*HOW TO* fit a digi dash into a mk2 nova

to fit a astra gte digital dashboard into a nova, you will need the following things:

astra dash unit
loom with a decent length of wire remaining
correct transducer for the dachboard
wire cutters
insulation tape
hammer
hacksaw

start off by removing the clock shroud by removing the 4 star drive bolts located in each corner, remove the shroud and place to one side.

remove the 3 retaining screws, 2 are located either side of the clocks, and one ontop in the center, place these screws to one side

remove the dashboard from the car, release the black wiring plug and the speedo cable from the back of the dash.

you will now need to rmeove the speedo cable from the car, this can be done by feeding the cable through the bulkhead and out into the engine bay, the speedo cable them bolts off the gearbox.

then you will now need a long piece of stiff wire, such as an old airel etc, then screw the transducer onto the gearbox and ensure that everything is secured on. you then need to connect the earth wire to an earthing point in the engine bay, then run the 2 new wires through into the inteior of the car, taped to the long piece of wire to ensure they get through easilly. then connect these 2 wires upto the dash using the diagram below:

you will now need to go back into the interior of the car, and cut the plug off the nova loom. keep this to one side as you never know when you may need it, if the clocks are broken etc.

then take the astra gte dash loom and simpley connect the wires colour to colour mainly. use this diagram to help you wire it up:

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h8...ordigidash.jpg

as you can see, it is fairly simple to wire the dashboard up, however, due to the fact that the astra dashboard has individual indicator lights for each side, you will have to splice these into the wires coming from the indicator stalk (black/white)(brown/white), these can be accessed by removing the cowling from around the steering colum, you simpley splice the dash wires into the stalk wires then. also if you have not got a oil temperature sensor on the engine (mainly came on GSI's/GTE's), you will need to leave all oil wires off, then simpley insulate these individually and then tuck them away out of sight, if you have no green rev counter wire, you will need to run one from the coil in the engine bay into the interior of the car and onto the loom.

then plug the digi dash in and ensure it all works, if all is working then your ready for the final stage (dont forget to test MOT necesseties, such as indicators, headlights etc etc)

then, the 2 metal L shaped brackets on either side of the clocks, you ened to nock these outwards with a hammer, only slightly but not too much, untill the clocks fit, then on the bottom of the digi clocks, there will be 2 pieces of plastic sticing out the bottom by about 3mm, like this ___!""!___, these need to be cut off and filed down otherise the dash will not fit correctly.

then you need to re-fit the dash into its hole, ensureing it all fits, and all bulbs etc work, then you need to re-fit the steering shround and the clock shround. then in theory you should be good to go

heres a quick pic of mine:

before:
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h8...DSC00288-1.jpg

hope this helps you all :thumb:

after:
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h8...DSC00655-1.jpg

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h8...x/DSC01476.jpg

im looking at doing this to my corsa but i was wondaring how do you get round the little problem of the mile counter being different?

dont know really.. better asking on a corsa forum for that info :thumb:

is the green wire on one one of the loom plugs late xe into nova

im interested in doing this, how much can u buy all the bits needed for?

hey wat or how can you get the screw at the top of the nova dash? allen key?

IRC its a Torx bit you need and its size 25... but dont quote me on the size. just buy a small set of torx bits :D very handy

Just hooked my digi dash up this afternoon, the background lights r not workin hoppin its just the bulbs. cheers 4 the diagrams an that very helpful

make sure youve got no naked connections matey, as mine blew a fuse and the lights didnt work, just double check its not a fuse before you start spending immense money on bulbs :thumb:

i have got a gte dash for my nova but my nova has no rev counter, how or were do i wire this into?
an my speedo cable is round how or were does it go?

read the guide differ, you obviously havent read it as it clearly states what to do

i read the guide but i bought a digidash but no transducer, i need a transducer but ive seen 2 on ebay ah an ak?

Checked my bulbs with fly leads off the battery, and there duds, not cheap at 6 quid a piece. Does any1 know wat type or ratin the centre bulb is as mine was missin wen i got the dash. cheers

you dont need the center bulb matey, they originally only came with 2 main bulbs anyway, waste of money otherwise and makes no difference :thumb:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by car_differ

i read the guide but i bought a digidash but no transducer, i need a transducer but ive seen 2 on ebay ah an ak?

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this is why a dash should never part with its transducer, there are many types of transducers out there, and its sometimes impossible to tell what one you need.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by corsa-sport

im looking at doing this to my corsa but i was wondaring how do you get round the little problem of the mile counter being different?

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you need a corsa spedo obviously and all you need to do it cut down the plastic spindle inside the bit that goes into the gearbox because mine works and thats all i had to do.

