Mk3 Dash Conversion

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Mk3 Dash Conversion

• By Steve Blakemore (Ste)

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Quick Pointers

• This modification is primarily for Rover mk2
  200s and mk1 400s.
• You will need a Dash and wiring for the glove box
  light from a mk3lt Rover 200.

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What will be covered

• Preparation of the MK3 dash
• Removal of the MK2 dash
• Installation of the MK3 dash
• Wiring your dash

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Preparation of the MK3 Dash

• Dashs can be bought for anything from 30-80
  depending on where you go and condition. Make
  sure you have everything, this means trim, wiring
  and heater vents.
• Depending on your interior, there are different
  colours of dash, most common is the Ash grey one.
  For half leather Rover interiors

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This is the Ash Grey Dash
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This is the Cream Dash. Ideal for Cream full
leather Coupes
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Preparation of the MK3 Dash

• Just been shown are the 2 main dash colours that
  can be used. ZR dashes can be used, but these are
  rare and expensive to purchase.
• Your dash should be clean and the wiring for the
  speedo removed. You should have a complete dash
  as shown here -

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• This is ideally everything youll need to fit the
  dash in your car.
• Notice the loom still in here in the surround for
  the Dials

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Preparation of the MK3 Dash

• Behind the dash there will be wires coming from
  the glove box. These will be a red/black and a
  black wire. These pair will split near to the
  light unit. You need to cut them off next to the
  surround where they go into the rest of the loom.
  All will be explained later.

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Removal of the MK2 Dash

• At this point, I must state that if you have a
  Haynes manual, this section will go quite
  quickly. Follow it to a Tee, and you wont go
  wrong. For those that dont, heres a quick
  explanation.
• TIP- Find yourself a tub or pot to keep the
  screw or any small bits in

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Removal of the MK2 Dash

• First of all Remove the armrest (if fitted).
  Prise the front cap off with a small flat bladed
  screwdriver. There will be 2x 8mm bolts here,
  (and 2 in the arm rest if fitted). Put the gear
  stick in 3rd and push backwards-up-forwards to
  release over the handbrake.
• Remove all 4 screws holding the centre console
  on, undo the gear knob and keep safe. Once these
  are off, push the front seats right back and pull
  the plastic trim off and move outside the car,
  keeping the screws in a pot.
• Disconnect the battery negative wire at this
  point.
• In the engine bay, part the speedo cable. The
  will be different on certain models, but theyre
  easily recognised by a long stiff cable going
  from the fire wall on the left hand side (whilst
  looking at the front) to the gear box.
• Back in the car, remove the stereo head unit and
  the rubber mat on top of the shelf

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Removal of the MK2 Dash

• Prise off the wooden (plastic on some models)
  strip that the clock sits in. This is done by
  wrapping a large flab bladed screwdriver in a
  cloth and prising off from the left side of the
  trim, it will pop out. Remove the multiplug from
  the back of the clock and remove.
• Remove the fuse box cover, there are 5 phillips
  screws holding this on.
• Remove the steering wheel-
• For none airbag models, prise off the centre cap
  and undo the centre bolt. Mark where the wheel
  was in comparison to the spindle and remove wheel
• Airbag models, leave the car for 20 minutes after
  the keys are removed from the barrel then undo
  the 2x 30 size torx bolts from behind the wheel
  to remove the airbag. Undo multiplug on the back
  of the airbag unit and move airbag to a safe
  place
• You should be at this stage -

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Removal of the MK2 Dash

• Remove the screws holding the trim from around
  the steering column and remove both parts
  (theyre clipped together).
• Unplug the multiplugs from behind the control
  stalks and unscrew the stalks from the column.
  Keep safe.
• Undo the 4 screws holding the heater control
  panel then remove the 4 holding the lower centre
  panel and remove lower panel. Unplugging the
  cigarette lighter and bulb.
• Slacken the 2 bolts securing the dash to the
  transmission tunnel and remove the relay module,
  keep all safe as all parts are needed on fitting
  mk3 dash.
• Remove glove box. These are 8mm bolts either side
  underneath, and a single screw holding the damper
  on. Remove from vehicle.
• Remove door demister vents from either side of
  the dash and undo the bolts.
• Remove bolt behind where the digital clock used
  to be.
• Remove facia mount bolts next to the glove box
  and fuse box.

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Removal of the MK2 Dash

• Undo the 2 trim screws above the speedo. Using a
  small flat bladed screwdriver, remove the hazard,
  heated rear windscreen and rear fog light
  multiplug, and the sunroof/blanking plate on the
  other side.
• Using a long Phillips head screwdriver, remove
  the screw inside the dash holding the last bit of
  the trim on, Remove trim.
• Undo 4 screws holding the speedo unit into the
  dash and pull towards you. If youre finding this
  difficult feed the speedo cable through the
  fire wall a bit more.
• Remove multi plugs and speedo cable from the rear
  of the speedo by pinching the clip. Remove speedo
  unit from the vehicle.
• Remove any switches from the dash I.e electric
  mirrors and/or fader unit.
• The Dash now should be free to move. A helping
  hand is best to help move the dash off the fire
  wall. Do so with care.
• When off the wall, pull the block connector off
  the glove box light and free the dash totally. By
  taking it into the cabin and out one of the doors.

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MK3 Dash Installation

• Before you carry on, you should notice that you
  now have 2 lots of wiring for the glove box, a
  part on the MK3 Dash, and the original mk2 loom.
  These 2 parts should be connected using either
  crimp connectors, or soldering and covering with
  heat shrink wraps.

