VAZ-2109 panel: do-it-yourself modernization

Dashboard diagram

The VAZ 2109 panel is made of a special energy-absorbing material.
It consists of an overlay and, in fact, the panel itself. It is made of plastic. Its thickness is 3 mm. The overlay is essentially reinforced with a special metal frame. It has a reliable energy-absorbing layer made of polyurethane foam. On the outside it is lined with a special decorative film. The car can be equipped with low and high VAZ 2109 panels, as well as a “European panel”.

The high panel of the VAZ 2109, like the low one, has certain features that should be taken into account when installing them. The installation method and the high panel are almost identical, since the mounting points, as well as the connections of the air ducts of the automobile ventilation and heating system, are the same. The differences concern only the wiring harness connections. (The diagram of the VAZ 2109 instrument panel is shown in the photo below; follow the link to read even more about it).

Steering wheel and its tuning

All experts and professionals believe that the safest is the stock steering wheel of the vehicle. It is this wheel that was developed by the manufacturer and it is this wheel that has passed the necessary tests in accordance with the design of the car. As a last resort, it is recommended to replace the steering wheel with a wheel from the same manufacturer, a newer model. In particular, comfortable and “grippy” steering wheels from the VAZ 2115, etc. are perfect for the VAZ 2109. On the other hand, if the owner wants more, then you can always purchase any “steering wheel” on the market, both from a renowned manufacturer and a steering wheel handicraft wheel.

VAZ 21093 interior tuning

Still, as mentioned above, the best option is to install a standard steering wheel with braiding, which we will analyze carefully. Needless to say, this steering wheel looks great and feels very comfortable in your hands, thanks to the increased thickness of the rim.

Braid

A leather steering wheel always looks amazing. It is always pleasant to the touch, looks presentable and expensive. In addition, the leather “breathes,” so to speak, which affects comfort while holding the steering wheel on long trips. Let's start wrapping the steering wheel with leather ourselves (this procedure is very expensive for craftsmen):

First, we cover the steering wheel with cling film to make a stencil.

Cool tuning of the VAZ 21093 interior

We wrap paper or better masking tape over the film.
Draw the seams with a marker on the tape.
We cut the tape along the markings, doing it very carefully.
We remove the stencils, of which there are three.
Cut out patterns from paper.
In the leather blank, in places where seams are provided, add 5 mm (along the perimeter of the steering wheel rim, on the contrary, remove 2 mm).
We sew the leather together, leaving a minimum amount of thread behind the seam, and cut off the rest.
We sew a seam around the perimeter of the resulting workpiece.

Note. It is best to sew with synthetic threads, which provide strength and proper quality.

We apply the leather blank to the steering wheel.

Note. To reduce the effect of protruding seams on the front side, grooves can be cut into the steering wheel underneath them.

We thread the thread, like a lace in a shoe, using a needle.
We pass the thread through the eyelets of the seams on different sides of the braid.

Note. It is not at all necessary to use glue, since the tightened braid is already securely fixed.

We fix the thread at the end of the procedure.
We put all the removed parts and elements back in place.

How to do easy tuning of the VAZ-2109 dashboard with your own hands

During the modernization of the interior of the domestic “nine”, tuning its “tidy” becomes a truly indispensable element. Beautiful modifications can be done with your own hands. To do this, you will need to make a new dial on a computer using special design programs and printing the picture on a printer.

However, first you need to clearly think through the appearance of the dials for the car's tachometer and speedometer, as well as for all the sensors that remain. Once the dials are printed, they need to be laminated, and then you can start removing the instrument panel.

To dismantle it correctly, you must first remove the steering wheel pads and also mark the steering position relative to the shaft. Then carefully unscrew the fastening nut.

Next, you can remove the steering wheel and unscrew the screws that are located in the area of the car lower casing. After this, you will have to disassemble the steering column. When the instrument panel is removed, you should unscrew the arrows from the old speedometer and tachometer. Subsequently, they will be attached to the updated dials.

When tuning a VAZ 2109 with your own hands, you can also repaint the dials and hands in bright colors. Regular spray paint cans are suitable for this. At the same time, it is better to make the dial a rich black color.

You can make it matte using special products. In this case, the arrows need to be painted in bright pink or original red-burgundy tones. After the painted plates of the machine dial have dried, they are completed with an old or pre-prepared scale and removed hands.

In a situation where the owner wants to modernize the instrument panel in a more modern way, he should also use a special (original, as in the video) backlight. You can add an original touch using a fluorescent marker, but more on that below.

Replacing sensors on the dashboard

The sensors on the dashboard of a VAZ-2109 car are one of the few parts that drivers rarely turn to for repairs or modifications. However, over time it is necessary to replace the antifreeze temperature sensors or oil pressure level sensors. It is not difficult to purchase new necessary parts - they are sold in all auto stores.

When working on replacing sensors, there is a high probability of touching electrical wiring, so everything must be done extremely carefully. To avoid additional problems, you need to connect the wires so that the four connectors are connected together. To correctly perform this task, use the special table that is present in the vehicle registration certificate.

When working on tuning your torpedo, pay special attention to the direction indicators. Due to the fact that a particular car model is equipped with only one of the indicators, it is necessary to activate the informing signal from the switch. You can find it under the steering wheel. First of all, you need to disconnect the wires from the engine ECU, following the instructions in your data sheet, and then make the connection to the switch.

So, when you have done all the work to upgrade your car, you will be faced with an incredible result. We did a complete update of your car's dashboard with our own hands. Now the panel looks completely different, attracts attention, and much more accurately indicates violations in the system.

Beautiful modifications to the VAZ 2109 panel

Every driver of a domestic car wants to make the instrument panel of his VAZ-2109 as bright and original as possible. Here is one of the options for how beautifully you can modify this element of the machine.

