How to colour change an Astra Digi dash and add LED lighting

[Johnny A]

This guide shows you how to change your Astra mk2 GTE digital dash from standard lighting:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118205610229_zps29a94308.jpg

To this or any other colour you choose:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118202143503_zps3ef609d7.jpg

What you will need for the colour change:
Dremal Multi or similar with a wide sanding head, a precision diamond head and a cutting disc head
A flat blade and various Phillips/crosshead screw drivers
Coloured gels of your choice (self adhesive used in this guide)
A hobby knife
Sharp scissors
A white LED torch
Black marker pen

What you need for the LED conversion:
Dremal Multi or similar with cutting disc head
Hot glue gun
Thin gauge wiring
Soldering iron and solder
2x 42mm festoon LED conversion bulbs (the kind used for interior lighting in the cabin)
Small 2 pin plug
A PWM 12v driver (optional)
A 12v 5-pole relay with holder (optional)

Getting started:
The first thing to do is remove the white back plate from the body, it's held in by 4 security screws on the edge:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118184816507_zps7094c697.jpg

Grab your dremal with the cutting disc and cut a grove into the 4 screws so you can use a flat blade screwdriver on them:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118184840882_zpsbed9fe0e.jpg

Remove the screws and the back plate, you should have this in front of you:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118185227692_zps6cfb0e88.jpg

Find the ribbon cable and connector that connect the top circuit board with the bottom board, carefully wiggle it free:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/DSCN0305_zps03a8e7cf.jpg

Grab the top board and in a see-saw motion pull it upward (it's only held on at this point by 5 pins for the odometer), once free using a small phillips screwdriver remove the 3 screws holding the odometer assembly in:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/DSCN0303_zpscac3b592.jpg

Remove the two black metal bulb holders with the small phillips screwdriver

Now you are at the bottom circuit board, remove the 4 large screws holding the assembly to the front panel with the large phillips screwdriver:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118185616294_zps820eee63.jpg

Lift the assembly out, grab the small phillips screwdriver and remove all remaining screws, then gently pull the board from the LCD casings:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118190013729_zpsad924c16.jpg

You now have the 3 seperate LED modules, start with the speed output which is the narrow middle one - it's the easiest. In this guide I concentrate on the rev counter and gauge modules.

Rev counter:
Pull the plastic light diffuser out of the housing (right section in image):
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118190333201_zps0cc0951f.jpg

The middle part is the part you need to alter to change the colour, in the image it's clear but that's because I have already modified it. Your one will be yellow, this yellow filter needs removing with the dremal and the wide sanding head. Be gentle with the sanding head and slowly remove all the yellow until you are left with a frosted white plastic panel.

At this stage if you want a pure white light simply reassemble the module and move onto the next :) If you want colours you will need to grab your coloured gels and scissors. I highly recommend you buy adhesive gels so they can't shuffle/dislocate inside the housing.

The method I use involves you grabbing the housing with the LCD panel (be very gentle), placing the now-white filter in place and shine your white LED torch through the LCD panel so you can see the rev counter pattern. Use the marker pen to mark out where you would like colours (for example if you wanted blue revs, numbers but white dots then mark the dots).

Now remove the filter, grab the coloured gel and cut a section out that will cover the entire filter. Attach it to the filter and then shine the LED torch through it, the sections you marked out should be visible. Using the knife cut these sections out, when you have finished you will have something like this:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118191947261_zps15845ae1.jpg
It will produce a result like this (under LED lighting):
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118202216204_zpsa5312a11.jpg

[Johnny A]

Now move onto the gauge module - this can be tricky if you want to retain the factory red/orange warning rings. If not then do exactly the same process as the rev counter. If you do want to keep the warning colours then read on.

Using the dremal and the tiny diamond head to remove the yellow in all the corners, being light handed, precise and taking your time is key to a good finish. Hopefully you will end up with something like this:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118192618004_zps89fc6919.jpg

Now add your coloured gel and cut to suit:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118193859392_zps87f85664.jpg

Here is the result (under LED lighting):
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118202152577_zps4a175e57.jpg

Here is the result if you opt to remove all the factory colours:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/DSCN2310_zpsb738662e.jpg

Now reassemble the module and build the dash up in reverse order, do not do the screws up mega tight - just nip them up with a screwdriver.

