Before I start removing the instrument cluster.............

[ekwan]

I need to remove the instrument cluster to replace some bulbs, refresh some meters etc. Just want to ask in advance if there just one or two connectors to disconnect, or are do I have to remove connectors to each and every instrument on the dash?

[silverfrost]

Which one Eric,    The Esprit or the Elise  ?

[ekwan]

Esprit S3 please 

[silverfrost]

Pain the backside to do Eric lol.

Easy way i find is to remove the steering wheel as it makes things a lot easier.  Four screws in the plastic facia to remove the cluster and pull towards you very carefully as the plastic is extremely fragile,  You will feel the resistance when the cluster is as far out as it will go do to the wires holding it back. 

Bulb holders are easy to see on the back of the gauges, just a case of pulling them out and replacing the bulbs.

If you are replacing the actual guages they are held in by a threaded round nut that you undo by hand, one each side of the guage, also held in by spacers,  very easy to replace.  ,  a few wires go to each gauge,  just simple spade connectors ,  some black earth wires are on the threaded nut that hold the guages in iirc, 

   Just do one guage at a time or you quckly end up with a snakes nest lol. 

Word of advice,  Take a picture before you start stripping anything if you do not have the wiring diagrams that way you cant go wrong,  but you should be fine if doing one by one 

To remove the steering wheel pull the black horn push out with a flat blade screwdriver,  use a socket on the nut,  iirc its 17mm ?  make sure the steering wheel is straight when you remove it, so it goes back on straight, or mark the wheel to the lower collum cover with some tape and draw a line.

Disconnect the battery before doing anything also or be prepaired for popping fuses 

[ekwan]

Thank you Dan. Job is to replace the plastic facia with one fabricated out of aluminium sheet.

[TAR]

There are no connector blocks for the wiring so to remove the binnacle is an awkward job. As Dan says, its probably better to ease the front of the dash out and disconnect stuff from there. I think both ways of doing it will be a challenge. 

[jonwat]

Here's the episode of wheeler dealers where Ed removes the dash of an S3, might be worth watching before you start. 

[peteyg]

If you're really keen, once you've removed the fascia you could cut the wires and wire them into a connecting block so next time you want to remove it life will be a lot easier. The S2 I'm working on at the moment had this done and my god it makes life soooo much easier. About the only mod a PO had done that actually helps...

Be careful with the speedo cable when pulling the fascia out. There should be a small levered hook on the end of the cable which holds the cable onto the back of the speedo. Often these have been broken off so the cable will come off easily but if yours is still attached, don't go trying to force the cable off, locate and press the lever to disconnect.

Pete

[Andyww]

Depends on the year of the car and whether USA car or not.

US cars got multi-pin connectors at beginning of S3 and others a few years later.

[TAR]

15 minutes ago, Andyww said:

Depends on the year of the car and whether USA car or not.

US cars got multi-pin connectors at beginning of S3 and others a few years later.

Well spotted. I didn't check to see if the car was anything other than a UK spec one! 

[Gis]

I assume it’s a RHD in Malaysia (same/similar spec as a UK domestic version) so likely not one with a multi plug. Then there is the speedo cable and oil line to deal with, so it’s an awkward job, always. While you’re in there, you could look at a LED bulp conversion too Eric. Might make the effort more worthwhile.

[ekwan]

19 hours ago, jonwat said:

Here's the episode of wheeler dealers where Ed removes the dash of an S3, might be worth watching before you start. 

Yucks ! 🤢

17 hours ago, peteyg said:

If you're really keen, once you've removed the fascia you could cut the wires and wire them into a connecting block so next time you want to remove it life will be a lot easier. The S2 I'm working on at the moment had this done and my god it makes life soooo much easier. About the only mod a PO had done that actually helps...

Be careful with the speedo cable when pulling the fascia out. There should be a small levered hook on the end of the cable which holds the cable onto the back of the speedo. Often these have been broken off so the cable will come off easily but if yours is still attached, don't go trying to force the cable off, locate and press the lever to disconnect.

Pete

Looks like 3 or 4 Delphi metri-packs will do the job with extensions

[ekwan]

13 hours ago, Gis said:

I assume it’s a RHD in Malaysia (same/similar spec as a UK domestic version) so likely not one with a multi plug. Then there is the speedo cable and oil line to deal with, so it’s an awkward job, always. While you’re in there, you could look at a LED bulp conversion too Eric. Might make the effort more worthwhile.

All incandescent bulbs head for the trash can. The oil line goes in favour of an electric oil pressure gauge.......assuming that there is space to fit the sensor.

Edited February 24, 2019 by ekwan
typo

[silverfrost]

Here was mine gutted for interior retrim,  Dashboard came out shortly afterwards,  New colur retrim ,  notice the snakes nest, lots of extra wires though as gauges changed to new smiths digital gauges and new switches etc,  also oil pressure pipe delete. 

                                                                                                                                   

[Keir]

5 hours ago, ekwan said:

All incandescent bulbs head for the trash can. The oil line goes in favour of an electric oil pressure gauge.......assuming that there is space to fit the sensor.

 

On 23/02/2019 at 20:58, ekwan said:

Thank you Dan. Job is to replace the plastic facia with one fabricated out of aluminium sheet.

Wow, we are doing pretty much exactly the same thing at this point in time! My interior is completely gutted at the moment and I'm awaiting new carpets plus leather upholstery.

In the meantime I bought a label printer and labelled every single wire in the dashboard and beyond. I've also been replacing those awful, single spade connectors with modern multi-plugs. It makes things so much neater and more reliable. I have a new, modern fusebox on the way too.

I have already drawn up the new instrument panel/fascia in AutoCAD along with a couple of other panels I'll get manufactured in aluminium at the same time. The plywood (yikes!) covers that go on top on the fuel tanks weigh 1.5 kilogrammes each! I've replicated those in AutoCAD too. With the instrument fascia, I'm going to keep it looking at close to original as possible without of course being able to source that flimsy plastic mask. Let me know if you'd like a copy of my AutoCAD file for the instrument panel. You'll need to make a few changes to it for your car no doubt but as a starting point it may save you time.

I've also replaced all of the dashboard and interior bulbs with LEDs. Some of the instrument lighting is just poor design though so it'll take more than LEDs to light them up sufficiently. The lighting arrangement for the boost gauge for example is very bad. I see that your car is naturally aspirated though so that's one less thing for you to worry about.

Cheers,
Keir