You will need a soldering iron. Next you need to buy numbers and a scale panel. It is important that they are translucent from the inside. You should also purchase an ultraviolet lamp. It is powered by 12 volts. Therefore, nothing needs to be changed.

You will also need a fluorescent marker or paint. It will change color if exposed to ultraviolet light. This technique is often used in modern nightclubs. You will also need ordinary light bulbs with sockets, like those in the “tidy”. There is no need to change the LEDs; they will remain in place. Everything you need is there, you can get started.

First you need to remove the plastic, then the dashboard. Also, don't forget about the black plastic that surrounds the glass. We disassemble the standard insert, as well as the arrows. Most often, there are no holes in the new insert. Therefore, you will have to do them. For the arrows, the holes will be needed wider than in the standard trim. Otherwise, the arrows will start to stick.

Next you need to dismantle the lighting that is installed. The work should be done carefully so that the plastic is not damaged. We take out the board with the light bulbs. We install a neon light bulb instead of the usual ones, and stick a plastic protection on top. It used to have factory bulbs screwed in. Don't forget about the control unit for the new neon light bulb. Be careful not to reverse the polarity at all times.

If this happens, nothing will shine. Next you need to screw in the instrument lighting bulbs. This should be done in parallel to the neon lamp. We lay the wiring from the inside; first, for this you need to make holes in the partitions.

Let's check if everything is correct. The light bulbs inside should be adjusted. Next we put on the overlay and seal it. After these steps, all we have to do is paint the hands with a purchased fluorescent marker or paint. It is advisable to repeat painting after 10 minutes. After this, the arrows can be installed in their place. This completes the tuning.

Check the work, otherwise you will have to disassemble everything. If there are no problems, you can assemble everything in strictly reverse order. After such tuning, the interior of the VAZ 2109 will be equipped with a colorful panel like good foreign cars. If desired, you can use fluorescent paint to paint the dashboard trim in the place where the needle reaches its limit. It looks very nice.

Sound insulation and cladding

VAZ 21093 salon tuning

After the dashboard has been tuned, it’s time to start soundproofing the interior. So:

We dismantle all interior elements and standard trim.
We cover all the necessary surfaces with sheets of vibroplast (how to carry out high-quality sound insulation is described in detail in the article “VAZ 2109 interior sound insulation”).

Note. Typically it takes about 14 pieces of insulating material measuring 0.6 x 0.9 meters.

After soundproofing, we trim the interior.
First of all, we change the covering on the ceiling (professionals advise gluing it twice, leaving an interval of 5 minutes).

Note. When upholstering the interior, it is imperative to take into account the color scheme and do not forget to glue the doors, dashboard, area next to the gearbox and other parts of the car.

Why doesn't it light up?

First, remove the cover of the mounting block and make sure that the fuse is intact. The fuse markings are located on the inner surface of the cover. You should look for fuse F16 or F5, depending on the year of manufacture of your VAZ 2109.
If the fuse is intact, be sure to check whether the contacts of the fuse you are looking for have not oxidized. It is not uncommon for shields to fail due to broken contact.
Check if there is power to the dashboard. To do this, you will need a warning light and the ignition on. Disconnect connector X4 in the mounting block and check for voltage at pin 3. The disadvantage of the VAZ 2109 design is that when it rains, the mounting block immediately becomes wet. This causes oxidation of the contacts in the pads, which causes the electrics to stop working. Sometimes not only the contact is oxidized, but also the board of the Nine mounting block.

Reasons for low heater performance in Samara

There are some possible reasons for this:

An old stove radiator clogged with debris and scale.
Faulty thermostat that keeps the temperature below 90 degrees.
Air lock (unlikely, but happens sometimes).
Penetration of air into the heating system, which passes through the cracks.
The presence of a large amount of debris (mainly insects, leaves) in the heater housing and preventing the free passage of air through the radiator.
Well, a very banal reason - low coolant level.

How are these problems solved? The first problem, associated with the formation of scale inside the radiator, can only be solved by replacing the radiator. Here, of course, you can offer the option of unsoldering and cleaning the radiator, but from my bitter experience, I will say that this idea is pointless. A thermostat malfunction is synonymous with the word “replacement.” We’ll talk about solutions to other problems with the heater further.

Content

It is impossible to imagine changing the interior of a car without upgrading the instrument panel, since it is an important part of every car. Many owners of the car in question decide to tune the instrument panel of the VAZ 2109, since by modern standards it is very outdated and not attractive.

In the manufacture of this element of the car interior, the manufacturer used a material that can absorb vibration. When considering the instrument panel, we note that it consists of a special overlay and the panel itself.

Interior reupholstery

When tuning VAZ 2109 cars, it is also worth adding upholstery reupholstery. Why is this necessary? Firstly, if you have had the car for a long time, the fabric may have become quite frayed and lost its appearance. Secondly, by choosing a certain color you can give your car a little style. In addition, by choosing leather or leatherette as a material, you can make the car more stylish and respectable.

Tuning a VAZ 2109 torpedo can also be interesting and very useful. The simplest thing that comes to mind is replacing the original torpedo with a more stylish, sporty and functional one from a foreign car. Of course, not everyone will fit in, but by choosing the right model you can achieve very interesting results.

You can expand the functionality of the torpedo by slightly changing the front panel and adding a voltmeter, oil pressure sensor and a simple clock. Many people find this process quite painstaking, and therefore do not dare to do the tuning themselves. You can also tune the high panel of the VAZ 2109:

You can install LED backlighting, which will improve the readability of devices at night.
You can modify the scale by also adding LEDs, or simply change the arrow and stick on a new, brighter scale.

A fairly popular modification is the complete replacement of instruments with a set from one of the most modern cars. This will help improve their readability and also give the car a more modern look.