[chestnutree]

I'm trying to take off the dash so that i can check if my engine management light bulb has blown so i can replace it.

I'm trying to follow the wiki "dash removal" guide but this is how to remove everything it's not specific to the silver part above the steering wheel.

The silver surround which holds the 2 middle vents, fogs and window demister buttons....i have half off.

I've taken out the 3 screws along the top, no screws at the bottom but appears to be clips?

I can pull the top half forward but not the bottom. How can i remove the whole lot? If there are clips holding the bottom into place, how can i release them without braking them?

This post has been edited by chestnutree: 23 February 2009 - 04:48 PM

[zara014]

If you look at where your rear foglamp switch is there is a small black cover in the corner.....behind this there is a screw

also the clips can be a right pain in the arse to unclip.....

[chestnutree]

If you look at where your rear foglamp switch is there is a small black cover in the corner.....behind this there is a screw

also the clips can be a right pain in the arse to unclip.....

i've managed to get all 3 screws out...it's just these hidden plastic clips.

Any info on where exactly they are and how to unclip them without snapping them or snapping anything else?

[zara014]

ah right sorry....

just patience tbh.... try not to pull to hard

[chestnutree]

ah right sorry....

just patience tbh.... try not to pull to hard

It's not budging anywhere it really won't come unless i force it but that will brake something. Is there nowhere to shove a screwdriver or something to release the clips? Or if you know exactly where the clips are i could try and get my hand behind to release them?

[foxybex]

a friend got mine off i dread to think how he did it. probably with shear impatience and force. god knows what he broke in the process, probably why i wasnt around at the time.

[chestnutree]

a friend got mine off i dread to think how he did it. probably with shear impatience and force. god knows what he broke in the process, probably why i wasnt around at the time.

So most people do brake the clips removing it? i really don't see how it will come off without doing that but i don't wana brake them as then it won't go back on?

a friend got mine off i dread to think how he did it. probably with shear impatience and force. god knows what he broke in the process, probably why i wasnt around at the time.

you couldn't possibly ask him how could you? lol

[YOG]

Not good quality, but:







The two shown above just above the steering column shroud, are held by spring grippers and normally come off with the trim.
Note one of the broken clips!

This post has been edited by YOG: 23 February 2009 - 05:31 PM

[chestnutree]

thanks for your help again yog. my monitor is rubbish and displays as if the brightness is turned right down so dark images, such as the black plastic, is really hard to see. Could you describe please where exactly the clips are? Do you know how to unclip these without braking them?

I had a bit of an idea.....would shoving a credit card under where a clip may be, release the clip?

[chestnutree]

update......... i now have 1 broken credit card,lol. (no joke)

The top of the panel and all of the clock side will pull forward. It appears theres some sort of clip at the bottom, just above the left AND right of the steering wheel collum. So appears to be 2 clips to remove, but how?

Can i get underneath and behind somehow to undo the clips?

I don't think these were designed to be taken off!

[chestnutree]

WOOHOOO IT'S OFF!!!!

I took off the fuse box cover, then i could reach right up behind to the clip. I couldn't do it with my thumb, so after 5 mins of great force pressing against the clip with a screwdriver i managed to get it off!!! i was then left with the clip on the left, but with half of it already out, i could slip the screwdriver under it and unclipped.

I don't think anything is broken.......i have 1 piece in my hand but it loose like a metal removable part of the clip which goes over the top of the plastic part.

ONE MORE QUESTION
Am i now safe to take off the dials? They will go back into place without any issues at all won't they? i don't want to drive to work tommorow and find the speedo doesn't work.

[eldoodarino]

you'll need to lift off the stalks in order to get the clocks past the wheel... (there is one screw securing them)



oh, and by the way... it won't be a bulb when you get to it... it's a 5mm flat mounted LED.... so VERY unlikely to have gone as they are much more reliable than bulbs when the voltage is done correctly...

This post has been edited by eldoodarino: 23 February 2009 - 06:09 PM

[YOG]

I don't think anything is broken.......i have 1 piece in my hand but it loose like a metal removable part of the clip which goes over the top of the plastic part.

Should be 2 metal clips that hold the 2 plastic clips at the bottm of pic 3.

[chestnutree]

you'll need to lift off the stalks in order to get the clocks past the wheel... (there is one screw securing them)



oh, and by the way... it won't be a bulb when you get to it... it's a 5mm flat mounted LED.... so VERY unlikely to have gone as they are much more reliable than bulbs when the voltage is done correctly...

oh you are joking me......................after 4 hours of trying to remove it, it's prob not that anyway?

When i looked up the guide on how to change dash lights etc, it showed pics of white standard lights?

[chestnutree]

i've hit my next obstacle.... trying to detetch the electric cable that goes to the back of the dials. I can't pull it out very far because this is attatched, but i can't detatch it because i can't pull it out far enough,lol.

how exactly does it detatch?

I've drawn blood now by the way!!!

[eldoodarino]

there's a latch that flips over... it's a little fiddly with fingers..just poke a tiny screwdriver under the catch

[chestnutree]

i've given up i've let the cat beat me.

It's pitch black and i need the car to start for work tomoz, dnt wana drain the battery with the lights on.

I got to the point of unplugging the cables and couldn't do it, gave up and put it all back together again.

I may have tried for a little longer if it wasn't for eldoodarino telling me theres no bulb anyway and it's just an LED!!

So if this light doesn't come on (engine management light) then whats the possible cause?

Is there anything i could do that would almost certainly bring the light on without damaging the car? the manual says it should come on and go off when the engine is started but it doesn't

[eldoodarino]

sorry to give you more bad news...but in cases where iv seen this before it was because..

some previous owner had swapped the clocks motherboard to 'loose a few miles' and clearly had installed a board belonging to a different vehicle..(eg.fiesta etc.)



obviously can't say this for sure... but you can kind of tell when you strip this lot down whether it has been done before....everything is a lot stiffer and generally fitted better on the first install..!

This post has been edited by eldoodarino: 23 February 2009 - 07:16 PM

[chestnutree]

So if this has been done then the 4 gold screws which hold the dials into place would be easy to unscrew? (As they were actually, but someone could have taken it out before for any reason?)

How can i tell for sure? and why would doing this stop that light coming on?

[eldoodarino]

it may be worth percevering... if i am right, then the clock mainboard you have won't have an LED where you think your light is...

iv'e seen this before on an FRP whilst doing an LED conversion... A bit naughty really...