Plastic Dashboard change - advice needed

[mtamin]

Hi all, I do hope that you are all keeping well. I know that dashboard changes have been done to death on these forums but I am in need of some sage advice from those who have experience of dashboard swaps. I have read all the good advice I can find on the subject and I am having some trouble getting my replacement dashboard in. I am only swapping plastic with plastic as the original had an unsightly mark and a crack. This is just the driver side larger section as there was no need to change the airbag cover. I have done all the supposedly difficult bits - removed the old one without problems, I have connected the clock wiring and vent control cable nimbly enough without breaking anything and I was looking forward to the last part, just pushing the dash home. I masked up all the surrounding areas to prevent scratching and started on the left side of the panel (around the central vents) and what I am finding is that I cant seem to get the left side to go in. I am attempting to fit the top in first but there is a white plastic molding screwed to the plastic dash on the left side that has to go under the lip of the black moulding of the dashboard. This seems very difficult to do given the tightness of the fit and I seem to reach a point of no return where I can't push any harder without risk of cracking the fake plastic wood. I did not need to remove any clips in doing the swap and I checked that they were in the same positions as on the one that I took off the car (which I found very easy to remove). I am scratching my head a bit as to what is halting my progress. I have the vents in the closed positions. What I am wondering is should it be a case of top left in first and then bottom left or top left and then the rest of the top in before looking at clearing the bottom clips - the clips don't seem to be fouling anywhere as far as I can see. any thoughts anyone?

[trikey]

Top left in first, if it is stubborn you can use a spot of grease or cut way a little bit if the dashboard moulding (I have seen bits that are loose in this area)

Then too right above the rh central vent, then bottom left, then the rh side vent and lastly the centre bottom (that’s my method anyway)

[mtamin]

Thanks for that reply - I am interested to hear that possibly trimming a bit of the dashboard molding is something that sometimes helps - I was coming to a similar conclusion myself. Good thought about the grease also. I know it should go - it just wouldn't! I walked away to regroup and by the time I returned the sun had dropped directly in my line of sight so left it for the day. I will try again tomorrow.

[kelvo]

I had the same trouble with the top left of the driver's section when I swapped my plastic dash for a metal backed one, I think because it was less flexible. I ended up shimming it out by putting a small washer under the plastic lug.

Once shimmed, I was able to tuck in under and push up at the same time to get it to fit. The rest of the dashboard went in easy.

[mtamin]

Thanks for your replies. With a bit of white grease applied to the top left and bottom left of the section around the central vents finally went in - I needed to push harder upwards to the top left than I had been doing then its all fine around the central vents - nice and snug and tight until about half way along the thin section under the instrument cluster where it does not seem to push fully home and the result is that the right hand driver side vent section is similarly unwilling to snap into place. I can push it in to the right position but it pops out again with about an 8mm gap to the black backing. Not satisfactory at all. What a pain! I wonder if one of the clips has lost its tension. When I pulled the old one out this section was the very easiest to pull out - quite semi-loose so I did not think this section would be a problem. I do have the vent closed - well it seems to need to be open in order to offer up at the top and then closed once that top area is in. Any other experiences to share from recollections in this area. I am so near but so far!

[mtamin]

To add a note of caution to all - I would not be having the dubious pleasure of doing this dashboard swap if it had not been for a rather cheap liquid air freshener leaking its contents over the central section of the dash. To my dismay it was very efficient at stripping the top finish of the fake wood revealing plain shiny black plastic under the top layer. I was able to get a replacement really cheaply and its not in bad condition but if I am honest not quite as good as my original one. I am quite happy with the plastic concept but there are a few more hairline scratches than on the original. At least it doesn't have flaking fake wood effect peeling off under the vent where the air freshener leaked. Now if I could just get the last few inches to fit neatly...

[mtamin]

I found after comparison of the three clips around the driver side vent section that the clip on the extreme right was at a rather different angle to my original. It needed bending upwards towards the top of the dash. I am not sure if the clip has lost some of its rigidity as its not as positively snapping into place as I would like but at least there is no visible gap to the naked eye and its only popping back slightly. You can push it in slightly further but it wont quite stay snap' tight if you know what I mean. Replacement of the clip may be necessary to get a better result in the long term - which can probably just about be achieved without taking the whole dash out. Ah well 9/10 for that job. On reflection I should have swapped the vents from my original as the replacements are quite a bit dustier on the inside than mine were!

[trikey]

Bend the clips outwards a little, they will have lost a bit of tension during the fit.


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