Dash Removal / Replacement

This one of those Vauxhall (lack of) service saga's, but basically I've taken the car into them 3 times and had to leave it for several days each time because of lack of parts etc. etc. Twice they've "fixed" something that wasn't broken and didn't need attention, on the 3rd occassion they did finally fix the fault (the cabin fan switch was broken), but have re-installed the dash so its on the wonk - lifting at the passenger side. Life is just too short to take it back a 4th time and there is now a real danger I might just kill all of them, so is slotting the dash in properly something I can do one afternoon for myself or do I really have to deal with the buggers again? If you know how to do dashboard installation magic please let me know!

1. take off dash plates 2. Remove stereo 3. undo three phillips screws at either end and near stereo 4. Lift off dash (remembering the start button which I didn't so I snapped it off, I now start my car with a paper clip

Hhmmn, thanks thorney. That doesn't sound too difficult. Might have a go at it and thanks fro the tip about the starter. I did get the radio out ages ago to hard wire in a geodessy and that was ridiculously fiddly cos there's no doodad supplied for pulling the radio our (think I used needle nose pliers in the end). Got any suggestions for how one does this more easily, or is the requisite doodad avilable from Halfords?

I used four bits of welding wire.

Oh, and when you've spent 10 mins trying to get the dash to move, remove the 4th screw that's hiding over the light switch cluster.

Oh, and when you've spent 10 mins trying to get the dash to move, remove the 4th screw that's hiding over the light switch cluster.

3 pints of fosters first helps too

i wonder how long it takes in the vauxhall service / labour time sheets to do a job like that? today i removed the dashplates, stereo , dash , steering wheel, s/wheel columns, airbag, stack bars, and heater to fix a wiring fault and took me about an hour! i thought it was quite easy in respect, but putting it back took longer making sure u dont loose any screws and little bits like that...

I now start my car with a paper clip

lightweight paperclip Vs heavy starter button!!! now thats hardcore!! puts Ricky to shame

Oh, and when you've spent 10 mins trying to get the dash to move, remove the 4th screw that's hiding over the light switch cluster.

I removed mine at the weekend. After removing 3 screws, spent a few mintues wondering why the panel was stuck. Eventually found the 4th screw after a couple of minutes of peering through the front panels

Screw locations are shown in the attached photos.

and another

Having just spent the afternoon upside down in the foot wells, I thought I better add a bit to this thread.

I have a 05 VXT and apparently that has a 6th dash screw - in an attempt to 'fix' the lifting dash issue vauxhall have riveted another bracket behind the vx220 logo panel. To get at it I had to drill out the rivets for the logo and velcro it back on later.

At least I now have a working Ipod lead to the pax cubby hole and a hard wired snooper to show for my efforts.

Having just spent the afternoon upside down in the foot wells, I thought I better add a bit to this thread.

I have a 05 VXT and apparently that has a 6th dash screw - in an attempt to 'fix' the lifting dash issue vauxhall have riveted another bracket behind the vx220 logo panel. To get at it I had to drill out the rivets for the logo and velcro it back on later.

At least I now have a working Ipod lead to the pax cubby hole and a hard wired snooper to show for my efforts.

good tip.

My dash will be cmoing off (again) next weekend as I will be installing a new Alpine HU (the iPod Full speed one), some front speakers and adding leds behind the heater controls.

Having just spent the afternoon upside down in the foot wells, I thought I better add a bit to this thread.

I have a 05 VXT and apparently that has a 6th dash screw - in an attempt to 'fix' the lifting dash issue vauxhall have riveted another bracket behind the vx220 logo panel. To get at it I had to drill out the rivets for the logo and velcro it back on later.

At least I now have a working Ipod lead to the pax cubby hole and a hard wired snooper to show for my efforts.

anyone know if this is true for 04's ?

Having just spent the afternoon upside down in the foot wells, I thought I better add a bit to this thread.

I have a 05 VXT and apparently that has a 6th dash screw - in an attempt to 'fix' the lifting dash issue vauxhall have riveted another bracket behind the vx220 logo panel. To get at it I had to drill out the rivets for the logo and velcro it back on later.

At least I now have a working Ipod lead to the pax cubby hole and a hard wired snooper to show for my efforts.

anyone know if this is true for 04's ?

I did this yesterday, mine is an 03 and only had 4 screws.

One thing I found that no one mentiond was the top stack surround actually hooks in a slot in the dash which can make it a bit tricky to remove the dash.

I couldnt see how you were supposed to get it off so brute force was the order of the day

Im sure it wasnt supposed to bend that way!!!

Edited by james141, 11 February 2008 - 10:16 PM.

I did this yesterday, mine is an 03 and only had 4 screws.

One thing I found that no one mentiond was the top stack surround actually hooks in a slot in the dash which can make it a bit tricky to remove the dash.

I couldnt see how you were supposed to get it off so brute force was the order of the day

Yep and even harder trying to get it to clip back in place!!

I did this yesterday, mine is an 03 and only had 4 screws.

One thing I found that no one mentiond was the top stack surround actually hooks in a slot in the dash which can make it a bit tricky to remove the dash.

I couldnt see how you were supposed to get it off so brute force was the order of the day

Yep and even harder trying to get it to clip back in place!!

I actually thought that when I finally got it off but it went back on quite easly, I have probably bent the metal slot thing

Also as a side note my heater seems to work a lot better since I have removed and refitted the dash, I get loads more air

I did this yesterday, mine is an 03 and only had 4 screws.

One thing I found that no one mentiond was the top stack surround actually hooks in a slot in the dash which can make it a bit tricky to remove the dash.

I couldnt see how you were supposed to get it off so brute force was the order of the day

Yep and even harder trying to get it to clip back in place!!

I actually thought that when I finally got it off but it went back on quite easly, I have probably bent the metal slot thing

Also as a side note my heater seems to work a lot better since I have removed and refitted the dash, I get loads more air

I've noticed the exact same thing!

ive got the 4 screws out, got the dash part loose however its stuck on the cowling for the fake stack bit wrried its just going to rip the instrument pod out

ive got the 4 screws out, got the dash part loose however its stuck on the cowling for the fake stack

bit wrried its just going to rip the instrument pod out

Try and pull the stack binnacle towards you at the same time as lifting the dash up. Bit of force and it'l come out.