The how to
modify page.
Some of this information was provided by various car magazines and Mig Performance Vauxhalls. Be sure to give them a visit at http://www.f9.mikey.co.uk
How to fit a digital dash to an Astra.
Obtain the digital dash, the wiring loom behind it with the plugs on, the sender from the gearbox and the loom, which plugs into that. The dash comes out of the car by removing the screw at the top of the instruments, then levering upwards to dislocate the two lugs on the bottom of the dash and then pulling outwards. Unplug the two plugs in the back of it and then cut as much of the loom out as possible so there is enough wire to allow for any mishaps. The sender on the gearbox simply unscrews from the gears already in the box, and cut as much of the three wires leading to it as possible. On the one I did they reached just into the car.
First off a small amount of time and a manual is needed to cross reference between the two relevant wiring diagrams, to work out which wires are what and also to work out what wire does what as some wires do not correspond with the exact partner on the new loom. Once this has been done removal of the old unit can begin. Remove the plastic surrounds of the steering column, and the dash surround. Unplug the switches and remove this from the area. Now remove the screw at the top of the unit and remove the unit as described earlier. Unplug the single plug and remove from the dashboard. Now run through the new wiring loom to make sure that you have all the correct wires. Having worked out which wires are relevant, start to strip them and connect them to a set of connectors. I used one block of six for each plug, and then a third for the earths and positives as there are quite a few. Now (gutsy bit) you have to cut the plug off the end of the existing wiring loom. Then strip all the wires and start to connect them to the blocks on the new loom. The new loom should now start to join up to the existing one. At this point all wires apart from the lives and earths should all be connected. There will be two lives and two earths in the original loom and four earths and three lives in the new GTE loom. Connect the lives from the white plug to one of the lives and the live from the black plug to the other live. With everything connected it is time for an initial try.
You will find that all will light up and do its start up routine but the lights on indicator, the choke light, the brake warning light and the indicator repeaters may not work properly. The indicators will need a separate supply from each die and this can be taken from the hazard light switch. I little trial and error is required to find the right two. The choke light will need connecting up to either the ABS warning light, or the engine malfunction light as there is no wiring in the new loom. The lights on warning light will need connecting to the original dash lights wire, which will have a spade connector on it. Strip this and connect to the blocks.
The speed sender will have three wires leading to it, an earth, a live and a signal wire. Connect the earth to the main earth for the dash and the live to the one for the white plug, and the sender wire to the connector where the new loom should be. These three wires will need extending, but not by much. Now it is time for a test drive. Locate the dash in the hole but do not secure just yet. Watch the dash do its start-up routine and then start the car. The oil pressure will be maximum, the battery and the charge level, the fuel will read as normal, and the temperature will read nil until the car warms up as usual. The rev counter should be working, check that it reads approx. what the old one used to. Then drive the car down the road and watch the revs and road speed and check that they seem as they where with the old dash. If not then pull out the unit and flick the small switch on the top and try again.
Everything should work fine. Now push the dash into place and put the screw in at the top. Now replace the rest of the dash parts as per reverse of removal.
