Replacing the dashboard plastic PCB
Posted: 13 Dec 2013, 13:55
I just replaced the plastic PCB on my dashboard broadly following Covkid's instuctions in the Wiki;
http://wiki.club8090.co.uk/index.php/VW ... _connector
I thought the PCB layout that I used might be of use/interest to others.
Note that my dash is the simplest version out there - petrol, no rev counter, no clock (although I did include the clock wiring). I also added an additional light into the dash as a spare for the future.
Just to clarify this is a view from the component (top) side of the veroboard (even though you can see the vertical tracks that would be on the underside - imagine that the board is slightly transparent).
The LED were mounted on the back of the Veroboard (i.e. on the track side, facing downwards).
Each wire from the connector arrives at the board on the bottom row (shown by the wire names on the pic)
The wires to the fuel gauge/coolant temp etc then come off the board on wires from the small black circles on the second from bottom row)
The wires to the three illumination lights come off the board on the 6 x black circles on the bottom right of the board.
The red dots are where the tracks are cut.
Note that I used an LED for the High Beam so that has a different resistor value to the original circuit.
SP1 is my spare LED that is lit when the SP1 wire is grounded - just got to think of a use for this now.
For others trying this, the most useful information on here is probably the spacing of the mounting holes and the LEDS. (Note for reference that the component holes on the veroboard are 0.1" apart) You can design the board however you like but those elements need to be spaced as shown so that they will all mount correctly into the dash.
Also its worth mentioning that the components are mounted so that they do not interfere with the various bits that stick up from the LED mounting section of the dash.
This is how it looks in the end;
(Note that the illumination lights are not connected in this pic - but the connectors can be seen on the bottom right of the board)
It seems to work really well - just need to do something about the blinding brightness of the blue LED for the High Beam.
Also finally for completeness - here is my diagram that I created by tracing the wire on the original plastic PCB that might help if you are thinking of doing something similar.
http://wiki.club8090.co.uk/index.php/VW ... _connector
I thought the PCB layout that I used might be of use/interest to others.
Note that my dash is the simplest version out there - petrol, no rev counter, no clock (although I did include the clock wiring). I also added an additional light into the dash as a spare for the future.
Just to clarify this is a view from the component (top) side of the veroboard (even though you can see the vertical tracks that would be on the underside - imagine that the board is slightly transparent).
The LED were mounted on the back of the Veroboard (i.e. on the track side, facing downwards).
Each wire from the connector arrives at the board on the bottom row (shown by the wire names on the pic)
The wires to the fuel gauge/coolant temp etc then come off the board on wires from the small black circles on the second from bottom row)
The wires to the three illumination lights come off the board on the 6 x black circles on the bottom right of the board.
The red dots are where the tracks are cut.
Note that I used an LED for the High Beam so that has a different resistor value to the original circuit.
SP1 is my spare LED that is lit when the SP1 wire is grounded - just got to think of a use for this now.
For others trying this, the most useful information on here is probably the spacing of the mounting holes and the LEDS. (Note for reference that the component holes on the veroboard are 0.1" apart) You can design the board however you like but those elements need to be spaced as shown so that they will all mount correctly into the dash.
Also its worth mentioning that the components are mounted so that they do not interfere with the various bits that stick up from the LED mounting section of the dash.
This is how it looks in the end;
(Note that the illumination lights are not connected in this pic - but the connectors can be seen on the bottom right of the board)
It seems to work really well - just need to do something about the blinding brightness of the blue LED for the High Beam.
Also finally for completeness - here is my diagram that I created by tracing the wire on the original plastic PCB that might help if you are thinking of doing something similar.