guessing about a weekend...
Dash Swapping Fun
- Thread starter oh_SHO
- Start date
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jelloslug
Digital
You can swap the dash without removing the heater box. Here is a write-up it did on changing the dash: (NOTE: After taking apart my 2nd gen parts car I found that you can unhook the dash harness under the hood and push it bach through the firewall. This would make the job a bit easier to to as you could leave the harness alone. )
It took me around 6 hours to change my dash.
You should have your new dash clean and ready to go. I would let it sit in the sun for a few hours to lessen the chance of cracking it while installing it, now for the fun:
1) This is optional but suggested: Remove the front seats, it only take a few minuets but it will give you tons more room to work. After the seats are out, disconnect the battery.
2) Remove the center console. Older style: 2 screw up front, 3 under the access panel in the rear. Newer style: 1 in cupholders, several inside glove box. Pop off console top and there are 2 more at the dash.
3) Optional: remove shifter.
4) Remove all the stuff from the glove box and remove the glove box (3 or 4 screw under the dash) and then remove the metal panel under the steering column (4 screws)
5) Remove the brace under the steering column (2 bolts). Disconnect the wiring harness to the column, remove the 4 nuts that hole the column guard, remove the 4 bolts that hold the column up and then disconnect the pinch bolt from the shaft that goes to the steering rack. Remove the column from the car. You will also need to remove the large bolt to the left of the column opening.
6) Remove the "A" pillar upper and lower trim. Pull carpet up on passenger side and disconnect the dash harness at the kick panel. Do the same at the driver’s side.
7) Remove the dash bezel and remove all switches, radio, EATC, sensors, and instrument cluster. Don't forget the ones on top of the dash and the modules and relays under the dash. Unbolt the fuse panel from the hinged arm. Take pictures and/or label the connections as you unhook them.
8) Remove the screws that hold the dash to the car: 3 at the windshield, 1 behind the radio, and 1 at each door jam. On 2nd gen cars there is one to the left of the floor heater duct.
9) Lift up and back on the dash, it should come off the firewall enough that you can unhook any other connection that you could not reach before.
10) Unbolt the main harness from behind the instrument panel frame. Unhook the wiring from the stereo from the main harness, the stereo harness can stay on the dash.
11) Carefully detach the main harness from the dash, taking note of how it is run through the dash.
12) Remove the dash. You should now have a big mess of wiring like this:
13) Clean EVERYTHING while you can.
14) Reinstall in reverse order. Be extremely careful with the new dash and they will crack easily when not in the car.
Have fun!
It took me around 6 hours to change my dash.
You should have your new dash clean and ready to go. I would let it sit in the sun for a few hours to lessen the chance of cracking it while installing it, now for the fun:
1) This is optional but suggested: Remove the front seats, it only take a few minuets but it will give you tons more room to work. After the seats are out, disconnect the battery.
2) Remove the center console. Older style: 2 screw up front, 3 under the access panel in the rear. Newer style: 1 in cupholders, several inside glove box. Pop off console top and there are 2 more at the dash.
3) Optional: remove shifter.
4) Remove all the stuff from the glove box and remove the glove box (3 or 4 screw under the dash) and then remove the metal panel under the steering column (4 screws)
5) Remove the brace under the steering column (2 bolts). Disconnect the wiring harness to the column, remove the 4 nuts that hole the column guard, remove the 4 bolts that hold the column up and then disconnect the pinch bolt from the shaft that goes to the steering rack. Remove the column from the car. You will also need to remove the large bolt to the left of the column opening.
6) Remove the "A" pillar upper and lower trim. Pull carpet up on passenger side and disconnect the dash harness at the kick panel. Do the same at the driver’s side.
7) Remove the dash bezel and remove all switches, radio, EATC, sensors, and instrument cluster. Don't forget the ones on top of the dash and the modules and relays under the dash. Unbolt the fuse panel from the hinged arm. Take pictures and/or label the connections as you unhook them.
8) Remove the screws that hold the dash to the car: 3 at the windshield, 1 behind the radio, and 1 at each door jam. On 2nd gen cars there is one to the left of the floor heater duct.
9) Lift up and back on the dash, it should come off the firewall enough that you can unhook any other connection that you could not reach before.
10) Unbolt the main harness from behind the instrument panel frame. Unhook the wiring from the stereo from the main harness, the stereo harness can stay on the dash.
11) Carefully detach the main harness from the dash, taking note of how it is run through the dash.
12) Remove the dash. You should now have a big mess of wiring like this:
13) Clean EVERYTHING while you can.
14) Reinstall in reverse order. Be extremely careful with the new dash and they will crack easily when not in the car.
Have fun!
Nice, I especially like that part about not having to mess with the wiring inside the dash. I guess I need to juice up the parts car to see if everything works before I rip it apart. Thanks a lot.
Now you wanna wire up some cool toy for me??? lol Your old drivers seat looks just like mine, although I don't have the funk that you did.
I don't see how people can drive a car that nasty. But its all good now, eh?
Now you wanna wire up some cool toy for me??? lol Your old drivers seat looks just like mine, although I don't have the funk that you did.
I don't see how people can drive a car that nasty. But its all good now, eh?
jelloslug
Digital
For the most part this is what it looks like now:
A little better than it was when i got it....
A little better than it was when i got it....
jelloslug
Digital
Here they are:
I need to take a few more daylight pics.
I need to take a few more daylight pics.
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