Mysterious Versa Dash Cover

[longo]

If you have ever wondered what that odd shaped little cover on the passenger side of the dash is, you are not alone. The cover pops out easily and seems to be just a big hole down into the nether regions of the Versas dash board.

Anyone know where it leads to, or what it's there for?

(I am eyeying that space as a possible mounting location for the remote antenna for my Garmen GPS.)

Use the Slideshow Button

http://picasaweb.google.com/longo64/VersaPics33
Modified by longo at 1:42 PM 2/18/2007

[BenzTech Gone Versa]

Yea its for those radar detectors that you mount on the windshield.the cigar lighter wire passes all the way down n you have less of a mess with the coiled up power wire!

[OKVersa]

Those radar detectors that are illegal in many states?

[BenzTech Gone Versa]

im from the tri-state area..here its perfectly legal.But one time i was driving out to florida and got pulled over,I thought the cop was gonna have a heart attack.He was Pissed of about it.thank got it wasnt pluged in!

[CodeRed]

im from the tri-state area..here its perfectly legal.But one time i was driving out to florida and got pulled over,I thought the cop was gonna have a heart attack.He was Pissed of about it.thank got it wasnt pluged in!

i live in florida there perfectly legal i <3 mine!

[Chrispd100]

What area are you talking about on the dash? could you provide a picture so i can get a beeter idea??

[longo]

The removable plastic cover is up near the windshield on the passenger side. Today I took it off again out in the sun and looked down into it from the outside. I can see what looks like part of an air duct and I think, part of the passenger side airbag mechanism.

If there is a route down through to the footwell for a wire, that is good for me. If tinkering around trying to fish a wire through sets off the passenger side airbag....that's REALLY bad for me.

[Jemdawg]

If you're talking about what I think you are talking about, I can say two things:

1. It's probably not so mysterious, as it does say "SRS Airbag" on it.2. You probably don't want to mess around with it, because you're risking its malfunction or non-function.

[longo]

Well Jemdog,

I am not sure what you have found on the dash that says SRS airbag , but it's not what I am talking about. The plastic cover that I am looking at says..... nothing. It is the same rough texture as the rest of the surounding plastic dash.

Again, if you are interested, look near the bottom of the windshield, in the corner, on the passenger side and there it is. When you pry it off, you will see ...not much but a 4"square hole in the dash.

'BENZTECH" thinks it's for a 'radar detector'...not sure how THAT would work.

The Versa owners manual has no mention of why it is there, or what it's for.

[msb0b]

I would guess the hole is for the light sensor for the automatic headlights. The location is consistent with other cars with auto headlights that I have encountered. Since this option is not available in North America, the hole is just plugged up.

[BenzTech Gone Versa]

I Installed many radar detectors on mercedes and other model veh's.alot of differant cars have that trim on the dash.I used it to run wires down to the kick panel and get power from fuse boxes!

[proxim2020]

It's whatever you want it to be. The service manual doesn't state its purpose. It appears to be an access hole to a track that runs the length of that plastic piece. It doesn't appear that there's any harness running through this area.

[longo]

"It's whatever you want it to be."

I guess for want of the real reason that access cover is in the dashboard, that might have to do for now, as an explantaion. For me it's hard to imagine a car designer manufacturing a dashboard with a big hole in it for no reason? It is so close to the windshield that to even look down into the hole you need to be outside the car....I would much rather of had, for example, the SL badging included on my new Versa than a mysterious hole engineered into the dashboard.

[Ever Victorious]

I guess for want of the real reason that access cover is in the dashboard, that might have to do for now, as an explantaion. For me it's hard to imagine a car designer manufacturing a dashboard with a big hole in it for no reason?

Hmm... well..

I would guess the hole is for the light sensor for the automatic headlights. The location is consistent with other cars with auto headlights that I have encountered. Since this option is not available in North America, the hole is just plugged up.

This seems logical to me.

[longo]

The only way that, "an option not available in north America" explantion is logical to me is if the Tiida has an "automatic headlight sensor" in that location.

Anybody know if that is a fact?

http://picasaweb.google.com/lo...36226
Modified by longo at 1:57 PM 2/18/2007

[Jemdawg]

I only just realized what panel you were talking about. It was obviously designed for some purpose, and obviously for something our cars are not equipped with. I would imagine it is for auto headlights, but you need to find a Tiida owner with that feature to confirm it. For those of us with that panel, it would, therefore, be for anything you want. Maybe it wasn't designed specifically for that, but that's what it seems to be for, since nothing is occupying its space right now.

[longo]

On snooping around the rest of the Versa, I have come up with 6 more plastic access plates. They are all different sizes and shapes, but share a common duty.

They all cover crutial bolt locations that cannot be reached by any other means. What I missed seeing in the Versa dash hole was a large bolt that holds the main dash to the frame on the passenger side. I think this was the only way Nissan engineers could install that bolt. Down through the hole in the dash, and before the windshild was intalled.

Mystery Solved.

[Redtiida77]

The only way that, "an option not available in north America" explantion is logical to me is if the Tiida has an "automatic headlight sensor" in that location.

Anybody know if that is a fact?

http://picasaweb.google.com/lo...36226

Modified by longo at 1:57 PM 2/18/2007

You are right My tiida has this for AUTO headlight . The manual reccomends not to cover these as the light sensors are beneath.

[shabelev]

yeap it's for the automatic lights sensors. I have a tiida but mine doesn't have it. But in the manual says "There are two sensors systems on your vehicle. One is located near the ignition switch, his sensor is used for automatic air conditioning system (may not be equipped on your vehicle) and the another is located on the dashboard and is used by the automatic headlights function (may not be equipped on your vehicle)"

[eduenrique]

yes, it is for automatic lights sensors. I had to re-calibrate them after I tinted my windshield.