Interior 1st Gen Most liked posts in thread: Dash Dissasmbly How to?

Okay, I did some testing and I have to admit that it is much more difficult to pop out a speedo/chrono trim ring than how I described in my instructions. I'm surprised now that you are the first to bring it up.

My car has Nav, and its trim ring isn't difficult to pop off. I assumed that popping off a speedo/chrono ring would be similar. I had multiple testers for speedo/chrono configurations, plus customers who installed after InvisiLens started shipping, and I didn't hear feedback about any problems with it.

So just now I tried it myself. I popped off my Nav trim ring and snapped on a speedo/chrono ring (it fits because the dash center trim piece is the same whether you have Nav or not). It was really hard to pop off. I need to find a better method to do it, or I might just advise removing the dash trim.

I think you would have actually succeeded by prying with more force. It would feel like it will break, but the tab would have released before it did. However I understand why you stopped.

 

Sorry - I would have replied earlier - but was out of the country and off the grid until late last night.

I can pop mine on and off at will (2006 cabrio w/chrono) by "squeezing" across it to compress it a bit into an ovoid shape and the tabs release. But I've had mine off and on so many times (and did it the first few times by removing the whole gauge cluster for face changes) that I don't know if mine fits as tightly now as it did when new.

 

HEY JINKY, what instructions for the dissasembly did you use??

I have a 2006 model with an 05 build date, and I cannot get the dash apart, I removed the 2 torx screws above the Hazard/Dimmer, opened the glove box, dropped the knee guard and removed the torx "at the seams" but the dash is not coming away at all.

It seems that i have a 3-piece dash assembly with the center piece mounted UNDER the piece for the steering column and under the the piece above the glove box.


any suggestions?

[i found online a dash dissambly that includes disconnecting the battery and removing the panels over the steering/tach and glove box -- this seems REALLY involved]

 

yeah, i followed that.. got to step #6 and it was a NO GO

(just for clarification the center dash piece drops down or towards you?)

i got it loose but then it seemed to hang up on the painted dash pieces...

 

really? wow!! thanks.

wait, what's this gonna cost me? :blush2:

 

Take plenty of pic's to share with the rest of us. We always like to see a job well done.

 

The goal should be to separate the ring and black piece from each other (pry BETWEEN them, so both pieces shouldn't be lifting up together). I just want to improve the instructions. Do they give the wrong impression of what needs to be done?

What I imagined was to pry the ring around/below the vent area. I know it's difficult to slip in a tool underneath the ring there. You can create some extra room to maneuver by first taking the vent trim ring off. Release it by twisting clockwise (opposite of what you'd expect).

 

will do.. i'm also installing the carbon fiber faces from Vinyl Styles

 

Yes, the vent rings and the speedo/chrono ring are all attached to the black plastic. The vent ring comes off with a simple hand turn (no tools). I meant that with the vent ring out of the way, there is more working room to insert a tool under the speedo/chrono ring. Pry the ring from the black plastic at this location:

 

At this point I'm trying to figure out what would work best for most people. The ring is on tight and leaves no gap to insert a tool under its edge. Without a specialized pry tool, it might indeed be best to remove the dash trim panel. However with the right tool, swapping the speedo lens can be done in 5-10 minutes.

 

As a technical writer if I was writing the instructions I would include both methods noting that one of the procedures does require a specialized tool.

 

Be careful when you go to pry the pointer off the gauge pin. You don't want to bend the delicate shaft. You also need to make note of where the pointer is at rest, so it can go back in the same position without throwing off your readings.

 

Then for you installing InvisiLens is a freebie. For the gauge faces, you will need to remove the dash trim anyway. There will be no need for jinky to attempt prying up the speedo trim ring (unless he wants to try it just for kicks). Gauge faces require taking everything apart far more than needed for InvisiLens. Did you already do your tach?

 

I did the tach last night, all on my own, just needed someone to hold the flashlight
( i do recommend stuffing a microfiber towel into the cavity between the dash & the steering column) I dropped a torx screw in there and it took 20 min and a heavy magnet and underdash yoga to retrieve it

as for the needle...

did you know that you can pull off the silver cap that covers the needle assembly? it's waaay easier than removing the entire needle assembly and the recalibration is a snap!

if you don't remove the needle at all.. just slide the gauge face on from the center of the face by 'threading the needle'