Changing out the dash on my 2004 TL..let me say that I have been missin with cars for 20 years and thas is by far the BIGGEST PAIN IN THE ASSSSS....Anybody have any pointers or tips please chime in

 

What exactly are you changing out? Gauges?

 

i love pulling dashes. i ll do them all day. put some foam on the fire wall before you put it back. the new dash will creek.make sure the three bolts on the left and two on the right ( ones that hold the dash bar) to the body are put in first.

 

I hate that shit.

 

Ohhhhhh lol I'm assuming his dash is cracked or something, therefore he's replacing it. I was thinking he was putting custom gauges in or something lol

 

can you tell me why the dashbar bolts need to be put in first. also if you know where i can find a wright up for this it would be great.
Do i need too remove seats?..
.Does all that metal framing with the dash bar come out ass well?..
Do I need to install all the vents,airbag,etc.,before installing new?

man I wish you where close I would pay you to do it!

 

1)well the best is the tl manuall. tell u where every bolts is and step by step.
2)i would remove the seat . i don't because i do them all the time. the dash is heavyso for you yes.
3)every thing comes out. bar and all.
4) no remove everything. don't put it in till the dash is back in the car.

 

thanks for the help...but how do I access all the screws that hold the vent ducks on the dash?..Looks like the vents must come out with the dash because it is impossible to access most of them it seems?
really appreciate the help.
I think i should get a manuel but where is the best place to buy one.

thanks buddy

 

Well the passenger one you remove the silver trim under the vent there one screw and pull it out
The driver side you just get a good grip and pull. The center just take two hook tool and pull at the very bottom at the corners.

 

man...i need a manuel!!!!

Do you mind pm me your number so I could ask you some questions?

Thanks.
Troy.

 

Here's a helpful website for OEM Manuals. http://www.helminc.com/helm/homepage.asp

 

Online service manual was linked a few weeks ago. Had the entire file as a pdf.

 

pmed you

 

Dash is out and now the big time pain in the ass install begins!...wish me luck

 

For anyone doing this on their own, you will also need to order the foam seal that affixes to the front edge of the dash panel (77466-SEP-A00). I was never able to locate part numbers for the foam seals that attach to the duct work distribution block immediately behind the radio, so if any one has those, please post them as they should also be replaced. I also recommend having a couple of clips for the center speaker grille (77205-S0X-A01), as they do not attach very securely as originally designed and when they pop off they are hard to find.

I personally did not remove the seats, parking brake, or gearshift, though removing these would make it easier. To prevent the metal dashboard frame from damaging these surfaces, lay some old towels over the seats, and heavy leather gloves over the parking brake and gearshift lever.

To remove the center vent above the radio, buy a long (about 12") battery hold down bolt. Then insert the hook of the bolt through the vent (start with one side, then the other) and pull straight back. My only other suggestion is to not forget to remove the A-pillar panels. If you do forget, you will not be able to pull the dash out no matter how hard you pull.

 

^Good info/tips for anyone trying this. Did you happen to take any pics during the process? The OP of the thread never updated....

 

I had thought about it, but ended up not doing it because of the extra time that would've been involved. For anyone that has already removed all of the center console and surrounding kick panels etc (basically everything but the dash) to install an auxiliary radio input, it is not that difficult, just time consuming. I'll try to list the steps below from memory.

Most of the work can be accomplished with a #2 phillips screwdriver and some brute force. But here's a list of tools that will be needed while it's still fresh in mind:

Navigation unit code (4 digits) and radio code (5 digits)
#2 Phillips screwdriver
Small pocket-sized flat tip screwdriver (for electrical connectors and the wire holders)
3/8" drive ratchet and extensions (at least a 6" and 8")
12 (deep well) and 14mm 3/8" drive sockets
1/4" drive ratchet and extensions (one 4" will suffice)
10mm socket
T30 3/8" drive Torx socket and screwdriver (for steering wheel airbag and SRS controller located on the floorboard beneath radio)
KTC pink panel/trim remover kit
Steering wheel puller kit. Make sure it has the appropriate metric bolts to screw into the steering wheel. If necessary, disconnect the battery and remove the airbag to find out if you have the correct bolts or not to pull the steering wheel. You do not want to start tearing everything apart only to find out you can't remove the steering wheel.
12" battery hold down bolt (for center dash vent removal)

And here are the parts:

Dashboard assembly (Honda P/N 77120-SEP-A03ZA)
Foam seal (Honda P/N 77466-SEP-A00)
Center speaker grille clips (Honda P/N 77205-S0X-A01)

1. Move seats as rearward as possible (or remove altogether), then disconnect negative battery cable and chock wheels.

2. Remove A-pillar trim pieces. This is accomplished by pulling out the little cover that is labeled "AIR BAG" as far as possible (approx 1/2") then pulling the panel. Use the small KTC tool to pop out the little cover, then your hands to remove the panel. It is best to remove/install these pieces first/last as you will need to have clean hands to do so. The upholstery will pick up any dirt or grease that you have on your hands.

