Fitting Calais dash to exec

[manualwagon]

:thumbsup:Hi all. The following is a comment on the problems that I had fitting a Calais dash into my trusty executive wagon.
Removing the original dash is simple, remove the 2 screws holding the switch blocks, unplug the switches and remove, pop off the plastic covers under the switch blocks, undo the two screws behind them, I also removed the screw that holds the heater controls in place, then carefully prised up the 3 lugs on the centre section of the surround and lifted the surround out of the way. The cluster is held in place by 4 bolts, 2 either end. Undo them. Now release the top wire connector, then unplug the lower plug and carefully lift the cluster up. Put your hand under the cluster and release the speedo cable then lift the dash clear. Most will tell you it’s a plug and play job, it isn’t. Check the lower wiring plug and look to see where the BLUE wire plugs in. The dash cluster will have a little sticker on it showing where each terminal goes. Dash with Oil light connects to terminal 14; dash with Oil pressure gauge connects to terminal 2. The executive plug does not have a connector in the T2 hole. [At this stage I tried without success to remove the connector from the plug, so a quick trip to the wreckers and I found a Calais wreck that still had the dash wiring. I cut the plug from the loom and also grabbed the connector and pressure sender from the motor.] The Calais wiring plug had a blue wire bridging from T14 to T2 and a second wire coming out of T2 and going into the loom. Instead of trying to cut my original plug off and join the Calais plug in its place, I got a hacksaw and carefully cut the Calais plug along the line of the T2. You need to be careful to only cut through the plastic. I was then able to lift the wires and connector plug out of the Calais wiring plug. I cut the blue bridging wire about 20mm away from T14. The rest was simple. Push the connector into the T2 hole on the original executive plug until it clicks into place, cut the original BLUE wire from the T14 connector about 30mm from the plug. Now join the loom end of that wire to one wire from the plug at T2. join the other wire from T2 to the wire that comes from T14 reforming the bridge. Solder and tape both connections Then fit the Calais dash remembering to plug the speedo cable in before you lower the dash into position. Re connect both plugs. At this point I went under the bonnet and swapped the oil pressure switch for the sender, joined the blue wire to the sender connector, soldered and taped the joint then connected wire to sender. Back inside car, turn on ignition and make sure all gauges move correctly, start engine briefly to check tacho operation and oil pressure reading. Now refit all bolts and tighten carefully, refit the surround and the screws, replace the plastic covers under the switches, plug switches back in and refit screws. test drive to make sure speedo works and temp gauge is Ok Job Done .
This is an account of how I did the job, there will be others out there who can suggest better ways but I know that it worked for me as I now have an exec wagon with a working Calais dash. PS while you have both dashes out of the car I suggest you check all of the dash lights in the Cal dash and if anything is blown or dark replace with a good one from the exec dash . Have fun. John

 

[harry3]

the top cover on the dash pulls forward to release and the plastic may be brittle and crack easily

 

[ptitkev]

is it the same to fit one of those electronic ones ??

 

[ucwepn]

No its nearly impossible to fit a vk calais electronic "starwars" dash to a vl because all the sender and sensor units are totally different.

My tacho dash all works and was plug and play for me, although i did grab the cluster harness with the cluster and swapped them over.

 

[Moosey90]

:thumbsup:Hi all. The following is a comment on the problems that I had fitting a Calais dash into my trusty executive wagon.
Removing the original dash is simple, remove the 2 screws holding the switch blocks, unplug the switches and remove, pop off the plastic covers under the switch blocks, undo the two screws behind them, I also removed the screw that holds the heater controls in place, then carefully prised up the 3 lugs on the centre section of the surround and lifted the surround out of the way. The cluster is held in place by 4 bolts, 2 either end. Undo them. Now release the top wire connector, then unplug the lower plug and carefully lift the cluster up. Put your hand under the cluster and release the speedo cable then lift the dash clear. Most will tell you it’s a plug and play job, it isn’t. Check the lower wiring plug and look to see where the BLUE wire plugs in. The dash cluster will have a little sticker on it showing where each terminal goes. Dash with Oil light connects to terminal 14; dash with Oil pressure gauge connects to terminal 2. The executive plug does not have a connector in the T2 hole. [At this stage I tried without success to remove the connector from the plug, so a quick trip to the wreckers and I found a Calais wreck that still had the dash wiring. I cut the plug from the loom and also grabbed the connector and pressure sender from the motor.] The Calais wiring plug had a blue wire bridging from T14 to T2 and a second wire coming out of T2 and going into the loom. Instead of trying to cut my original plug off and join the Calais plug in its place, I got a hacksaw and carefully cut the Calais plug along the line of the T2. You need to be careful to only cut through the plastic. I was then able to lift the wires and connector plug out of the Calais wiring plug. I cut the blue bridging wire about 20mm away from T14. The rest was simple. Push the connector into the T2 hole on the original executive plug until it clicks into place, cut the original BLUE wire from the T14 connector about 30mm from the plug. Now join the loom end of that wire to one wire from the plug at T2. join the other wire from T2 to the wire that comes from T14 reforming the bridge. Solder and tape both connections Then fit the Calais dash remembering to plug the speedo cable in before you lower the dash into position. Re connect both plugs. At this point I went under the bonnet and swapped the oil pressure switch for the sender, joined the blue wire to the sender connector, soldered and taped the joint then connected wire to sender. Back inside car, turn on ignition and make sure all gauges move correctly, start engine briefly to check tacho operation and oil pressure reading. Now refit all bolts and tighten carefully, refit the surround and the screws, replace the plastic covers under the switches, plug switches back in and refit screws. test drive to make sure speedo works and temp gauge is Ok Job Done .
This is an account of how I did the job, there will be others out there who can suggest better ways but I know that it worked for me as I now have an exec wagon with a working Calais dash. PS while you have both dashes out of the car I suggest you check all of the dash lights in the Cal dash and if anything is blown or dark replace with a good one from the exec dash . Have fun. John

Hey mate did u ever find out how to remove the wire from plug i need to move mine from 14 to 2

 

[krusing]

I had a 87 VL Exec, and did just that, replaced the exec dash with a Calais,

I think the only thing I had to change was the Oil Pressure Switch to a Oil Pressure Sender.

In a nut shell, yes it does fit, and most of the options work.

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I removed the Calais Dash and Pressures Sender and put the Exec dash, Oil Pressure Switch back in when I traded it in,

Then I sold the Calais Dash and Sender on Trading Post at the time.