90 Q45 upper dash facia removal

[Oldq45]

I'm in the process of replacing the dash lights dimmer control. The dealer says that's the reason I don't have any lights, we'll see.

I've removed the center console facia plate and the left and right hand lower padded dash facia pieces.

I removed the screws securing the upper dash facia as well as the upper and lower steering column covers (the ones that don't move with the steering wheel).

I can get the upper piece to come part way out but I need to completely remove it in order to mount the new dimmer control. Any way I examine the situation it looks like the main steering column needs to be dropped in order to have enough clearance to remove this facia piece with out damaging a lot of things.

I was hoping that someone else may know the procedure.

Bob Staaterman

[911/Q45]

If you run the steering wheel down and out all the way and remove that upper cover that is still on the wheel, you can carefully flex the upper fascia and remove it.

[Oldq45]

Nope, can't do that on my car. It's all the way down/out and it doesn't clear, not even close.

[Jberger]

I had the same problem, it was impossible to remove that portion without snapping it in half.

I've just decided I'll need to drop the column before I can replace that top dash section.

Maybe it's just something different of the 90's becuase several posters mentioned they could "flex" it over the column, but it's never going to happen in mine.

[Oldq45]

In my case it's pretty hard to get both ends of this panel out of the dash but it can e done. The problem is that by that time the lower edge of the panel is firmly wedged against the ignition key mechanism which has already had it's cover removed. It's curious that this works for some people/cars but I don't see how it can for mine.It sounds like you haven't dropped the steering column yet so I guess I'll have experiment with that as well.

[maxnix]

Fully Extend Steering Wheel

Fully Lower Steering Wheel

Place Gear Shifter in "D"

Remove Shifter Cover Plate (gently pry up back of plate located closest to you, and disconnect wire harnesses for power windows from plate) and set aside

Remove two screws at rear of shifter cover plate area

Remove two screws securing metal bar and ashtray assembly

Remove metal bar

Remove ashtray assembly

Remove two screws behind ashtray assembly location

Remove Forward Steering Wheel Housing Cover (closest to you-4 screws), housing is in two pieces upper and lower

Remove Rear Steering Wheel Housing Cover (4 screws, 3 outside and 1 inside lower half)

Gently pull housing (section covering A/C Controller and Car Stereo) away from dashboard (pull in down and out motion)

Disconnect wiring harness connectors

Gently Remove Left lower Dash plate (section around cruise control switch, mirror control, etc)

Disconnect wiring harness connectors

Remove 7 exposed screws from dashboard cover (5 lower, 2 upper)

Pull Outer Dash Housing (pry gently, side to side) and disconnect wiring harness connectors

Remove Outer Dash Housing

Remove 4 screws from Dash Display

Pull Dash Display

Invert Dash Display and remove the two screw in socket and bulb assemblies

Reverse procedure to reassemble

Voila!

Daniel

[Q451990]

I've done it, but the damn ignition switch still snags the trim when removing it... You can take the inhibitor switch off with two small philips screws, but there's a metal tab under there that will still catch if you're not careful.

Heath

[Oldq45]

Well I did finally get upper facia piece out by removing the ignition interlock button assembly and boy was it a B*&ch but now it's time to move on.

As I suspected, replacing the dealer recommended dimmer assembly did exactly nothing. That problem remains.

I now have other problems.

I lost both left headlights.I lost running lights and tail lights.

Brake, turn signal and backup lights work.

I did some tracing of the headlight circuits and I confess that headlamp relay system is a mystery and I couldn't figure it out. I assume that the small connector is the control signal form the steering column and the larger connector supplies the voltage to headlamp assemblies. I was unable to possitively trace much of anything. But it seems to supply proper voltage to the right headlamp.

The relay is new and about a month ago when one right hand headlamp was out I took it to the dealer. They replaced one wire in the harness from the relay socket to one of those big interconects (there are two) that reside behind the right headlamp assembly as well as from there directly to the lamp sockets. I had all headlamps and running lamps after that. I still had no dash lights.

I traced voltage on the sockets of the left hand headlamps and I do get +12 volts. There is no ground however. I located a grounding lug under the aircleaner, cleaned it up but no change. It show contunuity to battery but no connection to the left headlamp grounds.

It seems suspicious to me that I would loose the left headlamps just as I was pulling a lot of the dash and switches out even though the actual headlamp switch was not removed. Maybe it or the harness were bumped or something. A bad switch/connector/harness here could explain the loss of dash lights.

What doesn't make sense is if it was the switch/harness why would the +12 volts still switch on/off for the left headlamp but the ground is open?

All of these latest symptoms (except the dash) started this am before I disturbed anything in the headlamp area or headlamp relay area. I just find it hard to beleive that this isn't related to my "work" in the dash area.

BTW, I have checked all fuses in that box near the battery as well as the one above the handbrake. Are there any other locations as I can't find one explicitly marked for running lights or dash lights?

What are those relays to the right of the fuse panel that's above the handbrake release?

Any Ideas?

Bob Staaterman

[911/Q45]

Find an independent auto electric shop and let them trace it down for you. I've done that twice with other cars and it's amazing how fast and inexpensively they can solve your problem.