Dash removal findings
Discussion
Since I am seeing lots of experts in dashboard removal out there I thought I would post this as a fresh topic.
I am investigating taking my dash out as the speedo milometer doesn't run any more. When I took the right hand air vent out I found the air duct was just sitting there unmounted to anything at a rather nose down attitude. The lefthand one was mounted securely to blow air out of the vent. Has something come apart or is it part of TVR's lack of design?
If anyone could send me the full instructions for taking out the dash to access the speedo head and its removal I would appreciate it. Do you have to take the instrument stalks off, if so how, for instance?
Also who repairs TVR speedos in the south-east? I don't fancy buying a new one off TVR as it is coloured cream.
I am investigating taking my dash out as the speedo milometer doesn't run any more. When I took the right hand air vent out I found the air duct was just sitting there unmounted to anything at a rather nose down attitude. The lefthand one was mounted securely to blow air out of the vent. Has something come apart or is it part of TVR's lack of design?
If anyone could send me the full instructions for taking out the dash to access the speedo head and its removal I would appreciate it. Do you have to take the instrument stalks off, if so how, for instance?
Also who repairs TVR speedos in the south-east? I don't fancy buying a new one off TVR as it is coloured cream.
'When I took the right hand air vent out I found the air duct was just sitting there unmounted to anything at a rather nose down attitude.'
I had this in my 4.0 as well! There was a grey plastic 'plumber's elbow' on the back which was connected to - nothing. i suspect someone had been fiddling about behind the dash for some other reason and messed it up.
By contrast on my 500, both vents work but the right one is tipped down at a slight angle. It's firmly wedged into an ally housing at the back, and I can't see what's holding it up. So rather than break it, I leave it!
I had this in my 4.0 as well! There was a grey plastic 'plumber's elbow' on the back which was connected to - nothing. i suspect someone had been fiddling about behind the dash for some other reason and messed it up.
By contrast on my 500, both vents work but the right one is tipped down at a slight angle. It's firmly wedged into an ally housing at the back, and I can't see what's holding it up. So rather than break it, I leave it!
Do you have the steve heaths bible as this has instructions on how to take the dash out,or i can explain for you.
As for the vent the plastic square end bit should be wedged into the vent tube,and when inserting the actual vent grill in i used a feeler gauge to hold the plastic square bit up while pushing the grill bit in.
No the stalks dont need to come off but the steering wheel needs to be dropped down.
Simon
As for the vent the plastic square end bit should be wedged into the vent tube,and when inserting the actual vent grill in i used a feeler gauge to hold the plastic square bit up while pushing the grill bit in.
No the stalks dont need to come off but the steering wheel needs to be dropped down.
Simon
No, I didn't invest in the book yet. Does it tell you about getting the speedo itself apart as I thought it was a sealed unit?
The left hand duct seems to line up with the vent as it is securely located at the right angle but the right hand one is drooped and flops about. I suppose the feeler gauge goes in though the vent hole at the top of the hole before pressing the vent home over it.Then it won't flop about as the vent holds it in place.
The left hand duct seems to line up with the vent as it is securely located at the right angle but the right hand one is drooped and flops about. I suppose the feeler gauge goes in though the vent hole at the top of the hole before pressing the vent home over it.Then it won't flop about as the vent holds it in place.
Didnt really look at it to much but yes it probably is sealed.
Its well worth investing in the bible but it doesnt go as deep as taking speedos apart.
Dash removal
1 Drop steering column down buy undoing the 2 mounting bolts under the steering column.
2 Remove both air vents and feel through the left hand one at the top and you should find a wing nut.Undo carefully without dropping and also reclaim washer.
3 Undo the two screws on the dash just above the steering column.
4 Smear vasoline(or polish if a light leather) around Leather where dash will slide out to prevent damage.
5 Slide dash out(becarefule not to bend too much as this will crack the veneer),mine came out best by pulling the vent end out first and then steering wheel end.
You should then be able to let the top drop forward and get to everything behind the dash.Remember to put something over the steering column and the centre console if u rest the dash on here to avoid damage.
