Dashboard electrics

Hi guys,

I haven't been on here in a while and my car is in need of some serious TLC.
My car has a very hormonal dash board, the only thing that works constantly is the speedo (thank god).
The lights, clocks, petrol gauge etc isn't brilliant and I've been really sceptical about taking the dash out and playing with the electrics myself but I don't have a bank balance that would let me leave it at a garage long enough for it all.
I've been offered by a local VW garage to give me a hand and a watch over me just in case, and would need to start cleaning off and sorting from the earth wires and stuff, but the haynes manual diagrams give me a headache.

Has anyone else done this before? I'd appreciate any help and advice you can offer and what would be best and how long this will take me?! I'd like to start it in the next few days/week.

Cheers
 

Advice … leave it to someone else.  I had absolute mare putting dash back in. But read the forum threads. Make sure that you contact and marl where bolts come from as some threads maybe damaged. Don't pull too hard on brittle plastics. And don't expect it done in a day. If just earth's can reach some without removing much.

Buggar. Ok thanks!

I don't want to damage the dash. I don't have brilliant patience either which won't help.

I'm thinking, even if I start it and can't finish certain bits I can always get help? :\  How much do you reckon it'll set me back if I just gave it to a garage to do?

Not sure definitely patience you need. It's a few screws and bit of wiggling. My issues was mainly the clips near windscreen couldn't get dash back on them and the cardboard had rotten.  I'd say if you have chance to sit down and take time should be ok. Of not just take wheel off then clocks. Then radio head unit. Then have look inside maybe obvious what's a miss such as worn lead or loose connection.. mine was mouse and damp.

A MOUSE?!

I'm hoping it'll be an easy enough job (for what it is) but god knows when someone had a good sort out through it all. There's so many loose wires and cut off ends bunched up it's unreal so each time I had a look, I thought nah, another day.. which has turned into a few years. It might be something to do with damp as it can be working better on good days and not so much is crappy weather.

the clips in question and evidence of damp. Once all visible should be ok to fix chase cut wires. Just take time with clips and plastics. There's plenty of help in South west area loads of members down there

I'm hating this already =[

Don't listen to me..I lost temper with mine. In end Everthing worked just my cardboard fitting areas was too worn to fit back correctly. Car passed mot and everything afterwards

Bah! It's easy (if you know what you're doing). Otherwise it's a mine field.

You're going to have to take the dash off to find out what horrors are lurking underneath - You will literally have no idea what you're faced with until you look!

Where are you based? Maybe someone local can give a helping hand?

if it has the MFA cluster first thing to check is the earth wire to the side of the engine for the dash, its one of the brown/white wires. make sure all the other wires you find to the head are good also

This sounds a lot like mine. Dash, (Rev counter,fuel gauge temp) will work for days then all of a sudden won't even tho car hasn't moved I between. But the clock and speedo will always work. The odometer is hit and miss but mostly works. Think it could be a faulty earth and wet weather?