I have bought a new cantre dash console to better mount the stereo and to allow more auxiliary switches.
The existing centre setup carried the stereo in the sloping Tdi Defender mounting and had the two auxilliary guages and rear wash-wipe switch in the lower facia. The old stereo mount tends to creak a little and makes the display almost unreadable (LCD displays need to be read from above, and the old Defender mount displays the stereo head from below). The whole facia also lacked space for the dual circuit brake failure warning light, alternator warning light, power sockets and heated seat switches.
The new panel allows me two cigarette lighters for front power sockets, the auxiliary instruments, the warning lights and enough switches to have the heated rear screen and wing mirrors switches individually, to have a three position switch for the rear wiper giving intermittent and continuous options, rear wash on and adjacent momentary switch, roof rack lighting and individual dual setting switches for the seat heaters. It will also free up the original Defender aux switch panel to the lower right of the steering column for other functions, retaining the hazzard lights switch there but adding the fuel filter heater control and another spare function.
The new unit resembles the 2002 TD5 centre dash, though the switches and locations differ. There are two such aftermarket panels on sale. One is made in Canada by Iron Goat (sold in the UK by Scorpion Racing), and is perhaps the slightly neater of the two. The other is made and sold by Mudstuff.co.uk and allows considerably greater flexibility of fittings and a good deal more switches or instruments than the Iron Goat type. It’s also literally half the price.
I have trial fitted the dash in place and came up against an old problem which I had completely forgotten about – the gearstick top in the reverse position fouls the panel. I have removed the stick to heat the bend just above its pivot ball and increase its rearward cant to create more space between the reverse position and new centre dash.
So far, I have fitted the two guages, two cigarette lighters, CD player and seven switches. The switches all have two green bar lights – one above the centre section and another at the bottom, independently lit to serve as switch locators and status indicators.
Hi nick;
Great job done first of all.
As I understan you have changed the dash board of your series 3 with the defenders dashboard. Can you just give a little more info about this. I mean is it a easy thing or those it need lots of modifying and cuting.
The lower dash was replaced with a Defender unit because I couldn’t source a good SIII one, but apart from the switch panel holes above the driver’s knee, there is no advantage to it. Indeed, there are big problems with the job because the rear of the unit doesn’t fit a SIII bulkhead – the scallop is missing from the back of the Defender dash.
As fort he parcel tray area trim, I fitted the grey plastic cosmetic trim that covers the vent mesh screens with a pre 2002 Defender dash panel. It needed a slight trim around the driver’s side vent lever hole, but otherwise fitted straight in. It’s a bit fiddly, though, as the passenger side demister vent tube cover section presses hard against the lower dash while trying to fit it.
Thank u for answering. But I have one last thing in mind. My s3 dash is in good condition. do you have any idea if the mudstuff dash console will fit on it?
Thank u again….
It will, Tayfun; the only imperfection will be the open voids above the front edges of the parcel shelf which are made to clear the rigid plastic edge trim from a Defender rather than the thinner edging strip used on the SIII lower fascia.