Helpful hints for evaporator replacement and other jobs requiring removal of the dashboard assembly.
1. Protect the console cover (the grey painted metal-covered plastic around the radio and ash tray)! Don't use a rag on a screwdriver as shown in the service manual. Use two thin plastic cards on each side. Slide them over the bottom piece and under the top piece, then slide a thin scredriver between them before you pry upward. The clips are centered about 3/4 inch from each end of the front surface.
2. If you have a cell phone, you will need to remove the center speaker panel to unplug a connector. Make sure you re-attach the center speaker connector when you replace the panel.
3. Don't worry too much about mixing up connectors. They are all different shapes except for the two that attach to the driver's side under-dash panel. Label those sockets when you remove the two plugs.
4. The center console carpet is a nuisance. You will probably not be able to detach it as shown in the book, and you certainly will not be able to reattach it that way. My recommendation is to leave the carpet attached. Just lift the floor carpet and un-tuck the center console carpet so that it lies on top. You don't need to remove the floor carpet, other than folding back the passenger side floor carpet enough to remove the subwoofer box. There is a plastic strip on the driver's side that attaches the front of the console carpet to the white evaporator housing. Unscrew that strip from the housing. There are also two small white push pins to remove attaching the carpet just under the center storage box.
5. The book does not show how to remove the gear shift knob. The shiny ring stays with the boot, so pry above the ring to release it from the gear shift knob. Then unscrew the knob.
6. I found that I had to remove the actuator on the right of the white housing in order to remove the right heater vent cover. Perhaps if you have the controls in the correct position before you start the job you can skip this undocumented step.
7. Wrap the emergency brake handle with masking tape to protect it from scratches when you remove and reinstall the dash.
8. I found that I had to remove the A-pillar trim (held on by 3 press-in clips on each side) in order to re-install the dash. Therefore it makes sense to remove these before removing the dash.
9. The driver's side kick panel is attached by two slide clips similar to the ones which attach the rectangular panels to the rear firewall. If you slide the panel downward or upward, it may release these clips. Otherwise you'll probably have to break them.
10. Don't bother trying to pull off the old heater hoses. You have to cut them. Use a razor knife to slit them lengthwise, and don't cut into the thin metal tubing underneath. Buy new hose for all 4 heater hoses in this area, since it is very convenient to replace them with everything else out of the way.
11. I used ziplock bags to isolate the screws for each part and put them next to that part. You need a system to accomplish this if you want to keep your sanity.
12. Don't play with the evaporator box and its cables and actuators when you have it out. You might cause damage that you won't discover until you reinstall it. (Mine was OK, but I worried about it.) To test things, use the button sequence in the service manual that puts the climate control into a cycle of 8 states.
13. When re-attaching the AC lines, use new O-rings and spray them with silicone spray so they seat correctly. Mine didn't, requiring replacement of the O-rings before the system could be evacuated.
14. When the dash is out of the car, you have the rare opportunity to replace the defroster panel next to the windshield. Yours is probably cracked in the center, around the sun sensor. This is a $200+ part, however. I don't know how to keep the new one from cracking, but you might want to try attaching only the outer screws and not the center ones. I just installed mine normally. It is easy to crack the sun sensor mount when removing its connector, but it is equally easy to repair it with super glue and nothing will show.
15. Before reinstalling the dashboard, put some thin foam padding or foam double-stick tape on the square metal patch above the glove box area. Without padding, this metal patch can cause an annoying creaking noise on sharp turns.
16. Have plenty of light when you do this job. All kinds of expensive mistakes can happen if you work with insufficient light. Take your time and do it right!
1. Protect the console cover (the grey painted metal-covered plastic around the radio and ash tray)! Don't use a rag on a screwdriver as shown in the service manual. Use two thin plastic cards on each side. Slide them over the bottom piece and under the top piece, then slide a thin scredriver between them before you pry upward. The clips are centered about 3/4 inch from each end of the front surface.
2. If you have a cell phone, you will need to remove the center speaker panel to unplug a connector. Make sure you re-attach the center speaker connector when you replace the panel.
3. Don't worry too much about mixing up connectors. They are all different shapes except for the two that attach to the driver's side under-dash panel. Label those sockets when you remove the two plugs.
4. The center console carpet is a nuisance. You will probably not be able to detach it as shown in the book, and you certainly will not be able to reattach it that way. My recommendation is to leave the carpet attached. Just lift the floor carpet and un-tuck the center console carpet so that it lies on top. You don't need to remove the floor carpet, other than folding back the passenger side floor carpet enough to remove the subwoofer box. There is a plastic strip on the driver's side that attaches the front of the console carpet to the white evaporator housing. Unscrew that strip from the housing. There are also two small white push pins to remove attaching the carpet just under the center storage box.
5. The book does not show how to remove the gear shift knob. The shiny ring stays with the boot, so pry above the ring to release it from the gear shift knob. Then unscrew the knob.
6. I found that I had to remove the actuator on the right of the white housing in order to remove the right heater vent cover. Perhaps if you have the controls in the correct position before you start the job you can skip this undocumented step.
7. Wrap the emergency brake handle with masking tape to protect it from scratches when you remove and reinstall the dash.
8. I found that I had to remove the A-pillar trim (held on by 3 press-in clips on each side) in order to re-install the dash. Therefore it makes sense to remove these before removing the dash.
9. The driver's side kick panel is attached by two slide clips similar to the ones which attach the rectangular panels to the rear firewall. If you slide the panel downward or upward, it may release these clips. Otherwise you'll probably have to break them.
10. Don't bother trying to pull off the old heater hoses. You have to cut them. Use a razor knife to slit them lengthwise, and don't cut into the thin metal tubing underneath. Buy new hose for all 4 heater hoses in this area, since it is very convenient to replace them with everything else out of the way.
11. I used ziplock bags to isolate the screws for each part and put them next to that part. You need a system to accomplish this if you want to keep your sanity.
12. Don't play with the evaporator box and its cables and actuators when you have it out. You might cause damage that you won't discover until you reinstall it. (Mine was OK, but I worried about it.) To test things, use the button sequence in the service manual that puts the climate control into a cycle of 8 states.
13. When re-attaching the AC lines, use new O-rings and spray them with silicone spray so they seat correctly. Mine didn't, requiring replacement of the O-rings before the system could be evacuated.
14. When the dash is out of the car, you have the rare opportunity to replace the defroster panel next to the windshield. Yours is probably cracked in the center, around the sun sensor. This is a $200+ part, however. I don't know how to keep the new one from cracking, but you might want to try attaching only the outer screws and not the center ones. I just installed mine normally. It is easy to crack the sun sensor mount when removing its connector, but it is equally easy to repair it with super glue and nothing will show.
15. Before reinstalling the dashboard, put some thin foam padding or foam double-stick tape on the square metal patch above the glove box area. Without padding, this metal patch can cause an annoying creaking noise on sharp turns.
16. Have plenty of light when you do this job. All kinds of expensive mistakes can happen if you work with insufficient light. Take your time and do it right!
