cable routing between dash top and lower dash/radio
 

Dear rennlisters

Long time lurker, recently signed up. Would appreciate any advice on the following query:

I have purchased the Blaupunkt windscreen FM antenna. I'm hoping it will improve the useless radio reception.

I have been toying with the idea of mounting the antenna on the rear window, but the hassle of routing the cabling to the front has put me off (I'm lazy).
I think it will look ok at the front at the bottom of the windscreen. It'll be directly underneath the tomtom mount, so shouldn't look too bad.

I took the central windscreen air vent cover off today to reveal two screws that hold the dash top in place. I removed these naively thinking that it would be as easy as this to remove the dash top, but there are other fasteners elsewhere.

I have found an article here, using the search, that details the various fixings, but the articles relate to LHD models. When it says 'remove the clock', should I be removing the oil level gauge? How exactly does one go about remove the gauges, anyhow?

Once the top is out, I'm hoping that there is a route from the top of the dash down to the radio. Does anyone know if this is the case? I have read many reports that the top and lower dash sections are separated by a steel firewall. This could put a fly in the ointment! I'm guessing there must be some kind of route because the oem windscreen antenna has to go from the window to the radio.

Anyone have any pearls of wisdom?

Cheers

Stu

Let me guess - you have very poor AM reception and no FM. If this is the case, the antenna amp is not turning on. Did you connect the blue wire? That wire sends 12V to the antenna amp when you turn on the head unit, telling the antenna amp to turn on.

Take out the left-most gauge (not sure what it is on the RHD cars). Reach in once its out and feel around towards the center of the dash, there should be a bolt with a nut on it. Remove the nut and that should loosen the top of the dash. The gauges just pull right out. Take a flat head screw driver and wrap a cloth around the flat end, and pry it out that way. Some (like the tach) may need the steering wheel removed but you don't need to worry about that for what you are trying to do.

I had a thread last week about this very subject. https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...-993-dash.html I found that there is a rubber grommet inside the radio hole that leads to the top dash. It is intended for the antenna wire and the CD changer wire to route through. on a LHD car the grommet is inside the removed radio hole just above the right rear corner of where the docked radio would sit. I imagine on a RHD car it would be off of the rear left corner inside that hole. If you remove the dash top you can poke a coat hanger through the grommet and pull some small guage wires through the grommet. Otherwise the top and bottom dash (at least in a LHD car) are VERY WELL sealed off from each other I imagine the RHD car is the same.

As for routing the wire from the rear up to the front... unless someone else has some tricks I am not aware of I am guessing you will be discouraged from this several minutes after attempting to find a path. The car's interior is very well glued down and glued together with some VERY sticky glue.

Nick

hah hah! Thanks for the replies, guys. I have checked the antenna amp, but it's definitely working (without the power connected to it the radio reception is nil!). I might give this a go tomorrow morning as I have a long drive ahead of me and would like to pick up the news and traffic info every now and then.

Will let you know how I progress and whether or not the Blaupunkt is any good.

Cheers

Stu