Disco 1 Dash curling

[dbndisco]

Anyone swap out a curling dash in a disco 1? I have a near perfect dash in my parts truck and am trying to decide whether to swap them or just use the dash repair kit. I have curling everywhere. Along the windshield (front- whole way across), around the radio/hvac controls, etc. Any opinions? There don't seem to be any repair options for the other areas that I've seen... Looks like a swap would be a huge undertaking.

[SGFMORover]

you do it yet???? havent done it but I'd love to know how it went? I've pulled nearly everything around it, but haven't pulled it yet. I can tell you the repair kit isn't a true "fix" put a kit in mine a few years back, now its starting to pull the screws up out and bending anyway in a couple spots and the curve at the front has cracked the plastic surround for the radio/clock/etc, as well as the instrument cluster. its persistent. I've been looking recently and think a d2 dash will actually fit a d1.... gotta get my hands on one and measure it though.

[RoverCat]

How did this come out (for both of you)?? Also have an issue in similar areas. Would love to know a fix/solution? Did the D2 dash work?

Thanks!

RoverCat

[Les Parker]

I beleive the DII dash is 1" or so wider, so I have my doubts that this will work.

[singingcamel]

Wait to a good ole hot summer day , sit it in the sun ,get it warm and screw it down, using some stainlees or black screws, or pait em. or buy a good heat gun warm it up then fasten it with what ever you want to use.

[SGFMORover]

spent some time at the junkyard last week measuring one and the measurements look good - just too far down the list heat and screw have it close enough that its not splitting all the plastic in half anymore but one of these days its gonna get done..... eventually

[1996trek4]

I have both trucks. Dash is the same other than passenger side airbag. HVAC ducting and such is a little different due to the automatic system, but should still be a straight forward swap. D2 will not curl like the D1 does. Problem on the D1 is the passenger airbag mounting causes a preload condition of the dash cover at that corner and will slowly pull it back over time creating the curl. Hotter climates seem to speed up the process. No idea if the airbag plugs are the same to be able to use the D2 airbag. Make sure you disconnect the battery for atleast 10 minutes before removing the airbag, this dissapates the capacitor that energizes the airbag. Keep it facing up somewhere away from anyone. When you put everything back together, make sure everything is plugged in before you hook up the battery and turn the ignition on or you will have a airbag fault/light that only the dealer is authorized to clear. I.E. do not install the dash and drive it without the airbag for a day. Airbags are pyrotechnic devices/explosives so handle them with care.

[SGFMORover]

only time I got into an incident that should've set off the airbags the warning light came on instead. thinking a cubby hole will go nicely there... found an easier way to turn my light off - electrical taped over it the last time I had the gauge cluster out

[1996trek4]

only time I got into an incident that should've set off the airbags the warning light came on instead. thinking a cubby hole will go nicely there... found an easier way to turn my light off - electrical taped over it the last time I had the gauge cluster out

I think the sensors are supposed to be replaced after ten years but nobody does it... They are essentially a gold ball in a tube of grease with a contact at the end. In a collision, the ball gets forced through the grease and makes contact setting off your airbags. There are several generations of airbags and newer ones may be different... If the system is compromised in any way, the light will come on. It could be that your sensors have a way of reporting if the ball has moved and now the system may be compromised as it will take much less of a collision now to finish the cycle and ignite the bags creating a safety issue. Dunno, just a guess. Personally, I do not care for them, If you are in a collision bad enough to need bags, you are going to be a hurting unit anyway without the added facial burns to go with it. Most times the bags go off when they really are not needed and just adds expense to fixing the car and injuries to the occupants....

[SGFMORover]

couldn't agree more, not a fan of them. no point now though since the truck caught on fire... atleast until I find my next one.

[1996trek4]

parts trucks are cheap. I just bought a 96 with bad brakes and interior issues for 500 bucks and it runs great, no tick or smoke... You'll find one... A really decent truck shouldn't be more than 3-4k LSE maybe 5 tops... Be careful or you'll wind up like some of us and have several of the things lol...Hopefully with a understanding other half

[phoenix]

inregards to air bag deployment, according to land rover it takes 3 minor incidents to deply airbags, thatt is sudden decelerations and or impacts below 35mph of course a few other things must meet the criteria such as braking, force of impact seat belt pretensioner activation...
at above 35 pmh, all it takes is a sudden impact to the front end for it to think it has been in a collision and deploy. so single slow or sudden impact below 35mph will not deploy them... two more similar to the first may do so....on the dash issue, d1 and 2 are the same, all nescesary wiring is held on to them, the rest stay on the firewall main harness, all has disconnecting plugs, you may want to remove radio, heater controls and center console for ease of removal, as well as steering wheel... the main securing bolts, nuts are located on the sides by the kick pannels, on each side of the tunnel, behind the instrument cluster and behind the glove box/airbag on the right side.... lots of little pieces but well worth it...time consuming for a newbie...

[1996trek4]

35 mph is pretty general. It depends on the decceleration I would think, not the speed of impact. You hit a concrete wall at 35 or something collapsable such as a car it will vary. The sensors react to decceleration...Since every accident is different, one at 35 may or may not cause the airbags to deploy just as an impact less than that may. I do not know how the system would detect 3 minor impacts and then surprise you with a deployment on the last. That doesn't make any sense.

[phoenix]

trust me I know it doesn't make sense, land rover class is the first time I had ever heard of such happening so what I quoted is what the instructor said I drive a 95 classic and I asked if it applied to said model he replied with a shrugg and a "yes"... he went on to explain those "older" models wore srs just to meet safety regulations... he did not go into further details.
I drive a honda as well and the owners manual warns agaist running onto speed humps, curb or into deep pot holes at speeds because the deployment sensor for srs is located on a collapsible steering column, so if it feels an impact on the front wheels and meets sudden decelation it can deploy the bags with out a crash.
the basic activity of a srs sensor is as you mentioned, a ball held onto a magnet which when relised will close a circuit and cause deployment... as to what a manufacturer thinks should be a proper deployment case is up to the design engineers.
in a general srs class, the techs were warned against using the old proven method of beating on the steering components in order to release ball joints, but rather begin using proper tools such as presses and the like, simply because the impact on suspension and or steering components could be perceived by sensors as a crash impact thus deploying bags.
after all everything is electronic and electronics can be finichy. forget the land rover/lucas gremlins, that a whole different can of worms.