Make a note of the speedo connections and undo them and the two brackets holding the speedo to the dash and slide out.
Hope this helps
Simon
6
Its well worth investing in the bible but it doesnt go as deep as taking speedos apart.
Dash removal
1 Drop steering column down buy undoing the 2 mounting bolts under the steering column.
2 Remove both air vents and feel through the left hand one at the top and you should find a wing nut.Undo carefully without dropping and also reclaim washer.
3 Undo the two screws on the dash just above the steering column.
4 Smear vasoline(or polish if a light leather) around Leather where dash will slide out to prevent damage.
5 Slide dash out(becarefule not to bend too much as this will crack the veneer),mine came out best by pulling the vent end out first and then steering wheel end.
You should then be able to let the top drop forward and get to everything behind the dash.Remember to put something over the steering column and the centre console if u rest the dash on here to avoid damage.
Make a note of the speedo connections and undo them and the two brackets holding the speedo to the dash and slide out.
Hope this helps
Simon
6
No it doesn't go into how to take speedos apart because this type of repair is beyond most people and it is easy to wreck a unit by attempting to do so. Replacements are several hundreds of pounds so don't mess with it is my advice. Get the experts to look at it. You may find a manufacuter label on it BTW.
Speedo failures can also be caused by a faulty sensor. If nothing moves then it could be the sensor. If the needle moves but the odometer doesn't and vice versa then its the speedo.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Speedo failures can also be caused by a faulty sensor. If nothing moves then it could be the sensor. If the needle moves but the odometer doesn't and vice versa then its the speedo.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
The symptoms of the speedo fault are that the milometer doesn't turn after the winter break (I tried resetting the trip but no change) but the speedo itself works normally. I assumed this means the fault is internal to the speedo unit. Are you saying there is a sensor driving the milometer separately from the speedo needle drive itself? If so where should I check the connections and or sensor- isn't it on the back axle and I thought the one input drove both the speedo and mileomter?
Any ideas who can repair this as I imagine TVR would take forever and probably loose it- I was quoted 180 pds for TVR to provide a replacement unit plus fitting 1 hr's labour.
Any ideas who can repair this as I imagine TVR would take forever and probably loose it- I was quoted 180 pds for TVR to provide a replacement unit plus fitting 1 hr's labour.
There is only one sensor.
The prices quoted are reasonable but I suspect that is for an exchange unit. It takes 15-20 minutes to remove the dash if you are being careful which considering the costs if you are not is the only way forward. I would also remove the radio unit as it makes life a bit easier.
As for the speedo, there may be a lable on it saying who made it and companies like Speedy Cables should be able to repair it for you. They may be cheaper/quicker but it depends on what is wrong. I would guess it is a Caerbont (?) one and I think they have a site called greenguage(?). A search through the archives should help.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
The prices quoted are reasonable but I suspect that is for an exchange unit. It takes 15-20 minutes to remove the dash if you are being careful which considering the costs if you are not is the only way forward. I would also remove the radio unit as it makes life a bit easier.
As for the speedo, there may be a lable on it saying who made it and companies like Speedy Cables should be able to repair it for you. They may be cheaper/quicker but it depends on what is wrong. I would guess it is a Caerbont (?) one and I think they have a site called greenguage(?). A search through the archives should help.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Steve and other experts around here!
I have an intermittent problem with my speedo too. It often sticks at 30mph, bouncing upto 50 once I reach that speed. It also sticks on the way down.
The needle is catching the left hand screw. Do you know if I have to take the speedo out to repair this or is there a way of removing the front glass with it in place? If it has to come out is it easy to remove the face once out?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions...
Martyn
I have an intermittent problem with my speedo too. It often sticks at 30mph, bouncing upto 50 once I reach that speed. It also sticks on the way down.
The needle is catching the left hand screw. Do you know if I have to take the speedo out to repair this or is there a way of removing the front glass with it in place? If it has to come out is it easy to remove the face once out?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions...
