NEED HELP WITH DASHBOARD ASAP, 56K beware, medium pics

[sanioll]

im having trouble with my gauge panel, so wanted to take it out and check out the wires.

BUT the dashboard is pain in the ***? how do I take it out? what are the order of taking things apart?

This is how far I"VE gotten so far

[sanioll]

I NEED TO TAKE OUT THE WHOLE DASHBOARD IN ORDER BE ABLE TO ACCESS gauge PANEL(SPEEDO, TACH ETC.) I WILL DISCONNECT AND INSPECT THE WIRES.

fIRST OF, THE PANEL THATS JUST AFTER THE STRERING WHEEL, WHICH CONTAINS FLIP UP/DOWN, EMERGENCY LIGHTS, REAR DEFROSTOR; THAT PANEL IS A PAIN TO TAKE OUT. I ALMOST BROKE IT, BUT FORCED IT OUTTA THERE. THE WHEEL AND LEFT SIDE TILTTE WHEEL PART JUST BLOCKS IT. IS THERE AN EASY WAY TO TAKE IT OUT?

[sanioll]

I HEAR THERE ARE SCREWS UNDER THOSE AIR VENTS THAT ARE UNDER THE WINDSHIELD. HOW TO TAKE OUT THOSE AIR VENTS WITHOUT BRAKING THEM. SCREW ARE UNDER I BLIEVE.

[AmIdYfReAk]

tryed dropping the sterring collum? ts only 2-4 bolts holding it on and it will give you alot more room to work with.

[sanioll]

PLEASE REPLY WITH AS MUCH INFO AS YOU CAN ASAP.

i have to drive to downtown tomorrow, and if thecar isin this condition, it certailnly will be stolen. i mean come on all the wires are out, just hotwire it right.

thanks in advance.

[AmIdYfReAk]

there are 3 or 4 screws under that dash, and its not to hard to get them off it just take a little persistance and TIME.. you need TIME!

take alook around, most of the dash is pressure fit with extreme pressue compared to the other cars that i worked on.

anyway, try removing those vents, then dropping the Steering colum.. and you should be able to get them out

[sanioll]

how easy hard is it to drop the steering column.

also last time i tried to take out the right air vent on the dashbrd, it just broke in half from pressure.

[AmIdYfReAk]

you need to play with it, not just pull thats all i really go to say about that one..

Anyway, if you look at the underside of the Steering Column then you will follow it down and you will see the two bolts that are holding it up.

[sanioll]

i saw it its only 4 bols for streering column, i took out 2 and put it partially back on, but after you take all 4 out,

will the column move down like a joint. cause back in there where it goes into the frame, it looks like a joint. so will it move down like a joint, or i have to support it?

thanks.

my god, there has to be some step by step way to take out the dash. this sucks.

[sanioll]

anyone else has tips on how to take out those air vents under the windshield?

damn it i have to get it done by 2pm tomorrow, otherwise can't go to downtown, to work.

[PhopsonNY]

Check out this link... it might help you some

http://www.lsauto.com/install.asp

good luck

[carofchoice]

yeah there is no reason to take the whole dash out to get to the gauge cluster. its just like the link that PhopsonNY posted. if you want to take the dash out for some reason email me and i will tell you.

[ll_EvOluTIoN]

The gauge cluster just unscrews and then slides right out...thats what i did with my car..your makin things to difficult

[RedRum240]

the vents on top of the dash get a SMALL screw driver and pry the outer edges off about 1 inch from the edge. its held on by like little clips much like the thing that connects the center consol to the dashboard. then the screws holding the gauge cluster in also hold the dash into place.

[sanioll]

THANKS EVERYONE, FOR YOUR HELP ESPECIALLY THE TIP FOR DROPPING THE STEERING DOWN HELPED A LOT.

as for being able to take out hte dash, i wasn't successful yet. i had to put everything back before driving to downtown.

reason i'm trying to get dash out is to see why my gauge cluster background light goes off when my headlights are on? if i tap hard onto the dashboard they may come on. speedo works,but background lignting doesnot.

as for taking the air vents out, i tried it w/smaller screw,but it feels like its gonna break. so what side of air vents should i try it on?

i appreciate everyones help alot. we're lucky to have nico forums.

[RedRum240]

ok the vents look like thjis ( / / // / / / / / / |||||| \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \)

now. on the part that goes like (//// pry where I put this period

( ///////|||.|||||\\\\\\\\) there should be a crack between the 2 vents just pry on one of the 2 one ovrlaps the other so try to find out which one overlaps which one then pry.

[sanioll]

so this is where it is right?

GREEN ARROWS POINT TO THE LOCATION.

[RedRum240]

yes one of the pieces have a bottom piece that overlaps the other. just pry up right there

[el5y]

also, if you're not too worried about small scratches on the dash around the vents, take a flat head screw driver and just pry slowly along the edge of it till the whole thing comes out, its not too hard, if you have any other questions about how to take the thing off let me know, I did it this past summer during my interior swap. [email protected]

Eric

[mynameisjonas]

those vents may be real brittle, i've snapped one with me being careful. sometimes you just have to do it and get a new one.if you're taking out your dash be careful when you pull it that you don't break the side defroster vent plastic hoses. i think if you twist and pull you can seperate it from the vent.