2. Remove steering wheel airbag and steering wheel. There is a small cover on the lower back side of the steering wheel that needs to be removed so you can disconnect the airbag connector and horn connector. To remove the airbag, there are two T30 Torx screws opposing each other holding the airbag to the steering wheel. Remove the torx screws then the airbag. To remove the steering wheel, remove the 14mm bolt, then attach the steering wheel puller and then the steering wheel. Mark the steering wheel position in relation to the splined steering shaft that the wheel attaches to. There is a very small "V" etched onto the shaft that you can use for position if you want, or just mark it however you want with a paint pen or marker.

3. Remove steering wheel column plastic shrouds. There are 3 screws on the bottom, remove screws then tilt steering column down fully and remove shrouds.

4. Remove steering wheel column. The column is quite greasy. There are two nuts and two bolts holding the steering wheel column to the vehicle. Although the steering wheel shaft that is part of the column assembly will not rotate due to the steering lock, I advise marking the position of the male splined shaft sticking through the firewall in relation to the female shaft of the steering wheel column to aid in reassembly. The steering wheel column is simply pulled from the vehicle after the nuts and bolts attaching it to the vehicle frame are removed (there is nothing holding the shafts together).

5. Start removing console and kick panels. This is fairly straight forward. There are a bunch of screws and clips that need to be undone. Start with the silver trim pieces that run the length of the console and work your way to towards the doors. I suggest keeping the screws in order by reinstalling them into the pieces that they were originally screwed into after they are freed from the vehicle. This will cut down on the screws you need to keep track of and make sure you have all the screws you need during reassembly.

6. Unbolt gear shift lever and parking brake lever from vehicle and move to side. I did not do this. You may leave both of these items in place, but beware that you may damage them both when removing/installing the dash from the vehicle. Cover these with thick leather gloves if you want to leave them in place to avoid damaging them when removing/installing the dashboard.

7. Remove seats. Again, I did not remove the seats. If you leave these items in place, you risk damaging them when removing/installing the dash in the vehicle. Cover them with some old towels folded at least twice to prevent damaging them while removing/installing the dashboard.

8. Remove the center dash vent. To remove the vent, insert the hook end of the battery hold down bolt through the vent (and close to either the left or right side of the vent assembly), hook onto the vent piece then pull straight towards rear of car. Repeat for other side, then disconnect the two electrical connectors and remove the vent/display assembly from the vehicle.

9. Remove radio/navigation unit. Remove the screws then the electrical connectors and remove from vehicle.

10. Remove SRS controller beneath where the radio was. There are 4 T30 torx screws. Remove the two front screws and loosen the two rear screws and remove controller from vehicle.

11. Remove gauge cluster and shroud. The cluster shroud is held in by clips, then the cluster is held in with 4 screws. Pull rearward on the shroud to free it, then the electrical connectors and then remove shroud from vehicle. Remove 4 screws then remove cluster from vehicle.

12. At this point you are ready to start removing the dash. There are three longer bolts that are accessed from the driver's side door near the hinges. Remove the 3 plastic covers and then the bolts (12mm). Next are 4 bolts (12mm) next to where the steering column attached to the vehicle and then 2 more bolts (12mm) on the passenger side close to where the vent is. Now remove the 2 bolts (10mm) holding the dashboard frame to the center dashboard plate that attaches to the vehicle. Loosen, but don't remove, the 4 bolts (12mm) that hold down the center dashboard plate to the vehicle.

13. Remove the million or so electrical connectors. Nearly all of them are color coded and are all different sizes so you cannot reconnect one where it doesn't belong without some effort. Although I had originally unbolted all of the grounding lugs (I remember a total of 4 or 5), the only one that needed to be disconnected was the one nearest to the SRS controller that is held down by another T30 torx screw.

14. Remove the dash. If you didn't miss anything, it should pull out with relative ease. Unhook the dash from the locating pins, then rotate it rearward (towards the back of the vehicle) and set the face of the dashboard on the seats (or floorboard if you removed the seats). You may then remove it from the vehicle; I went through the passenger side.