Martyn
The sticking could be the sensor. Unless you have a scope to see the signal there is very little you can do to test it. It could be dirty or simply not close enough to the toothed wheel or whatever. The sensor is matched to the speedo and the toothed wheel which means bits are not really interchangeable. Could equally be a duff speedo as well.
As for taking the speedo apart? Never done it as I leave it to the experts as the probability of screwing it up is pretty high. They are also sealed by the manufacturer in some cases and tampering breaks any warrenty and is a sure sign that someone has been playing.
I would imagine that the outside case would slip off revealing the face and the needle. Probbaly held in place by three or so small screws. Get a jewellers screwdriver kit as many of the screws are tiny.
Steve
As for taking the speedo apart? Never done it as I leave it to the experts as the probability of screwing it up is pretty high. They are also sealed by the manufacturer in some cases and tampering breaks any warrenty and is a sure sign that someone has been playing.
I would imagine that the outside case would slip off revealing the face and the needle. Probbaly held in place by three or so small screws. Get a jewellers screwdriver kit as many of the screws are tiny.
Steve
Depends on what car, which colour, if Blackpool won that weekend and a host of other technical reasons such as gearbox. The Rover boxed cars have a digital output from the gearbox which is sometimes used. ON the others the sensor is usually near a diff output shaft or in front of it. Very close to a toothed wheel. As I say, very little you can do to test it. Don't get it too close or it might come in contact with the wheel and break and that is another couple hundred pounds-ish down the drain.
It might be missing teeth and this changes the pulse train that feeds the speedo electronics and this can cause problems like wrong values and so on. A needle that sticks and then frees up is more likley to be the speedo head unit though but they can be quite pernickety things to get working.
My 520 has five of them: four for the traction control/data logging and a fifth for the digital speedo.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
It might be missing teeth and this changes the pulse train that feeds the speedo electronics and this can cause problems like wrong values and so on. A needle that sticks and then frees up is more likley to be the speedo head unit though but they can be quite pernickety things to get working.
My 520 has five of them: four for the traction control/data logging and a fifth for the digital speedo.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Don't get your hopes up as they may have to repair the original as it is no longer available. The later models have different faces and require a different sensor so it can get quite expensive indeed to replace the lot. £500 is not uncommon for the speedo/sensor and another 500 for the other instruments. Then there is the small problem that the dials are different sizes so the dash will need milling or replacing.
Turn up the cd - it's a lot easier!
Steve
>> Edited by shpub on Thursday 6th June 16:04
Turn up the cd - it's a lot easier!
Steve
>> Edited by shpub on Thursday 6th June 16:04
Steve,
the problem with my speedo is a simple mechanical one. The needle gets stuck on the lefthand screw. If you tap the speedo sharply it frees itself. I guess once the speed rises above a certain amount, the force is high enough to free the needle too.
I was hoping that it would be easy to remove the glass from the front of the dial. I could then either tighten the screw or bend the needle.
I guess from what you are saying that as with all things TVR its not gonna be as easy as that! I presume the dial will have to come out, which means the dash has to come out?
Thanks
Martyn
the problem with my speedo is a simple mechanical one. The needle gets stuck on the lefthand screw. If you tap the speedo sharply it frees itself. I guess once the speed rises above a certain amount, the force is high enough to free the needle too.
I was hoping that it would be easy to remove the glass from the front of the dial. I could then either tighten the screw or bend the needle.
I guess from what you are saying that as with all things TVR its not gonna be as easy as that! I presume the dial will have to come out, which means the dash has to come out?
Thanks
Martyn
The internals have to be removed from the rear of the case. That means the whole unit has to come out of the dash. That means the dash needs to come out, the unit unplugged but note where the leads go first though. The clamp is removed and the unit taken out from the front.
The next step depends on how you feel about it. I would send it to a repairer and get them to check it out. Ring a few up and get a quote. Should not be that much and at least you then know you are not going to make things worse.
Steve
The next step depends on how you feel about it. I would send it to a repairer and get them to check it out. Ring a few up and get a quote. Should not be that much and at least you then know you are not going to make things worse.
Steve
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