Dash removal and replacement

[caw_86]

my 98 tahoe will be going under the knife in the near future for a dash replacement, anything else that should be done or could be done while the dash is pulled, not exactly something i want to do again

 

[east302]

Replace a/c box dampers if they’re rotted along the edges. Mine always had broken a/c (no refrigerant charge) so it was no big deal to pull the whole box and make things easier to work with.

Might be able to do the dampers with the box in place…not sure.

 

[cc333]

The HVAC in my '97 Ford is a leaky mess.

Because 100% of the foam seals have rotted away, the airflow is weak (especially out of the dash vents (floor and defrost vents still have a decent flow to them, but still weaker than when new)), the vents wheeze and whistle when they're closed, and to top it all off, the A/C died a couple summers ago, so all it does in the summer is blow hot air (it will work somewhat if I recharge it, but it lasts at best for a couple months, because it has a moderately severe leak somewhere).

It's a decent truck, but I'm quite sure the interior (including the HVAC system) is going to need a full overhaul in the not-too-distant future, something I dread because I'm not equipped to do the work myself, and I can't afford to pay someone to do it for me.

The GMC, despite being at least 3 years older, is in much better shape overall (everything works (even the stock radio!), and aside form a scare last winter, the HVAC system still seems to be working well enough, and the A/C blows nice and cold).

Someday, when I've not in limbo land (I'm part way through a major move, and 90% of my stuff is crammed into storage units), I'll gather up the nerve to overhaul the Ford's dash and do preventative maintenance on the GMC's dash. I don't drive it enough for it to be a major problem, so thankfully, it's not particularly urgent.

c

 

[Jesse_Wenting]

@east302 realized I left that blue connector accessible from under the dash last time I had it out. 5 pins are as follows;

Black - ground
Orange - constant 12v
Pink - on in run position
Green - hot when in reverse
Brown - 12v with running lights, no dimming

Very confident this connector is for the auto dimming mirror

 

[Jesse_Wenting]

@east302 and nevermind. I was at the yard the other day and was finally able to pull a dimming/compass mirror with the factory harness.

It plugs directly into the convenience center. Actually shares a harness with the power sun visors and/or roof markers if equipped from factory.

I haven't the slightest clue what this blue connector is for, I might dig around in ShopKey tonight.

 

[caw_86]

Great guide, just did mine, stupid driver A pillar not wanting to go back in though, passenger side no problem

 

[caw_86]

Great success

 

[Jesse_Wenting]

@east302 and nevermind. I was at the yard the other day and was finally able to pull a dimming/compass mirror with the factory harness.

It plugs directly into the convenience center. Actually shares a harness with the power sun visors and/or roof markers if equipped from factory.

I haven't the slightest clue what this blue connector is for, I might dig around in ShopKey tonight.

And nevermind my nevermind @east302. Just came across this thread from 2019 you happened to make a post in lol

Final Conclusion for Blue Connector

Seems that GM simply changed how they wanted to wire up overhead accessories.

This is a much cleaner solution compared to multiple connections at the convenience center, but requires significantly more effort to access.

You can see back in post #64 what circuits were provisioned for a 98 K1500 Silverado that from the factory was equipped with an overhead console and not equipped with a compass/temp mirror, lighted visors, or cab lights.

The thing that threw me off is that I pulled my c/t mirror from a 98 Burb which had a wire harness from the mirror to the convenience center. I might go back and see if the blue connector is being used on that vehicle for kicks.

I do want to stop clogging up this thread though, so any further information from me will be posted in here

 

[east302]

Thanks for the update. I’d guess that your first suspicion was correct - that it’s for the auto-dim mirror. Either way, that blue connector tends to throw people off when they think that they’ve forgotten to reconnect something.

 

[Guineaturbo]

I’ve been messing with this plug for weeks because my 98 Chevy starts for a few seconds then shuts off an now I know it goes to nothing