15. Switch over the duct work and frame/wiring harness assembly. Start with the defrost duct, then the frame, remaining vent ducts, and then the speakers. Transfer the parts over to the new dashboard in reverse. The tweeter speakers are not held on to the dash by any fasteners, the center speaker is held onto the dash by 5 clips that pop off quite easily. Save yourself a headache and order a few (or all) of the clips to have as spares (77205-S0X-A01).

16. Install new foam seal that affixes to the very front edge of the dashboard (77466-SEP-A00).

17. Reinstall dash. Once you have the dashboard in place in the vehicle, double check to make sure you haven't forced some electrical connector or wires somewhere they can't be accessed once you start bolting everything back together. Reinstall the bolts on the sides (3 drivers side door frame, 4 above steering wheel column, 2 passenger side to right of airbag), then the center plate last (2 outer 10mm bolts, then tighten 4 12mm bolts back down to vehicle).

18. Reconnect all of the electrical connectors that you can. There are a lot of them that cannot be reconnected because the components are attached to some other part of the console or steering column.

19. Reinstall radio, center dash vent, center console and kick panels. If you unbolted the parking brake, it will need to be readjusted.

20. Reinstall steering wheel column, covers, steering wheel, and airbag. Remember to reconnect the airbag and horn electrical connectors via the cover on the back side of the steering wheel. There are holders for both the airbag and horn connectors to keep them in place.

21. Reconnect battery, start vehicle, enter navigation unit and radio codes, then enjoy a hole-less and crackless dashboard!! You will need to leave key in the on position (not necessarily with the engine running) after you have entered the 4-digit navigation unit code for 5-10 minutes until you get to the "OK" screen.

That is from memory, I don't think I missed anything but I could be wrong. It took me I would say a total of 12-14 hours spread over two days, but wasted about an hour or so of that trying to remove the dashboard without first removing the A-pillar panels. I kept rechecking to make sure I didn't forget some stupid obscure electrical connector or bolt.

If you are a determined individual and you have the space to do so, you could accomplish all of this within a day (albeit a long one). I needed a lot of space for all of the parts that I removed from the vehicle.

Something else that is not widely discussed is the VIN plate. Since the rivets are not publicly available, you will have to decide how you want to deal with it. Check your local laws to determine what is best for you. Keep in mind that most laws are designed to prevent/deter chop shops from swapping VIN plates into cars they were not originally in. Swapping out your own dash panel from your own vehicle is vehicle maintenance, which of course is legal.

 

hmm interesting. what did you do about the vin plate?

 

Spires----Awesome breakdown! I can understand the time to take pics would've added even more time to the process! Congrats on doing this yourself, and also Thanks for taking the time to do a write-up.

Interested also in how you transferred the vin plate!

 

You'll have to check your local laws (DMV, not police). I would not want to post information that could get someone else in trouble.

 

Is it possible to remove the center defrost vent that sits against the windshield, without removing the entire dashboard? I can break it while removing it because a new one is $9.. But I do need to be able to re-install the new one. My plan was to get a new one anyway... I would like to remove that vent and install a Autolight sensor. The 08 vent is $9. thanks--








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You could leave the dash in place and remove the vent by breaking it, but you would not be able to reinstall it unless you want to glue the new defroster vent in place, but you already knew that. This whole process would probably take a whole day if you've never messed with the console, somewhat less than that if you've removed all of the console crap before.

The defroster vent is attached to the main dash panel by several screws that you cannot reach without detaching the entire dash from the vehicle. You could however rotate the dash after it is unbolted from the vehicle and leave the dash in the car. This would give you access to the screws that attach the defroster vent to the main dash without having to completely remove the dash from the vehicle. You may be able to leave the seats in, but you'll have to get to the part where you start removing the dash before you'll find out for sure if you should've removed the seats or not.

Although you could do all of that, you're still spending a considerable amount of time removing all of the other parts (console and associated panels, steering wheel and column, instrument cluster, a lot of wiring connectors) just so you can get to the defroster vent. IMHO that's a lot of work for a $9 part.

 

ya lots of work to get in there. Low price or high price I don't care about the cost of the vent.. But the amount of work is something to consider mostly. It might be wiser to install that autolight sensor somewhere else. thanks for the reply.

 

I found a better place. haha

 

actually thats not a better place for that sensor. It's tuned to work directly straight up. And up on the overhead console it is too dark up there. Lights come on too early. So, working on another solution, slowly..

 

why not remove the center speaker grille and access the dash from under there, drill a hole for it 2-3 inches forward of the center grille and put the sensor there.

 

I ended up using a GM light sensor rather than the OEM sensor.
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