How To: Remove Dash Trim (Radio)

[ahb11m]

well really the chances of your dials moving are high what i think the best way to do is when removing the control wires is to mark them (perhaps a white-out pen) so they can be matched, also only unclip the end... the small clamps, unscrew them, and they stay together....

when you reassemble, push both the control dial, and the control arm (the one you detached) to their limits, so they match... this way you ensure that they move together..... before clipping down the panel, just double check the vents move, and maybe even kick over the engine to dbl chk....

most up some pics after the paint, would love to see them man... dont be afraid to get your hands dirty in there!!!

 

[DaViper]

Hmmm....I'm still very nervous about messing up the a/c and heat...does anybody have any pics of the things the wires clip onto in the back? I'm not exactly sure how this whole thing works. If my new dash peice arrives this weekend I'll probably try this this weekend assuming I get a little confidence in not messing up the climate controls....

Thanks!
-DaViper

 

[ahb11m]

meh, its a car, not a case of eggs!!!
as long as its not gauges you can put lots of force on most stuff.... just be careful not to mar surfaces when applying force....

 

[DaViper]

Well I check everything out today and looked at how the wires work and I'm not concerned really about messing things up anymore. I can get to both wires easily, one fron the drivers side footwell and the other the passenger footwell when I take out the glovebox. Anybody got any tips for taking the wires off? I notice it's really hard to push the little white plastic clips down to pop the wire rings off.

Also, Equinox, where did you get that cf radio surround peice? I see dg motosports only selling the peice that covers the whole radio plate.

Thanks!
-DaViper

 

[Equinox]

Well I check everything out today and looked at how the wires work and I'm not concerned really about messing things up anymore. I can get to both wires easily, one fron the drivers side footwell and the other the passenger footwell when I take out the glovebox. Anybody got any tips for taking the wires off? I notice it's really hard to push the little white plastic clips down to pop the wire rings off.

Also, Equinox, where did you get that cf radio surround peice? I see dg motosports only selling the peice that covers the whole radio plate.

Thanks!
-DaViper

woodtrim.com, a while back, I switched to DGM tho

use a screwdriver to push in the clips

 

[justanothermp5]

alright so here is what i did to get this thing off, its way easier and less complicated, more detailed:
1.push the two vents next to the hazard button all the way down, take ur fingers or hand and pull towards u really hard. dont worry about braking it, cuz u wont
2then once u got it loose, it wont come all the way out, go and loosen the heat control on the drivers side and loosen ac and other crap control on the passenger side, both of these are under the dash near where the air that blows towards ur feet comes out
3then look at the hazard button and press the platic clip down and remove it, the wires u pull back and the hazard button u pull towards u after u have depressed the two clips, also take the vents off by undoing like 2 screws
4 the take a short screwdriver and undo the four screws connecting the climate control stuff to the dash surround, then u can pull it off and prep and paint it make sure to sand down thoroughly,prime, and clear it afterword for the best finish

u dont have to take the white clips off or anything

 

[DaleNixon]

This might be a really dumb idea. I recently removed the double din factory headunit on my Protege5 in order to install an iPod integration device. I managed to put a few scratches in the silver trim surrounding the radio.

I want to patch these up. Is it possible for me to somehow do this without removing the piece? I don't want to risk screwing up the climate control after I damn near destroyed the factory headunit.

The scratches are pretty minor (but not to me). I just want to do a touch up job on them. Could I possibly paint them with the piece still mounted in the car? I'm thinking LOTS of tape.

Also, any paint recommendations if I attempt this?

 

[Equinox]

the problem with paint is not where you spray it, it's the floating partculates. When people paint a car, they do it in a room that has a fan constantly sucking out the air. This is so the airborne paint doesn't float over and land on another ection of the car. If you paint your trim peice inside your car, you will in variably be haunted by specs of dust that don't wipe away. If these scratches bother you, I'm sure the specs will as well.

 

[DaleNixon]

Ah yea... good point. Maybe I could have someone hold my shop vac near the painting? Or maybe I'll just live with the scratches... adds more "character"

 

[Loves_Mazda]

Ryan, could you provide that 'easier way' again, to remove the center console trim on the 2002 Mazda Protege? I tried accessing the link mentioned, but "unable to connect". RE: "easier way. and you dont have to remove the sterio.
http://r-gfx.net click how to, click remove center console/dash"