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HOW TO Remove Your Dash

Discussion in 'Interior' started by ST165-2765, Sep 30, 2009.

  1. ST165-2765

    ST165-2765 Well-Known Member Donated!

    Before we can remove the dash we have to remove the center console.

    I'll use green arrows to indicate screws and red arrows to indicate nuts or bolts.

    To start we'll remove the glove box and right speaker cover. Their is a metal
    bar underneath the glove box remove the 2 screws and 2 bolts indicated. Then
    remove the glove box and right speaker cover.
    [​IMG]

    Remove the screw indicated and then you can remove the metal bar and speaker.
    [​IMG]

    Now on to the drivers side to remove the plastic undercover. First remove the
    speaker cover by removing the screw at the bottom of the speaker cover.
    Once the cover is off their should be 5 more screws and one bolt. The blue
    arrow points to the dimmer switch, pry off the knob and remove the 12mm nut.
    The yellow arrow points to the hood release lever, pull the lever forward and
    you'll find 2 screws that need to be removed.
    [​IMG]

    To remove the center piece that covers the radio/heater/ashtray remove the 3
    screws on each side the top screw on each side is not visible in this picture
    but the top arrow points to the general area you will find it.
    [​IMG]

    Remove the ashtray and the 2 screws behind it and then remove the center cover.
    [​IMG]

    Remove the bolt so you can remove the wire and remove all the screws for the
    radio and heater control units then remove and unplug the heater control and
    radio.
    [​IMG]

    Pull out the hazard and defrost switches and remove the 2 screws behind them
    and the 2 screws in the top of the instrument cluster cowl.
    [​IMG]

    To remove the instrument cluster remove the 4 screws indicated by green
    arrows. Their is 2 more screws that need to be removed from the dash
    indicated by yellow arrows. To disconnect the wireing harness from the dash
    push down on the light blue plastic housing at the spot and in the dirrection
    indicated by the dark blue arrow.
    [​IMG]

    To remove the speedo cable push the white tabs in and pull the white plastic
    houseing towwards the back of the car about 1" and then lift the housing up
    until it clears the dash. The wiring harness is also connected to the dash at the
    spot indicated by the green arrow. There is a screw behind the little black
    circular plug. You probably can't get at it yet, we'll remove it later.
    [​IMG]

    Back on the passenger side you'll find one bolt to remove.
    [​IMG]

    Underneath the dash on the passenger side you'll find 2 nuts that need to be removed.
    [​IMG]

    Back on the drivers side behind the speaker you'll find a light blue box with 1
    screw that needs to be removed.
    [​IMG]

    Remove this piece of vent tubing on the drivers side. Their are no screws or
    bolts just wiggle it until it comes free.
    [​IMG]

    You will be left with this piece of the vent still attached to the dash on the far left side. It has 2 screws that need to be removed from the back.
    [​IMG]

    One of the 2 screws that need to be removed from the vent. The vent needs
    to be removed because the wireing harness is routed through it.
    [​IMG]

    The dash should now be pretty free so try to lift it up and back. Once you
    have it free this is the screw I told you about earlier. Remove it and the wiring
    harness on the drivers side should be free of the dash.
    [​IMG]

    Back on the passenger side of the dash you'll find another light blue wiring
    harness tab that has to have its screw removed.
    [​IMG]

    Again on the passenger side remove the 2 screws you can see and one more
    underneath that is not visible in this picture.
    [​IMG]

    Press in on these 2 tabs and pull the switch out so you can unlug it. Unclip the
    little clip that holds the black couregated wiring harness to the dash.
    [​IMG]

    If everything went well you should now be able to remove your dash from the car.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Have fun
     
  2. Alwayzsidewayz

    Alwayzsidewayz ST162 Guru Donated!

    cool right up :D
     
  3. Rick89GTS

    Rick89GTS Well-Known Member Moderator Donated!

    Excellent write-up with great pics. Nice work 8)
     
  4. Seank90

    Seank90 Well-Known Member Donated!

    excellent write up!! sooo handy!
     
  5. 86GTMonkey

    86GTMonkey Well-Known Member

    Excellent write up, definitely would have made junkyard dash pull easier!
     
  6. 86CelicaGT-S

    86CelicaGT-S Well-Known Member

    Niiiiiiiiiiiiice write up. Definitely will do this soon and clean everything up behind the dash and remove whats left (if any) of the AC system. Anyone have pictures of whats needed to be removed for the AC by any chance?
     
  7. Stig

    Stig ST162 Guru Donated!