Got new bulbs in the dash, everything workin mint. cheers once again for the info m8

My transducer has 3 wires
1 brown
1 black/blue
1 red/orange
which wire connects to the blue/red on astra plug & where does the other wire connect?

i have the dash all wired up and ready to go though the lights are very dim how do i fix this?

rev the car to about 3000rpm then it'll stay bright until the next time you turn it off. You'll notice the voltmeter go from 12v to roughly 14v too. And the rest of the car electrics will work better, i.e brighter lights, faster elec windows...

Edit: Im yet to find a proper fix, although im getting a higher output alternator later in the week, i'll let you know if this solves it.

Your nova isnt a 1.2spi is it?

pulled the dash out to find the bulbs on either side are blown....

didnt do too bad getting that dash in in 3 hours ish all i need now is the transducer, but the wires are there ready for it to go so 5 minutes work and its finished....

also i have found that if you join the two grey/green wires on the white plug that your dash will be brighter these must be the wires for the dash light dim function on the astra

Lol, I'm the Gareth Lewis who did that diagram 7 years ago, I'm feeling old now :D

Im having problems with mine, the speedo isnt working? It just stays at 0mph. Everything else works fine...rev counter etc, any ideas?

check the wire thst calculates the speed isnt broken, ensure the connection is good, if that fails may be worth trying to find a new transduccer :thumb:

does that diagram work with a 1.0 nova dash loom

yep it sure does, the guides based on the one i installed on my 1.0l nova matey :thumb:

ive read your guide and fitted mine, it was working the other day then i fitted the transduer and a wire to the coil for rev counter now my dash wont come on at all.:wtf: think im goin to take it to the auto spark for some help. the indicators do you run the wires from the dash to the stalk (black, white/ black ,green) because i have these wires on the loom, as well i connected these the black, white / black ,green to the dash wires the same time as the dash cut out :confused: :confused: ive checked the black wire that seems fine the bat went dead also can you help mate any ideas:thumb:

is the coil wire earthing out atall? check its all earthed out etc

also yes they need to be spliced into the stalks, as the astra has individual left and right indicator lights whereas the novas originally had just onee light for both sides :thumb:

Further to that,instead of splicing into the wires for the indicator stalks,i just attached the wires from digi dash to the terminals on the stalk.Its not as pikey as it sounds and works perfect,just by wrapping the wire round the spades

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Andy

Further to that,instead of splicing into the wires for the indicator stalks,i just attached the wires from digi dash to the terminals on the stalk.Its not as pikey as it sounds and works perfect,just by wrapping the wire round the spades

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top tip there :thumb:

i just ran one wire to the coil the bottom right terminal ive disconnected it and its still dead, is there a standard earth on the coil or was i ment to attach one ? may be its a fuse blown. back to the indicators that sounds like a plan what andy had said ill give it a go and report back:thumb:

right ive just came in from messing with the car. ive connected the indicators(stalks) up to the car loom and the digi loom No joy:confused: , Also checked the brown earth wires and the black live from the dash loom to the car and they are fine, Again no joy. the dash is getting power tho because the little blue light comes on for the MAIN BEAMat the bottom of the dash. Im going to change the fuses then if that fails im goin to the auto spark. ive also checked the bulbs in the dash the are all fine as well.:confused:

Any ideas lads will be very welcome:thumb:

if there spower and t isnt lighting up, it most probabley is either your bulbs or fuses

when i had my radio out a while ago an live wire touched either an eath or the car, this for some bizzar and unknown reson blew one of my fuses, the digi dash one for soem reson and the digi dash didnt light up atall, you could just about see the numbers changing, turned out if was a fuse, quick replacement, job done :thumb:

Radio illumination and dash illumination use the same fuse, hence radio blowing dash :)

the numbers dont come up at all mate

shine a torch on them,alternatively connect the bare blacks to the + on battery and the browns to the - then shine a torch on it,if it comes on faintly it works.If not its fukced,end of.

would the same method of fitting apply to a mk1 nova?

yes the wiring is the same setup

Quote:

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Originally Posted by daz42

would the same method of fitting apply to a mk1 nova?

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what dash have you got? if youve got a mk2 its a piece of cake, if youve got a mk1 be prepeared to spend alot of time and money chopping fiberglassing sanding and spraying/flocking your whole dash, basically mk2 dash piece of phiss.. mk1 dash your p!ssing in the wind :D:thumb:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xXx_Nova_xXx

what dash have you got? if youve got a mk2 its a piece of cake, if youve got a mk1 be prepeared to spend alot of time and money chopping fiberglassing sanding and spraying/flocking your whole dash, basically mk2 dash piece of phiss.. mk1 dash your p!ssing in the wind :D:thumb:

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i fitted one in my mk1 from the back no filler fibreglass etc cut the dash using astra surround as template :thumb: I was meaning the wiring was the same in my earlier post