For those who like customizing their interior. I personally hated the big grippy dials, so here is my solution:
Change your standard "monster-truck tyre" ac dials to smooth rounded ones, as shown in the photo.
Yes, the dials are a bit harder to turn, but unless you have the finger grip of an infant, it will not be a problem.
Forgive me for the lack of photos near the end (didn’t ever intend to do a how-to guide on this, but a friend said the dials looked good, so I thought others might want to try it).
There is a lot of work to do such a small modification, but if you like how it looks, and dont mind the work, here’s how:
What you will need:
-spare ac dials unit (you can use your current ones, but if you ruin them, don’t blame me) they go pretty cheap on ebay anyway, so best to be safe and grab a pair. I got mine for $5
-various screwdrivers
-sandpaper (preferably a range from about 100 down to 1000)
-spray paint
-a drill and a random assortment of bolts, nuts and washers (or better, a lathe)
-a sharp knife and possibly tweezers and pliers
-possibly some kind of grease or lubricant
1. Start by using exec24’s guide on removing the console/dash assembly
https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/how-remove-dash-center-console-vy-vz.60145
Don’t remove all of it, just the radio, then the lower trim to gain access to remove the upper trim.
2. Remove the ac dial face by using small flat screwdrivers to pry the 6 tabs off as shown below (the bottom 3 are tricky to get to when its still in the car, but it can be done)
(The 6 tabs that need to be unclipped to get it out of the car)
3. Break your fingers trying to pry the dials out of the face. You need to pry each dial out of the two tabs marked in the photo below (note i have cut the bottom tab because this is my spare ebay dial face. DONT cut the tab/s on your good dial face)
(These are very tight. You can try prying it with screwdrivers, but in the end what worked for me was brute force and a good 1-2 minute recovery after getting each one off)
4. Separate the dial grips from the dial centres. Scrape off and save the grease stuff if you want, or just apply new stuff later
(Probably the easiest step. They should separate very easily)
5. Do the same thing with your second set of dials (if you bought a second set). You can cut the tabs to save breaking more of your fingers. Just make sure you have at least one un-cut dial face for the re-install.
6. For the following steps, use your second, cheap set of dials only (or if you are using your one and only good set, be extra careful)
7. Use a sharp knife to cut along groove marked by the dotted line in the pic below, all the way around. Do not cut your fingers as you turn the dial.... like I did.... continually
Make sure the line you cut is straight. If its jagged or torn, it can show up through the dial face in the wrong lighting conditions once reinstalled.
(Make sure you cut deep enough to get through the rubber)
Sorry, no more instructional pics from here on.
8. Use fingers, tweezers or pliers to pull the rubber grips off. You may get it off in one go, otherwise it will come off in a hundred little pieces. Discard the rubber grip pieces.
9. You will now notice that behind the rubber grip is an inverse grip pattern moulded into the plastic..... sigh
10. Take the dial and use your assortment of nuts bolts and washers, and the drill to set up a poor-mans lathe. For me, finding the right sized washers was not hard, but making sure the drill would spin the grip perfectly centered was.
see the terrible pic below if you are not sure about how to set up a lathe with your drill
(The washers mush be just the right size. Too small and they wont hold the dial. Too big and they will inhibit your ability to sand the dial nicely)
11. With the grip spinning perfectly centered, start sanding to get rid of the inverse moulded grip. Start with something around 100 grit, and once the moulded pattern is gone and the surface is smooth, work your way up to about 1000 grit to get a nice finish.
12. Wash or dust away all the residue powder left on the dial, then prime and paint it to whatever colour you want. (I chose gloss black, and also bought the black dial centres to match).
13. Once dry, put the smooth dial grips back over the dial centres, making sure to re-grease them so they spin smoothly.
14. Insert the dials back into the unbroken dial face. (Thankfully, this is a million times easier than getting them out).
15. Clip it back on to the main dial assembly in the car (A trick I use to make sure they line up is to turn all the knobs on the assembly fully counter-clockwise, then turn the dials to match (which will be: fan for ac, full cold for temp, and recycle for airflow) then just pop the dial face back on and it should line up).
16. Re-assemble the dash and you’re done
(my car needs dusting)
Not sure how many people will be interested, or how many people prefer the smooth look over the grippy look, but let me know if you like it, try it, or have any other questions.
