90 Dash Removal, Disguisted, need HELP

Sam Woodson

Registered User
I saw Metalman's reply to a post and it helped, I took out all 10 bolts, I have the steering wheel resting on the dr seat, AC, Radio, instruments, etc are removed.

Something is still holding this thing in place. 1990 model SC by the way. The hard plastic Hood over the instruments is still in place. There seems to be 1 screw still holding it in the corner in the center of the car near the windshield. I can't see how to get to it.

The dash still seems to be held in place around the drivers knee area. I see to bolts down in there that appear to be holding it to the main piece of metal (that I believe does not come out, I am referring to the piece that the steering column bolts went into)

I have not released the main wiring harness as yet, I don't want to bother if I can't get above the problem above.

Any info appreciated.

Thanks,
Sam Woodson
sam.woodson@gmail.com
 
should be able to get that bolt out with a small socket if you have a elbow extension that will help. also the center console needs to come out then theres 2 bolts holding a metal bracket that hold the center of the dash in place.

does that help ? i just did mine a little over a month ago.
its very heavy and might need 2 people to pull it out. i didn't thoe but i used anger as a energy boost to pull it back.

i changed the heater core. what are you trying to do ?
 
It could be the bolt on the driver's side, that holds the dash to the E-brake bracket. Its easy to miss and will hold your dash from going anywhere.

- Dan
 
Note my car is a 5spd. I am trying to get the dash off to replace the heater cable that controls hot/cold. It appears the PO tried to do it without removing the dash and broke the end off. (at the HVAC control slide) While I am in there, I am going to try and recover the dash.

I do have the center console removed already, just forgot to mention it. Per Metalman's post, I have all of the following completed.

I saw the post by Dbubb and will check on the bolt by the emergency brake. There is nothing near my eBrake, I guess the Autos have a foot operated eBrake?

Spider, the 2 bolts I see have the heads on the wrong side. (facing the passenger) so I can't get to them. I wondered if the big "Air box" behind the HVAC controls needed to come out, and if so how.

Does the plastic Instrument Hood stay with the dash as it comes out, or do you take it off first? As mentioned, it seems there is 1 screw still holding it in the center of the car and the curve in the dash by the windshield that I can't really see, or figure out how to get to.

Thanks again!
 
Looking at it again, on the Dr side near the door, there are really 4 bolts. 2 big ones Top and Bottom, and 2 smaller ones in the middle. At first I just had the 2 middle ones off. Now I removed all 4, but the big outer plate of metal that they hold down still doesn't seem to move.

Thanks,
 
It looks like I am closer now. It appears it was the bold Ddubb was talking about. It just threw me since I have a manual and I was thinking he was talking about the 2 bolts near the door.

Now, the Main wiring harness? It looks like you have to remove the windshield wiper arms to get the plastic cowl off, to access the main wiring harness.

How do you get the wipe arms off? Hood open, closed? Wipers in down or up position? (Pointing at 12 oclock or 9 oclock like when they are Off)

Thanks,
Sam
 
Wiper arms are off, cowl is removed.

Now it appears the 10mm bolt in the center of the wiring harness is round off, and I can get anything to grab onto it!
 
The engine side of the main wiring harness is Off now.

On the inside though, I can't see how to get to it. My hand really won't fit up in there. There is a big box type wiring harness directly behind the fuses and under the main wiring harness in the way. I can't seem to figure out how to remove it though. There is a bolt at the bottom of it going into the other part of the harness, not into the metal frame of the car. I loosened it, but nothing seemed to change.

Any advice from here?

Thanks,
 
The big box wiring harness I just mentioned is now off and out of the way, it was the bolt I mentioned, just had to loosen it then pull the wiring harness apart, then the top part slid off a clip.


Still having trouble getting the main wiring harness off from the inside, trying to twist and pull as stated. I can only twist it slightly though. No luck so far.

Just posting this as notes for anyone else in the future and incase someone has any extra Tricks to get by these problems.
 
