89 dash removal

[naki]

Guys, i need a little help. anyone know how to get the dash out on a 89 3.6 coupe? its nearly done but its till fixed in the middle above the heater box, and i cant see any bolts of fixings holding it in?
i was thinking of buying a haynes manual, but they only cover models up to 85 apparently. or would it be the same as an 85 dash too?
any tips? i tried to get the instrument cluster out, but its fixed in a hidden way at the top again too.

[ptjs1]

Naki,

See this helpful info taken from another forum on removing instruments and dash from a pre-facelift XJS:

Instruments first:
Remove the steering wheel inner (screws behind), undo the central nut; carefully keep the collets and pull off the wheel.
The instruments are set back in their outer cowling. Undo the screw holding the plastic side trim each inner side of the binnacle (the side between the cowl edge nearest the steering wheel and the actual instrument glass). Undo the screw each side that holds these to the cowl inner side. Next levering off the little plastic corner pieces to the left and right ends of the warning light strip.Under these are set back are two pozi screws. Undo these and pull them out with a magnet. Now the inner instrument pack can be eased out of the dash and the steering wheel is not in the way. When out JUST enough to get a hand round the back of it, carefully pull out the two large loom plugs that are fixed to it.


Now the actual dash itself. The column must be removed next. It is held in by two large brackets which are obvious when the lower dash panels are off and the instruments are out. Undo these, undo the various loom plugs to the stalks, unso the nut and bolts holding the spline end of the shaft to its next section down by the floor. Remove the light switch and ignition switch screwed on trim and switch pieces and unplug their loom plugs. Remove column. Remove the large blue rubber aircon blower to unit conduits. Ease out the switches each side of the computer, and the computer and unplug their loom plugs. Pull off the aircon knobs and undo their inner threaded ring fixings, this enables you to pull out the radio. Having done this, you can start to undo the central console fixings and remove that. All this last stuff has to be done to get at the aircon unit.

Finally, remove the glove box inner lining, which is held in my loads of tiny black screws. Having done this carefully pull the temp sensor tube off the dash hole above where the glove box lining was. Now you should be able to see the dash inner fixings high up just outboard of the aircon unit. Undo these. Also there are two fixings, one each side, directly behind the outer dash edge aircon outlets. Ease out these and you can JUST see them. Finally, there is a VERY hard to get at pozi in the dead centre of the dash top right by the windscreen bottom. This will be easy for you as the screen it out.


As regards workshop manual. Don't buy the Haynes manual which only covers some parts of some of the earlier cars. Buy the proper Jaguar Parts & Service manual on DVD. IMO, it's a completely false economy to try and run an XJS without having the proper workshop manual.

Good luck

Paul

[poprivet]

I have to ask Naki, why does the whole dash need to come out? That's a serious bit of work.

[naki]

I have to ask Naki, why does the whole dash need to come out? That's a serious bit of work.

thanks for the info, will read through it.

the car is a breaker, and its nearly all stripped, just couldn't figure the dash out. its like they purposefully made all the fixings hidden. i can remove a XJ40 dash in no time at all, but this xjs one, nightmare!
i wont go into a full horror story photo show, but suffice to say it is rotten (just for change yes!).
really not loving these bullet connectors either!

if anyone needs some parts off it, let me know. some parts are gone already.

here it is now



before

[poprivet]

Another one bites the dust.

Sad but not unexpected. Anyone looking at that interior can appreciate why so few XJSs have a bare shell re-build. I doubt if these cars will ever become so valuable that it is economical to save a 'barn-find' example.

Best look after the good ones now and enjoy them while we can.

[dhdove]

Pop

"Sad but not unexpected. Anyone looking at that interior can appreciate why so few XJSs have a bare shell re-build. I doubt if these cars will ever become so valuable that it is economical to save a 'barn-find' example."

Good point, well made.

TonyS

[naki]

Pop

"Sad but not unexpected. Anyone looking at that interior can appreciate why so few XJSs have a bare shell re-build. I doubt if these cars will ever become so valuable that it is economical to save a 'barn-find' example."

Good point, well made.

TonyS

one of the worst things about how the XJS is put together, is those bloody bullet connectors. Who on earth thought those were a good idea? Mind you, i suppose that was normal for cars fo the era, but trying to get them apart 25 years later, without just savaging them, is not easy.

This car was way beyond saving in my opinion The more it came apart you see to what extent the corrosion has spread. Its quite shocking really, the way whole thing is riddled.
add this thing a non running/ electrical problem, and it was just too much.

[naki]

just wanted to say thanks for the dash board instructions. Only just got around to finishing it off today.
Easy when you know how? well still not a simple job getting the whole lot out. The screws would not come out of the glove box, so took extra encouragement to remove. very complicated the way it all goes together IMO. good learning curve as always though.

[ptjs1]

naki,

Glad to have been of some little help. XJS dashboards are quite intimidating. But at least you don't have the nightmare of putting it all back together and connecting everything!

Paul

[naki]

naki,

Glad to have been of some little help. XJS dashboards are quite intimidating. But at least you don't have the nightmare of putting it all back together and connecting everything!

Paul

not not this time. its given me enough nightmares just taking it apart!
makes the dash on an XJ40 and absolute dobble!

am sure there will be another time, so its all useful knowledge and experience