Change your standard "monster-truck tyre" ac dials to smooth rounded ones, as shown in the photo.
Yes, the dials are a bit harder to turn, but unless you have the finger grip of an infant, it will not be a problem.
Forgive me for the lack of photos near the end (didn’t ever intend to do a how-to guide on this, but a friend said the dials looked good, so I thought others might want to try it).
There is a lot of work to do such a small modification, but if you like how it looks, and dont mind the work, here’s how:
What you will need:
-spare ac dials unit (you can use your current ones, but if you ruin them, don’t blame me) they go pretty cheap on ebay anyway, so best to be safe and grab a pair. I got mine for $5
-various screwdrivers
-sandpaper (preferably a range from about 100 down to 1000)
-spray paint
-a drill and a random assortment of bolts, nuts and washers (or better, a lathe)
-a sharp knife and possibly tweezers and pliers
-possibly some kind of grease or lubricant
1. Start by using exec24’s guide on removing the console/dash assembly
https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/how-remove-dash-center-console-vy-vz.60145
Don’t remove all of it, just the radio, then the lower trim to gain access to remove the upper trim.
2. Remove the ac dial face by using small flat screwdrivers to pry the 6 tabs off as shown below (the bottom 3 are tricky to get to when its still in the car, but it can be done)
(The 6 tabs that need to be unclipped to get it out of the car)
3. Break your fingers trying to pry the dials out of the face. You need to pry each dial out of the two tabs marked in the photo below (note i have cut the bottom tab because this is my spare ebay dial face. DONT cut the tab/s on your good dial face)
(These are very tight. You can try prying it with screwdrivers, but in the end what worked for me was brute force and a good 1-2 minute recovery after getting each one off)
4. Separate the dial grips from the dial centres. Scrape off and save the grease stuff if you want, or just apply new stuff later
(Probably the easiest step. They should separate very easily)
5. Do the same thing with your second set of dials (if you bought a second set). You can cut the tabs to save breaking more of your fingers. Just make sure you have at least one un-cut dial face for the re-install.
6. For the following steps, use your second, cheap set of dials only (or if you are using your one and only good set, be extra careful)
7. Use a sharp knife to cut along groove marked by the dotted line in the pic below, all the way around. Do not cut your fingers as you turn the dial.... like I did.... continually
Make sure the line you cut is straight. If its jagged or torn, it can show up through the dial face in the wrong lighting conditions once reinstalled.
(Make sure you cut deep enough to get through the rubber)
Sorry, no more instructional pics from here on.
8. Use fingers, tweezers or pliers to pull the rubber grips off. You may get it off in one go, otherwise it will come off in a hundred little pieces. Discard the rubber grip pieces.
9. You will now notice that behind the rubber grip is an inverse grip pattern moulded into the plastic..... sigh
10. Take the dial and use your assortment of nuts bolts and washers, and the drill to set up a poor-mans lathe. For me, finding the right sized washers was not hard, but making sure the drill would spin the grip perfectly centered was.
see the terrible pic below if you are not sure about how to set up a lathe with your drill
(The washers mush be just the right size. Too small and they wont hold the dial. Too big and they will inhibit your ability to sand the dial nicely)
11. With the grip spinning perfectly centered, start sanding to get rid of the inverse moulded grip. Start with something around 100 grit, and once the moulded pattern is gone and the surface is smooth, work your way up to about 1000 grit to get a nice finish.
12. Wash or dust away all the residue powder left on the dial, then prime and paint it to whatever colour you want. (I chose gloss black, and also bought the black dial centres to match).
13. Once dry, put the smooth dial grips back over the dial centres, making sure to re-grease them so they spin smoothly.
14. Insert the dials back into the unbroken dial face. (Thankfully, this is a million times easier than getting them out).
15. Clip it back on to the main dial assembly in the car (A trick I use to make sure they line up is to turn all the knobs on the assembly fully counter-clockwise, then turn the dials to match (which will be: fan for ac, full cold for temp, and recycle for airflow) then just pop the dial face back on and it should line up).
16. Re-assemble the dash and you’re done
(my car needs dusting)
Not sure how many people will be interested, or how many people prefer the smooth look over the grippy look, but let me know if you like it, try it, or have any other questions.
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