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Replace Viggen Console with NG900 Console?

612 views 10 replies 3 participants last post by  BobSaabit 
#1 ·
Hi. Can swap in a nice black NG900 center (from dash to rear ashtray) console for my scuffed up gray Viggen console? I am concerned about the Viggen's ignition electronics that the NG900 didn't have.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Yes! I did the swap. Lower and center console. Now it's all black across the entire lower section. I left the dash and upper stuff as is.

There are a couple parts that are a non-swap. You need a black cover for the key antenna area. I was going to customize the ng900 one (it would be close, not perfect), but in the end I decided just to paint an OG 9-3 one. I found a Duplicolor matte black paint that was really close. No one but you will know after a few months of paint aging. I can post the paint details later.

You also need the key antenna itself in black. Some years of the OG 9-5 had them. I don't recall which years but check the EPC, then hunt the u-pulls or classifieds.

I changed everything up through the lower console. But that meant I needed a black panel ACC unit. Buttons are fine but the shell needed a swap. You can either source an NG900 unit and swap the front panel or disassemble your unit and paint it. I did the swap first but the NG900 unit doesn't match the NG900 lower console all that well. I changed my mind and painted the OG 9-3 one instead.

Note that disassembling an ACC has some risks. Best to test at the u-pull to learn. It's all fairly easy but the display cable can disconnect and then you're hosed. Sometimes they are VERY lightly attached. Once the display and front board come out TOGETHER, the little front buttons are easy to remove. Quick coat of paint on the shell and you're good. FYI - the ng900 uses different screws vs the OG9-3.

The NG900 generally has ash trays front & rear. If you don't like that, more painting of the OG9-3 parts. I prefer a front trashtray to the cubby so I swapped mine to the NG900 units. ( In fact, I already had an OG9-3 trashtray. So I went with the NG900 units.

Get a cup/coin holder too for the rear area. Black vs gray. Not something you should paint as it will wear fast. I think I have one for sale cheap if you need it.

If you've never pulled the console, I did a post around here on that. I can dig it out.
 
#3 ·
OK, so I'm not the only one would prefers black!

[1] I have ready to swap in a black NG900 front (dash) piece, a center console piece with the brake lever, the ignition key cover and cap, a black window switch unit, a new rear seat heater switch surround and switch blank, the rear piece with vent and ashtray area, a new ashtray "blank", and a new coin box and coin box lid. I assume my Viggen remote antenna will fit in the NG900 console rear area.
[2] Can I "plug and play" a black NG900 ACC unit into the Viggen connector?
[3] How do the Viggen ignition electronics go with the NG900 ignition pieces?

I am VERY excited about this.
 
#4 ·
OK, so I'm not the only one would prefers black!
Especially with the black lower panels in the Viggen style interiors. Gray just doesn't work.

1) TWICE antenna fits in like the NG900 and OG 9-3 stock - which is to say, it hangs around in there with no apparent means of attachment. Works just as poorly no matter where you put it.
2). Well, yes, but No. The connector fits but the electronics are different. You have to swap the ng900 to the OG 9-3 electronics or paint the OG 9-3 panel.
3) If it's not clear, the NG900 has no antenna in that key cover. The OG 9-3/9-5 has an antenna for the security system (remotes). You need a, OG key antenna/cover around the ignition cylinder (which has to come from an OG 9-5 if you want it to be black...I think it has to be 2004-2010 to get black).

The console cover that the key antenna fits into is different for the NG900... so you have to paint the one for the OG 9-3 or get the Dremel out and customize it to fit the OG type key antenna.
 
#5 ·
Hmm. So, to make it all black, I need to paint the existing OG9-3 key cover with a matte-finish plastic paint (not a big deal), but how would I swap the ACC electronics? I think an OG9-3 gray ACC would not look right in the black dash-console, but swapping or painting sounds tough. And, do you have a general step by step tutorial on the complete console removal? If I recall, it's basically back to front, right?
 
#6 ·
Yep, you have to paint panel # 12 in the illustration below to get a black one. Again, you could modify an NG900 panel to make the key antenna fit in... but I went the easy route and it worked out great. Key antenna from a black interior OG 9-5 so that you don't have to paint that.

The ACC isn't that difficult to paint. You need some mini-torx drivers. Just be sure to remove ALL the fastening screws as you try to disassemble it. There's a couple up on the side that hold the screen unit in place. If you neglect to remove them, you'll pull the cable off the board. Ask me how I know. Worse comes to worse, you can send it to Pavel and he'll redo the cable for $50. Most of them need it eventually anyway so it's not a major crisis.

