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97-03 Grand Prix Dash Removal (1999 GT2 shown)

idrivejunk

idrivejunk

New member
How to remove / install the dash (instrument panel carrier) in a 97-03 Grand Prix, part 1:

Remove passenger seat, glovebox, fuse panel cover to right of glovebox, grey fuzzy panels above feet, IP bezel, and if you can't do those without help turn back now.

I'll begin with those things done and just give you the important steps to save time and frustration when you tackle the job. Four hours should get you through it first time.

Cracked dash- before. Airbags deployed, but what you see is a good cover on the right, and a wrong year bag on the left. I have a donor dash and bags to install.





After removing glovebox, unscrew this cover and don't rip these tabs off or break slots at the top. Look how they are shaped (blurry).



Lift out the console bin and gently start prying out the console bezel here, work forward slowly.



Better take these two out now, below the ashtray:



Heres the console bezel coming out. You did disconnect the battery didn't you? Use shift lock release if needed, to move the shift handle back.



Heres the console wiring you see now. unplug the white one.



OK, I'll show about the dash bezel... use your gentle side here... and don't forget to unplug the fog lamp switch once the bezel is loose.

You gotta crowd the dimmer and hazard switches kinda hard, and use care at the top of the bezel but heres the angle to remove it:





Take out the radio:



Do you like my head unit support bumper, lol?



Ashtray screws





unclip the shift bezel





Two bolts below the cupholder, two bolts below the console bin, and...

remove console.



Drop the ashtray and unplug it:



Top right, top pic, screwdriver on tab removing DIC with unscrewed climate head below



Mash the blue tabs and pull to unplug these:



Driver's side, drop the hush panel



Knee bolster bolts:









Don't let that thing fall, its heavy and has this dilly bobber clipped to it. Unplug that.



to be continued...
 


Unclip all these connectors from the carrier's edge and unscrew the OBD port



Tab on storage bin, squeeze and pull out



That metal clip is supposed to stay in the headlight switch. Oh well, get it with pliers. Switch just pulls out, and the connector just pulls off too. No locking tab.



Cluster is held by 2 screws up top, and these pins in saddles on bottom





Back of cluster:



Be VERY careful around the printed circuit!





Thats one of your dash bolts in the center. The blue thing is the HUD wires. Unclip the harness from the carrier.



Don't rip these tabs off, but remove your A-pillar trim panels:



Take this thingamajig out and unplug it all:







Lift the edge of the upper dash trim panel:





Carefully removing the HUD, it has two screws at the front and two clips at the back. Pliers help avoid breakage if you can squeeze the backside of the clips.







HUD switch has easy tabs, just pull out with care and unplug.



IP carrier bolts:









Start working the dash loose carefully. Heres what I still had connected:

The thingamajig's harness was clipped to the carrier, ad glue from the rubber seal up there was holding it. Then the clips holding the firewall insulation (see 3 barbed pegs along top front of dash, not in pic) had it stuck too.



OK now theres this thing with a hose going to it. You'll want to unplug it and remove it from the carrier with a good view of the backside if swapping that item. Hard tabs.

 
...aaand you're loose. Be careful!



I wrestled with it a little and you may too. Don't do while frustrated, you'll hurt it or be hurt. Installation is reversed procedure. Proceed at your own risk.
 
Thanks boner. I don't think you'll need the whole dash out, just the console. I didn't mess with that part of it but airbag swaps went fine.
 
I see something I missed already... lowering the steering column. Just the big two nuts once the knee bolster is off. It is necessary to remove the carrier. If you guys spot any other omissions, I can fix it so yell.
 


Great write up! I've been searching this forum high and low for how to do that and could never find an answer. now I can in theory switch out this hideous tan dash and cloth seats to the gray dash and some heated gray leather

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Thanks guys. I had heard mention of a need for a dash write up more than once. Glad if this helps.

1fast, I ran into the same thing and needed to do two. So I figured I'd practice on one and write up the other. Very few simple tools are required and if you keep fasteners in order as you go, reassembly is a snap. If you have HUD, take a moment to remove and clean the lens and wipe the mirror clean because it can make a big difference in brightness!

One more thing... title says GT2 but this was a GTP2. Same same, but somebody might notice the button on the shifter so there ya go.
 
idrivejunk said:
...aaand you're loose. Be careful!



I wrestled with it a little and you may too. Don't do while frustrated, you'll hurt it or be hurt. Installation is reversed procedure. Proceed at your own risk.
Click to expand...

Thank you idrivejunk its extremely helpful..
 




IMG 6816 is not being allowed because the random character string that photobucket names it is not allowed by the cuss word filter on this site. Its just another view of the instrument cluster connector and theres still two pics of that.
 
idrivejunk said:
IMG 6816 is not being allowed because the random character string that photobucket names it is not allowed by the cuss word filter on this site. Its just another view of the instrument cluster connector and theres still two pics of that.
Click to expand...
Thanks man! This is going to help a lot.
I started ripping into the dash this evening before I checked your post.
So far it doesn't seem to be that bad of a job. Sucks I'm going to have to do it twice lol.


Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk
 
Is the air bag cover a piece that can be removed from the dash? I though of a way I can save myself several hours of work.
The dash from the donor car is not in as good of shape. My plan with the donor car is to cut out the dash around the airbag and just replace the cover and airbag, if the cover is replaceable by itself. I cant tell how it is fastened to the dash on the front because it is so mangled. I'm thinking there WAS possibly a few clips holding the front part down and a couple of bolts on the back side of it.
 
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