[Johnny A]

LED lighting modification:

In order for the coloured gels to emit the intended colour the light coming into them needs to be a pure white – not the yellow the factory bulbs provide. Replacing them with white LEDs is the only option.

Grab a pair of LED 42mm festoon bulbs like this:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118224206837_zps8c86dbec.jpg
You can pick these up of ebay for a couple of quid.

Take the dremal with a cutting disc head and trim a grove in the bulb housing:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118224219421_zps29511ab5.jpg

On the LED festoon bulb remove the metal end casings with the dremal, cutting disc head and soldering iron. Once removed the LED cluster solder a wire to the positive and negative connectors at each end with a decent length of wire. Get the hot glue gun and glue the LED cluster facing downwards onto the bulb housing:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118185636517_zps00b78036.jpg

The other bulb housing will need the same treatment but wire in a small plug on a parallel circuit:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118185648268_zpseb3e9ca0.jpg

Bolt the modified housings onto the digi dash bottom circuit board and reassemble the dash making sure the plug pokes through the original halogen bulb hole on the top board and back casing:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/CameraZOOM-20140118185227692_zps6cfb0e88.jpg

Connect the other end of this plug to the ignition 12v feed and earth on the digi dash loom so the LEDs light up with the dash.

Optional night dimmer:
If like me you want the light output to be dimmer at night time it's not as simple as wiring in a variable resister like you would on a normal bulb - LEDs don't work like that. The best way to do it involves a 12v PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) driver on a relay-driven switchable secondary circuit that is activated by the factory headlights via a relay. Sounds like fun right?!?!

The PWM driver works by switching the output on/off really REALLY quickly - so quickly that even at it's lowest (slowest) setting your eyes don't notice and just see a dim light from the LEDs. I got my driver from china and it's spot on, no one on ebay sold them in the UK. You want a simple PWM module with a 12v +ive and -ive input, output and a dial for setting the level.

The relay you want is a a 5-pole relay that offers both connection when off and connection when on. The idea is the relay is activated by the grey/green wire on the factory loom (this wire provides a 12v +ive when you switch the side and headlights on). The feed wire is a 12v ignition feed, the connected when off output wire on the relay connects directly to the LED's in the dash, the connected when on output goes through the PWM driver then into the LED's so it's like a switched gate.

Here is a diagram, wire it up as shown here. When fitted into the car simply adjust the dial at night till you get the desired light level then hide the PWM module behind the dash somewhere:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/LEDwiring_zpsa249cb81.jpg

Enjoy!

[bazzap8389]

Great guide :thumb: looks really good

[novapaul1988]

Cool write up were do you get the gel paper

[Johnny A]

Cool write up were do you get the gel paper

I got it off ebay, costs about £2 posted for an A4 sheet of adhesive gel but you could do about 4 digi dashes with that amount!

[novapaul1988]

Think i got the right ones lol acetate gel sheets going to try this myself looks really good

[Johnny A]

PM me the link on ebay, I went through 3 gels before I got the correct colour

[turbodrew1]

How much would you want to make 1 johnny?

[Johnny A]

How much would you want to make 1 johnny?

What would you want? colour scheme? LED lighting??

[Benn]

Love that, nice work john

[ouncie]

Nice write up. Have seen a few guides done but none as detailed and with pictures.

[SuperNovaTyler]

how much would you charge to do this same as yours as i love the blue, not fussed about the dimming at night though, i only ask because, i dont have the required tools and im brilliant at cocking things up?

[Johnny A]

Yes I could do one for you, a plug and play blue coloured digi dash with LED's (no need to solder anything, just reinstall the dash when you get it back), posted back to you £45

[gteben]

Good guide I have a few spare digi clocks . Gonna try that one

[SuperNovaTyler]

sorry if this is a stupid question, as i am new to this. but will be viable to fit the digi dash with a 1.0L wont need recalibrating or anything?

[dgbnova#1]

No calibration but a small problem of missing signals for it so need rev counter and oil pressure plus volt cable these were not options on 1l

that's not to say it cannot be done just a bit more work needed lol

[SuperNovaTyler]

and how would one aquire these sorts of things, is it just wiring,? what kind of work we talking?

[dgbnova#1]

I'm not sure better of starting a how do I digi dash my 1l thread in electrical

[novalew]

Anyone got a link to the correct gel paper to use?

[ruggi]

Cool guide, thanks for sharing the idea!