Instrument Panel - Removal

REMOVAL

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, on vehicles equipped with air bags, disable the supplemental restraint system before attempting any steering wheel, steering column, airbag, occupant classification system, seat belt tensioner, impact sensor, or instrument panel component diagnosis or service. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative (ground) cable, then wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before performing further diagnosis or service. This is the only sure way to disable the supplemental restraint system. Failure to take the proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deployment.


WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, never strike or drop the occupant restraint controller, as it can damage the impact sensor or affect its calibration. The occupant restraint controller contains the impact sensor, which enables the system to deploy the supplemental restraints. If an airbag control module is accidentally dropped during service, the module must be scrapped and replaced with a new unit. Failure to observe this warning could result in accidental, incomplete, or improper supplemental restraint deployment.


CAUTION: On vehicles equipped with the Occupant Classification System (OCS), never replace both the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) and the Occupant Classification Module (OCM) at the same time. If both require replacement, replace one. Then perform the supplemental restraint verification test before replacing the other. Both the ORC and the OCM store OCS calibration data, which they transfer to one another when one of them is replaced. If both are replaced at the same time, an irreversible fault will be set in both modules.





1. Before proceeding with the following repair procedure, review all warnings and cautions.

2. Disconnect and isolate negative battery cable.

3. Raise and support the vehicle.

4. Disconnect the steering column from the steering coupling


5. Lower the vehicle.

6. Remove steering column as necessary.

7. Remove the left and right side instrument panel silencers


8. Remove the screws (2 and 6) that secure the steering column cover (1) to the instrument panel.

9. Disconnect the wire harness connector (3) from the trunk release switch.

10. Disconnect the hood release cable (4) from the hood release handle (5) and remove the steering column cover from the vehicle.





11. Remove the screws (3) that secure the instrument panel steering column cover reinforcement (1) to the bracket (2) and remove the reinforcement from the vehicle.





12. Disconnect the body wire harness connectors (1 and 3) from the instrument panel wire harness connectors.

13. Disconnect the body wire harness connectors (2 and 4) from the transmission control module.





14. Remove the center floor console.

15. Remove the ash receiver from the instrument panel.

16. Disconnect the instrument panel wire harness connector (1) from the occupant restraint controller (ORC) module.





17. Disconnect the antenna coax (1) from the instrument panel coax extension.

18. Disconnect the wire harness connectors (2, 4, 5 and 6) from the instrument panel wire harness connectors (3).





19. Remove the A-pillar trim panels.

20. Disconnect the wire harness connectors (1 and 2) located on the A-pillars.





21. Remove the end caps from the left and right side of the instrument panel to access the instrument panel side support bolts (1) and remove the bolts.

22. Remove the defroster grille to access the instrument panel top retaining bolts (2) and remove the bolts.

23. Remove the bolts (3) that secure the bottom of the instrument panel.





24. Lift the instrument panel assembly (2) off of the supports (1 and 5). Guide the steering column end (4) through the opening in the dash panel (3) and remove the instrument panel through the passenger door.





25. If required, remove the spring nuts (1) from the dash panel.