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MK3 Dash Installation

• When ready for the dash to go in, remove side
  trim from the MK3 dash and the centre console.
• Feed the mk3 dash into the car through one of the
  doors and rest roughly on the back wall.
• Pull all the dash loom and the speedo cable
  through the mk3 dash and free any catching parts.
• Push on either side of the dash to get it to sit
  correctly. This may take a while, but be patient.
  While going along, check for catching wires and
  parts.

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MK3 Dash Installation

• Once sit correctly, mount up the relay bracket
  and bolt up the transmission tunnel mounts finger
  tight.
• Do the same for the top mount behind the clock
  and the side mounts. These are all your mounts
  for the dash. It is plenty enough to hold the
  dash in place for good.
• Undo some of the tape holding the loom for the
  hazards block and move it over to the centre,
  this will be important for the wiring later on.
• Place the speedo unit in the aperture and plug in
  the speedo cable and the block connectors and
  push back into the dash.
• Screw up the speedo unit to the dash and replace
  the surround. This is mounted at the top and
  behind the rubber lip at the bottom.
• Replace the steering column surround and control
  stalks
• Plug up the block connectors.

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MK3 Dash Installation

• Replace the steering wheel.
• Clip up on the airbag model
• Bolt up and replace front on non-airbag
• On airbag models, bolt up the wheel then retrieve
  the airbag, plug it up and mount. Do up the 2
  Torx bolts and check for loose movement.
• Before the centre console is put back on, some of
  the wiring loom must be sorted.

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Dash Wiring

• In this section, I will cover the wiring needed
  to be done to make the mk3 switch operative

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Dash Wiring

• In this section, I will cover the wiring needed
  to be done to make the mk3 switch operative.
• Pointer- The Hazards block connector will fit
  directly into the mk3 switch, so there is no need
  for extra wiring.
• Warning - All wiring should be made secure and
  safe. Remember to either use crimp connectors or
  solder and cover with a heat shrink wrap

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Dash Wiring

• For the wiring, you will need the mk3 dash
  switches and the block connector and 4 of loom,
  as shown in the next photo -

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Dash Wiring

• As you can see, Ive used wire cutters to take
  the ends off.
• For the heated rear windscreen, the wiring should
  be cut right next to the connector block for the
  back of the switch, and then each wire stripped a
  little except one of the earths as this wont be
  used and will need taping up so no wire is
  showing.

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Dash Wiring

• Wiring sequence is as follows -
• MK2 loom MK3 loom
• Red/Black Red/Black
• Black Black
• Black/Orange Black/Orange
• Black/Green Green Orange

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Dash Wiring

• Once all connected up, make sure all wires are
  secure and that they will not work lose as a lose
  wire could start a fire. Use plenty of electrical
  tape to secure the bundle of wires for the loom
  together.
• Next is the rear fog light. This is where it
  starts to get a little tricky. There is a way
  around it though.

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Dash Wiring

• The rear fog light on a mk2 uses a relay in the
  relay module in the centre console. This is
  controlled by an ON-OFF switch.
• The rear fog light on a MK3 is controlled by the
  MFU (Multi Function Unit) and has an OFF-ON-OFF
  switch.
• Briefly, this means that the mk3 switch will not
  working with the mk2 loom. So a front fog light
  switch is used as this is an ON-OFF switch

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Dash Wiring

• A front fog light switch is 5.95 from Rover and
  is part number RYUG101680PMP.
• Using the rear fog switch from the mk3, prise the
  front off carefully. Do the same with the front
  fog light switch.

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Dash Wiring

• Now the new rear fog light switch is ready.
• The problem now is that the mk3 plug for the
  switch wont fit. Carefully, with a craft knife
  or a Stanley knife, cut away the ribs on the plug
  and in the back of the switch.

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Dash Wiring

• The plug should now go straight into the back of
  the switch, if it doesnt, keep shaving the ribs
  away till it does. A bit of light grease maybe
  used to aid the plug in.
• Chop connector block off on the mk2 dash. There
  are 5 wires here.

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Dash Wiring

• Strip the ends of the wires off a bit apart from
  one black wire, as this yet again is another
  earth that is not needed and much be taped up.
• MK2 Loom MK3 Loom
• Black Blue/Yellow
• Blue/Red Red/Yellow
• Red/Black
  Red/Black
• Red/Yellow Black

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Dash Wiring

• Once those 2 are done, then the centre console
  can go back on and the switches plugged in. Make
  sure you pull the connectors through before
  putting the console back, otherwise you wont
  reach them.
• The Digital clock is easy enough. It is wire for
  wire, remember to use a good solid connection,
  soldering and a heat shrink wrap is ideal.

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Installation of the MK3 Dash

• Continuing from before..
• Screw up the heater control surround and make
  sure it is straight.
• Feeding carefully over the gear stick, mate up
  the centre console with the dash and pull the
  switch loom through the correct holes and plug up
  the cigarette lighter and bulb.
• When fit correctly, screw the 4 mounting screws
  in and fit the gear knob.
• Install the stereo head unit and the switches.

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Finally

• Re-fit your arm rest, connect the battery up
  again and connect the speedo cable. Check to see
  if all switches, lighting and dials are working
  correctly again.
• If you have any concerns or problems, feel free
  to email me at dagowly_at_hotmail.com

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MK3 Dash fitted to a MK2 220 GSi Turbo
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• Disclaimer All responsibility for this
  modification is down to the owner of the vehicle.
  I therefore hold no responsibility for any damage
  due to poor wiring.
• If you have any concerns at all, feel free to
  email me dagowly_at_hotmail.com
• I would like to thank-
• Roverload/Rovertech members for your patience.
• Mom and Dad for letting me store dash after dash
  in the Shed.
• Chris (Smilz) for starting this mass craze.