    I can help there - your stuff is backwards so may look confusing at first but it's all a matter of mirroring the images

    Aircon rad removal
    It's a pointless excercise, the plastic boxes have no weight, the aircon radiator is bulky but not heavy
    at all and was fitted on all JDM's whether they had aircon or not. The radiator itself acts as a filter for the system
    [​IMG]

    If you said you wanted the firewall blanket gone, that's another story altogether. It's a heavy M/fukr (20-30kg)
    and I'm sure some Dynamat or similar would be just as effective, cleaning and sevicing the units is a must

    Removing the Ventilation system
    Next step is to remove the steel bars which hold the steering and centre console together
    You cannot remove the ventilation system without doing this
    1) Remove all pipes - water and aircon
    2) Disconnect all heater related plugs, radio, heater control etc
    3) Remove all harness holders from the steel frames (a small long nose plier to squeeze the expander together)
    as well as any earthing wires
    [​IMG]

    4) Unbolt the 4 steering mount bolts and lower the steering onto a box or similar (1st remove the covers or break them)
    [​IMG]

    5) remove the centre console braces
    [​IMG]

    5) Unbolt & remove the dash bar, think of ways to lighten it! - then let me know
    [​IMG]

    Now you can get at the ventilation units,
    1) first you must remove the main air routing box, see pics for mounting points. (10mm socket on a long t-handle works well)
    You cannot do it out of sequence!
    Remember the heater hoses go through the firewall as well as the valve cable
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    2) followed by the aircon box
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    3) Then the blower motor unit
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    4) Now you can remove the firewall blanket
    [​IMG]

    5) Service/clean all units, rustproof the firewall/screen from the inside as well as the blower
    [​IMG]
    6)The heater radiator needs aggressive hosing and radiator flush in order to remove the 22yrs of mud resting inside, it slides out the top
    [​IMG]

    Hope that helps, it's not difficult at all
     
  8. lone wolf

    lone wolf Well-Known Member Donated!

    whahaha looks familiar, it's a real pita when you've never done it :).

    I also notice that the whole cooling/blower thingy is different when it's electric.

    Must find a car with it :)
     
  9. Stig

    Stig ST162 Guru Donated!

    Ventilation system cleanout (in car)

    Yeah, I imagine so
    I don't have the early cable type to compare with, but this should help 80-90% of the guys

    Here's the quick fix for guys who have blocked ventilation systems

    Ventilation System noisy, not blowing properly?

    The TEMS had it's heater blower filled with leaves and making strange noises when you put the fan on & little airflow.

    I pulled all 3 units from the spares car (1 Blower, 2 Air con condenser, 3 Main air dispersal unit)
    and re-conned them, also gave me a chance to see how everything goes together and works.

    Unfortunately you cannot remove the blower unit without first removing the other two.
    The problem was the aircon was working (on 20+yr R12 gas!) and no way was I going to drain and re-fill the system.

    The only solution I could see was to create a window into the condenser unit and remove the leaves
    (the condenser itself acts as a filter for the rest of the system and traps 99.9% of the junk)

    Problem is the radiator is flimsy aluminium and there is an expansion valve, pipes and a sensor located
    on the inlet side where the leaves were collecting.

    [​IMG]

    the solution I devised is as follows:

    Step 1
    Remove the cubby from the dash
    Remove the fan from the bottom of the blower unit (Large black plate, 3 screws, rubber cooling pipe),

    [​IMG]

    Remove the blower resistor as well or risk damaging it, reach in and remove whatever leaves you can.
    [​IMG]

    Rustproof the resistor heat sink as no doubt it will be badly rusted. Be very careful removing/replacing the
    resistor as the coils break easily.

    [​IMG]

    Step 2
    Drill a hole in the Condenser casing, CAREFULLY, don't allow the bit to go past the plastic
    or you may damage the expansion valve or aircon pipes

    [​IMG]

    Step 3
    Slowly expand the hole to the size of the grommet you are going to plug it with, use a dremel, small file,
    small grinding tip etc

    [​IMG]

    Step 4
    Remove whatever leaves you can using tweezers, a small pipe attached to a vacuum cleaner etc.
    Re-fit the fan and switch it on to help blow out the leaves

    [​IMG]

    Step 5
    Once the leaves are removed, close the hole with the grommet. I used a floor grommet removed from my spare car

    [​IMG]

    Step 6
    Re-fit the cubby and enjoy your heater/blower at it's full capacity

    I'm now looking at making a wire filter to fit over the fan entry hole below the windscreen and stop this
    happening again, luckily I now have a handy trapdoor for cleaning my system as well.
     
  10. kevinkyang

    kevinkyang Well-Known Member Donated!

    oh man! thats a lot of work for both stig and st165. props to you both! seems like these things have more to it than it seems. like little ninja's hiding behind panels!
     
  11. solder_guy

    solder_guy Well-Known Member Donated!

    Many pics accompanying this write up are missing .. Can they be reposted?
     

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