How to Remove Dash Pad??

[Fresh Air Inspector]

Hello All,

I would like to remove the dash pad to perform a few tests. The Scorpio Manual is useless as it simply states which screws and clips to remove but nothing about how to pull it free! The dash pad only moves up and down about 1 cm. I'm afraid to put additional force on the pad for fear of breaking it. I sense the dash pad is clipped at the base of the windshield?

Enough ramblings, hopefully one of you can provide some guidance.

[Ed Lijewski]

Just pull it towards you. There are two clips as you suggest at the base of the windshield; the dash slips under them when mounted. You won't harm the dash in any way when you pull it out towards you as it will release from the clips with moderate pulling.

YMMV

[Fresh Air Inspector]

Hello Ed,

Worked as you described - thank you! It felt like it was going break.

Put together a description for future reference.

NOTE; depending on the date of manufacture your dash panel may have 2 clips instead of 2 screws behind the passenger side wood trim panel. My car had a total of 8 screws and 3 clips (above the instrument cluster).

I found it helpful to pop out the small defroster grille on either end of the dash pad. This provides a solid place to hook your fingers into. By sitting in the passenger seat, I hooked a couple of fingers in the hole, passenger door was open, a couple fingers of the left hand under the pad close to the HVAC panel, a couple of firm jerks with a slight bias to the right hand, the pad released with a disconcerting 'pop'. For the drivers side, I repeated the process with the bias towards the left hand. I figure a small smear of grease on the two spring clips will make installation as well as future removal much easier.

Hope it helps.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Put together a description for future reference.

NOTE; depending on the date of manufacture your dash panel may have 2 clips instead of 2 screws behind the passenger side wood trim panel. My car had a total of 8 screws and 3 clips (above the instrument cluster).

I found it helpful to pop out the small defroster grille on either end of the dash pad. This provides a solid place to hook your fingers into. By sitting in the passenger seat, I hooked a couple of fingers in the hole, passenger door was open, a couple fingers of the left hand under the pad close to the HVAC panel, a couple of firm jerks with a slight bias to the right hand, the pad released with a disconcerting 'pop'. For the drivers side, I repeated the process with the bias towards the left hand. I figure a small smear of grease on the two spring clips will make installation as well as future removal much easier.

Thanks for this ^^^ write-up. I've got both my parts car and driver with the dash pad un-bolted, but unable to extract the dash just yet. Tomorrow I'll try your technique and report back.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

I had both dash pads out in 5 minutes yesterday. The key is to give it a jolting pull using the removed vent locations at the end of the dash as a positive pulling point. Both times I started with the passenger side and it was pretty much fully released by the time I went over to pull on the driver side.