Rear console removal:

Here's a write-up I did on rear console removal. Not hard... and not anything you can break. It's all large scale stuff. This was as part of moving the security antenna to try to get better lock/unlock range. Console details start at post #3:


Front center console removal:

^ That covers up to the shifter area. Once again from memory, removing the front console once the center/rear is out:

- Pull out the ACC unit. Nothing holds it in. I like to pry the edge with a very thin putty knife sort of tool with masking tape on it to avoid scratching anything. Unhook the connector. IIRC, it unhooks on one end and pivots out (like the console window switch unit.

- Pull out the switches (seat heaters, TCS) and unplug them. The connectors are all color coded to the switches so no worries on remembering what's what.

- Pull out the On-Star switch if you still have it and disconnect.

- Pull the cover off the ACC dash fan thingy from the front.

- Reach in through the ACC hole and grab the ACC dash fan unit. Use a medium to large screwdriver to pry the "clips" on the top and bottom (from the front) that are holding it into the console. Release the top clip and pivot it down in the rear; Release the bottom clip and pivot it up; then pull it out from the rear. Be careful with it while it's out: You don't want to break the thermistor tab sticking out the front. Disconnect connector on back (it has "clips" holding it on as I recall) and set aside. Again, unique connector - no need to label anything.

- There are two fasteners - and only two - (expanding rivets) that hold the console in at the front. They are upside down, in the upper rim of the console. They are #28 in the diagram below and I included a photo below of the rivet itself. They are removed by pressing IN (yes, in) the center of them about 5mm, maybe 8mm. Once you press in the center, the connector is released and you can pry it out from the edge like most.
I forget if the center of that fastener can come completely loose and fall out the top while you are working... then get lost in the console area. I think it's mostly captive in the connector. But don't push the center in too far.
- You need to disconnect the cigarette lighter and its light-bulb. It's easiest to do that once you start pulling the console out as it's hard to get your fingers in there before you start to pull the console out. But you can do it at this point if you like. Just one two-wire connector that pulls off the lighter (no clips) and a single wire connector on the light bulb (no clips).

- There might be a single screw holding the front console to the metal shifter housing. I forget the specifics on that. OG 9-3 might not have the screw installed. Or maybe the NG900. But the tab is always there. In fact, you might have had to remove that screw to get the rear console out up above. I circled the area in the illustration below.

- Pull up the shifter boot from the console. It hooks (elastic) to a black ring that snaps into the front console. You can either unhook the boot from the black ring stuck in the console or pull the black ring out of the console. Doesn't matter. The black ring comes right out, no fasteners to worry about. Just pull one or the other up so the the boot is loose from the console.

* Console front should now be loose. Be on alert for anything I forgot to tell you to disconnect.

Nothing actually holds the front console to the sides of the front console. There are three tabs on each side panel of the front console that fit into the center console. But, the only fasteners are the two expanding rivets and the single screw into the shifter that you already took out. It will slide off the tabs as you pull it to the rear... no unclipping needed.

Pull the console towards the rear of the car. Pull it up and over the shifter, sliding the boot through the shifter hole. Might help to be in some particular gear but I can't tell you which one. Start with neutral.

Furniture White Product Organism Rectangle


Expanding Rivet:

Auto part Automotive exterior Bicycle part Titanium Fashion accessory
 
#8 ·
If you have a 3d/5D I believe they are identical but study the WIS diagram to be sure. Definitely will plug in just make sure the internals diagram the same.

On the convertible OG9-3 they added a bunch of circuitry inside the switch. No idea why. So I just swapped the top of the switch unit to get black.

Not too difficult and you can run with the miss colored one for a while if time is short. I did. Same for the ACC... still woks if the panel color is off and you can do it when you have time.
 
#9 ·
A lot of the NG900 switch packs have discolored over time and have turned a much lighter color. Depending on what you find, you might want to paint it. I always thought it was odd that the center console plastics on the NG900 have a purple tint to them in bright sunlight. It definitely makes them unique, but as Bob pointed out, some of the other parts aren't quite a perfect match, like the ACC panel. They're very close, though, unless they've faded or discolored. Still, it's a much more unified look than the riot of greys in the 9-3. That's always turned me off when I've seen a Viggen, especially the black ones, but then they're still Viggens and mine's not, so there's that. :)
 
#11 ·
I'll see if I can dig out the paint I used. Not perfect, but very close. As close as the other parts match IMHO.

To adapt, I think you just need to cut the opening around the key cylinder with a Dremel. That was my plan. Aside from that area, they are identical.
 
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