Vinyl covered dashes have been around for a long time and it seems all of
them are susceptible to cracking and discoloring if not maintained properly.
And there are those of us who may have to replace the dash housing for other
reasons.
My 1990 Mark VII LSC SE was purchased as a salvage vehicle. Although
there was no body damage, the interior was destroyed. The dash housing was
the victim of a ball-peen hammer. In addition, all of the components, including
the factory CD player, were destroyed.
Included in the purchase price of
my car was a complete interior from another LSC, which I stripped
to the metal. The interiors are very easy to disassemble in these
cars, but the dash housing replacement is more complicated. I recommend
attempting this repair yourself ONLY if you are experienced at car
repairs.
Follow along as I R & R my dash housing and replace the components
that were damaged by vandals. If you attempt this repair yourself,
plan on spending MANY hours to complete it.
I spent 13 hours working by myself.
MAKE SURE YOU DISCONNECT THE POSITIVE
BATTERY CABLE AND WAIT AT LEAST 20 MINUTES TO REDUCE THE CHANCES OF
AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT.
The only components you must remove from the dash at this time are:
- The windshield defroster vent (to access the mounting screws). This snaps
out.
- The glove box door (for a better view of mounting bolts). There are 5
screws at the bottom holding this on.
- The knee bolster panel under the steering column.
- The cross-member behind the knee bolster.
- The HVAC controller and Trip Computer. The bezel surrounding these will
snap off when pulled on.
- The dash bezel containing the interior temperature control sensor and
the white duct hose behind it.
- The left and right sound insulator assemblies from under the dash housing.
The courtesy light bulbs are attached to these.
If you choose to remove the radio
and speedo, etc, now, then go ahead, but these items will come out
with the dash housing. You can also leave the HVAC duct work in place
as it is bolted to the dash housing.
Other items that will need to be
removed are the kick panels, a-pillar moldings, the shifter and the
console. The steering column trim cover must also be removed for clearance.
I removed the front seats for more room, but removing them is not
necessary. I raised the seats as high as they could go, and then moved
them back and forth to gain access to their mounting bolts.
Also, the steering column will need
to be removed from the mounts under the dash housing. There are 4
nuts holding it in place. Once it is dropped down, unplug the wiring
and let the column rest on the floor.
After removing all of the “clutter”,
it’s time to get busy. The thin dash-color plastic piece between
the speedo and the dash vents will pull out. Insert a flat head screw
driver under one of the ends and pry outward. Then grab it and
gently pull towards you. Then remove the screws holding
the bezel surrounding the speedo, radio bezel, and light switches,
then gently pull away from the dash. The two remaining vent bezels
are now ready for you to gently pull away from the dash. Be careful
to disconnect the wiring (and label them) for the fog lights and
the temperature sensor and disconnect the air hose on the right
bezel (right of the steering wheel). The bezel that surrounds
the HVAC controls and the Tripminder will gently pull away, allowing
access to their mounting screws.
There is one 13MM bolt on the right side kick panel to remove,
3 Philips-head screws across the top of the dash where the defroster
vent was (the defroster vent will pull off the housing), 2 10MM
bolts where the console was, 2 15MM bolts on the driver’s side kick panel (one
is on the kick panel, one is a nut that you can see thru the access
hole behind where the knee bolster was, and one 10 mm bolt under the
dash on the left side near the parking brake. Once removed,
you and a helper will be able to pick the housing up and move towards
you about 8”. You will notice 2 pigtails to the right side of
the center of the dash that need to be disconnected from the climate
control system bolted to the firewall. Also disconnect the antenna
wire lead and the 2 other connectors behind the right side kick panel.
Label all these connectors so they can be accurately re-connected.
There are 5 wiring connectors on the left side of the center of the
dash that will need to be disconnected.
Label these also so they can be accurately reconnected. Four
of the connectors are the same and can be mistakenly mixed up!
A duct hose also needs to be disconnected. Then there is one other
step to take before it can be removed from the car.
On the firewall, next to the parking brake, is a round rubber grommet
with a wiring harness going through it. From the inside of the car,
pull on the rubber portion to remove it from the body of the car.
You will then need to locate ELEVEN connectors under the hood and
unplug them. They include the wiper motor, the hood light, 2 round
connectors behind the master cylinder, 2 contacts on the starter
solenoid, 2 below the starter solenoid on the frame rail, and three
next to the power steering pump. Once disconnected, feed them through
the hole in the firewall and remove the dash housing from the car.
When removing the housing from the car, NEVER pick it up by the
top of the dash as it may crack. Handle the housing from the sides
or the bottom.
I recommend placing the housing on
a work bench to transfer the dash wiring harness and components to
the new housing. Make sure nothing is under your replacement housing
that could punch a hole in the vinyl. To remove components from the
housing, begin by unsnapping the thin plastic trim piece in the middle
of the gauge section, it is above the vent bezels. It will expose
4 bolts. Unscrew the bolts, and then unsnap the upper bezel that surrounds
the speedo, light switches, and radio and put aside. Next, pull on
the vent bezels. Both will have wires to disconnect and the right
one will have an air duct to disconnect. Then finally remove the light
switch panel, speedo, and radio panel.
I decided to use my original wiring harness because I did not trust
the parts car harness. Plus it was compromised with an aftermarket
alarm. Take a picture of the rear of the dash so you can ACCURATELY
place the harness back into the replacement dash housing. This is
extremely important so the position of the wires will end up where
they need to be so they will reach their intended connection. Make
sure you reuse the looms, clips and ties so the harness stays in place.
Once the harness is installed in the housing, it’s time
to reinstall the replacement dash housing by reversing the above
directions. Again, NEVER handle the dash by the top of the housing
as it may crack. Make your wiring connections before you bolt
the dash back up. Do not install the top 3 Philips head screws
first because the weight of the dash may crack the top! Install
the bottom bolts first, then the top screws, then tighten the
bottom bolts, followed by the top screws.
The final result makes the interior much more attractive and adds
to the overall value of your LSC!