The main harness has little pop out clips visible from under the hood. Depress those (3) with a small screwdriver and push harness back into car.
 
Find a small child too...my 7 year old nephew was key in this step of the removal. ;)

Just wait till you have to reinstall...think its rough now...just wait.

-Tim
 
I got the main wiring harness out by pushing from the engine side with a small screw driver on the 3 sides.

Now I have found 3 sets of wires that do not have a harness or disconnect. 2 on the dr side. and 1 on the Pass side. The one on the pass side appears to be a vacum line and maybe 2 small wires.

Guess I will cut and splice later.

Noticing the center console area of the dash still feels like something is attached, but I'm pretty sure it isn't. I have the dash tilted back at about a 45 degree angle at this point. Just looking for wires, etc..
 
The 2 sets of wires on the DR side seem to be for the alarm. 1 had 3 very small different colored wires, the other 2 sets of gold speaker wire (4 wires total) all the same, I tried to cut them to different lenghts to figure out how they went back together.
 
On the Pass side, the thing I thought was a vacum hose appears to be the antenna wire and 2 small wires with it. (for the Pwr antenna I would guess.) I can cut and splice the 2 small wires, but I'm not sure what to do with the coax antenna cable.

To be safe, before just cutting it, I cut the rubber cover, saw the brass, thought it was a wire, then saw the white center core.

Removed the inner fender to access the antenna wires. I searched the forum on how to remove it, I just found a post that said the antenna wire should come off easily, but he cuts the 2 pwr wires.

I already cut the 2 pwr wires, but I can't get the antenna coax off the antenna. I've tried pulling and twisting. No luck.
 
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Dash is OUT! Thanks!

Now, I can't get the last screw off to get the hard plastic Hood over the instrument cluster Off the dash. I see 1 screw under where the radio was that holds it to a track, but it's facing with the head toward the firewall and there is a big bunch or wires and the ducting for the HVAC there.

How do I get to this last screw?

As far as the antenna Coax cable, I finally had to cut it. I probably spent 1 hour with my arm up in there pulling and twisting. I twisted and twisted. There was a plastic cap I could feel spin, but I don't think anything under it was spinning. I'll just have to splice the coax.

Thanks again,
 
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Why are you removing the cover again?

I have removed this part. It is extremely difficult to access that last screw so unless you have a real reason for doing it, I wouldn't waste my time.

It seems to me that the wiring harness is in the way or something.

The coax from the antenna does unclip but with age sometimes it won't. The power wires to the antenna do unplug as I recall, but it's been awhile. You can splice antenna coax if you have to. Just make sure that you properly insulate both leads.
 
its easier to remove the antenna wire from the inside by cutting the tape holding it to the harness and let it hang.then just reroute it when you reinstall the dash.
 
I'm removing the instrument "hood" because it is chipped in 1 spot, and cracked in 2 spots. Not to mention at many of the places where it should be held with screws, they have broken off.

I bought some black leather to recover the dash while I am replacing the heater cable.

Not fun, but it probably is saving me $400 for a dash and labor to have cable replaced.

Yes the last screw is hidden behind the big HVAC duct "box" and then behind a wiring harness that is tightly held in place directly where I need to go!

Thanks again,
 
Regarding that last hood fastener; it helps to remove the duct work from the back of the dash first. Also better if you have an assortment of 1/4 drive sockets, torx bits, and extensions.

FYI, I've found it easier to remove the power antenna before unplugging the harness connectors. Just remove one nut from the lower bracket, and unwind the trim bezel nut at the top of the antenna. I use a pair of opened-up needle nose pliers as a spanner wrench to back off the nut. It's not tight. Then just push the body grommet back through the access hole in the body, and pull the harness thru. This is all predicated on removing the RH inner fender liner first.

JD
 
Got the last bolt out, my wife pried stuff apart with a screwdriver, so I could get a Torx down in there. Everything else I did by myself.

Thanks,
Sam
 
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