[joemailey]

Changed the centre console a bit.
Sat nav + Parrot Display put in it.

Before

http://www.hardwareoholic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/before.JPG

During

http://www.hardwareoholic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/during.JPG

After

http://www.hardwareoholic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/IMG_0036.JPG



I'm happy with it :-)

[cameron66]

I remember you starting this in a post a little while ago.

I love the idea matey, but with respect, I suspect this actual pic does not do the job justice, due to a trick of the light and reflections probably.

Brilliant concept... well done! :)


AAMOI, do you agree that the top centre display on the Insignia, (on my Exclusive anyway) seems a little too bright compared to the rest of the display lights.
ie. Not balanced right. Pity VX did'nt include a independant brightness control for it.

[PRO-INSIGNIA]

Looks a good job. Well done.
I take it you had to buy a new panel which would usually be used for the Vauxhall Sat Nav screen?

[cameron66]

Second pic is much better, and looks very good.

You obviously used a piece of black plastic or similar, and have cut it out to match the displays, but how did you manage to mount the units to the rear.? or in the dash.

I suspect that was the hard bit matey.

How much did the Sat Nav Panel cost. ?

[joemailey]

Second pic is much better, and looks very good.

You obviously used a piece of black plastic or similar, and have cut it out to match the displays, but how did you manage to mount the units to the rear.? or in the dash.

I suspect that was the hard bit matey.

How much did the Sat Nav Panel cost. ?

I got the Sat Nav Panel from www.lmfvauxhall.co.uk . No my VX dealer just told me it was non stock put blah blah.

LMF ordered it directly from GM germany.

Price was £37 I think or there abouts. Maybe even less.

[joemailey]

Second pic is much better, and looks very good.

You obviously used a piece of black plastic or similar, and have cut it out to match the displays, but how did you manage to mount the units to the rear.? or in the dash.

I suspect that was the hard bit matey.

How much did the Sat Nav Panel cost. ?

A guy I met on Astra Owners Club(AOC - use to have MK5 astra 3 door) his name is Munkie. He works for a company called bay plastics.
I done an AUTO CAD drawing(really a rectangle just, but mapped to the exact size I required the cut out plastic to be) and sent it to him he got his friends in work to cut out the panel.

Your going to laugh now. Hope your ready for the hard bit.

Some duck tape to tape the black plastic panel to the console unit.
Then a hot glue gun to glue the Sat Nav to the black plastic panel.
The 1 line display Unit. was removed from its housing and is basically just the glass display with the light and circuit board behind it. the glass screen is hot glued to the black plastic. then the display circuit board + light have a bit of duck tape holding it in place.

As for the pictures above:

The before picture is before any work.
The during picture is a mock up of paper + plastic cover for testing purposes.
The third and final picture is the cut out plastic from bay plastic. Final setup.

This probably doesn't make sense. But that is only way I can explain it.

This mod originated from when I had my Astra. I got fed up with taken my sat nav in and out of the car. The garmin sat nav I had, had built in bluetooth for hands free. Which I liked using but I got fedd up just putting the sat nav in the car just for hands free. AS generally I never got too many calls whilst driving. But people only seemed to ring when the sat nav wasn't in place.
So I wanted a way to keep the sat nav in the car. Out of sight and hard to steal. So I removed the display unit from my astra and put the garmin in its place. Cut the cable for the display unit and extended its leads(extremely difficult for me to do. As I'm colour blind and cutting and extending something like 12 coloured wires was a major achievement for me :) )

So I decided when I got my Insignia I needed my sat nav in the middle of my dash again, along with the display for my parrot mki 9100. This is how I went about it. Which isn't bad considering I no nothing about cars and don't do much modding.

Sorry for the long story.

[cameron66]

I think I get the idea. Certainly admire you for job your've done, a job not for the faint hearted..lol

Did you have to mount or run a extended antenna for the Satnav or did it work okay using the one in the SatNav.
I use Tomtom720 myself, but I've noticed a few very cheap black Satnavs which may be suitable, ie. with a nice square flat screen surround so it would fit reasonable well behind the plastic panel.

I've had some of the trims off my console to try and cure some creaking from the centre console. I released the 4 screws which hold the radio button panel in place but was unable to remove it completely as it seem reluctant to come away at the very top, where it meets with the dash.

I think it may have some clips of some sort there preventing it coming out.
When those 4 screws are removed, does it have to be slid in a downward direction to release it from the dash at the top. ? IOW hows it fastened at the top to the dash.?

Also what cables are at the rear of the radio panel that need to be released.?

Sorry for the questions matey.

Enjoyed the read, I found it most interesting indeed. Thanks for sharing it with us. Any info re. above issues would be appreciated.

[joemailey]

Did you have to mount or run a extended antenna for the Satnav or did it work okay using the one in the SatNav.



I didn't have to use an extended antenna. As it seems to pick up a full signal without any issue's at all. Best thing about it is. The sat nav picks up the signal as soon as it comes on. I'm guessing that's because I'm driving everyday and the Sat Nav is always on so it always has up to date satellite information.



I've had some of the trims off my console to try and cure some creaking from the centre console. I released the 4 screws which hold the radio button panel in place but was unable to remove it completely as it seem reluctant to come away at the very top, where it meets with the dash.

I think it may have some clips of some sort there preventing it coming out.
When those 4 screws are removed, does it have to be slid in a downward direction to release it from the dash at the top. ? IOW hows it fastened at the top to the dash.?

Also what cables are at the rear of the radio panel that need to be released.?



There Is 5 cables attached to the panel one of which one I could not remove.

As for pulling the panel of:

Once the bolts have been removed the centre console just pulls forward and up. The whole thing comes of. Even the heater vents at the top, which has 2-3 clips in it so you have to pull it off.

The 2-3 clips are attached to holes in the dash. If you sort of lift the console up and pull forward it will off.
It really just pulls off. But make sure your holding the top of the panel where it is attached to the top of the dash. Rather than holding the radio panel and pulling.

As the whole front panel is actually in to bits. The display console and then the radio console.

Here is post from my site I put it up something like a day after I got my car lol

http://www.hardwareoholic.co.uk/insignia/removing-insignia-centre-console/

[cameron66]

Thanks matey..

Yes it was the top vent panel where it fits round the top to the dash, I know the bottom and top parts come away togther, and can be split afterwards I believe. It must be those clips on the top part that was holding, I probably did'nt pull firm enough. Are they similar to the spring clips that hold the trims on?

Not being able to dis-connect all the cables, must have made the job a lot more difficult than it would have been otherwise I would think.

[joemailey]

Thanks matey..

Yes it was the top vent panel where it fits round the top to the dash, I know the bottom and top parts come away togther, and can be split afterwards I believe. It must be those clips on the top part that was holding, I probably did'nt pull firm enough. Are they similar to the spring clips that hold the trims on?

Not being able to dis-connect all the cables, must have made the job a lot more difficult than it would have been otherwise I would think.

I think they might be, there like little metal clips, that get forced in to the holes at the top of the dash.