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Dash Upper Trim Pad Removal - 89 Sedan de Ville


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This task was undertaken to get to the photo cell sensor for the Twilight Sentinel on a 1989 Sedan de Ville.  The Service Information Manual implies in the step by step instructions that you can remove the speaker grille before removing the upper trim pad on the dash - you can't.  The two speaker grilles are held on to the dash pad by pressed metal nuts that screw on to four threaded plastic posts on each grille.  You just break off the posts if you try to pry these grilles off.   Apparently these were changed over to a friction fit at a later point in time, but that was after 1989 and the manual writers got ahead of themselves.

To Remove the Dash Upper Trim Pad:

1.  There are three very long screws that are located on the defroster/defogger vent which are easy to see and all of these must be removed.  Because they're so easy to see I did not document them with photos.

2.  There is a single screw located behind each dash vent, for a total of four.  You have to remove the dash vents to get to them.

01_Gently_Pry_Tilted_Up.jpg

02_Screw_Inside_Vent.jpg

3. There are two additional screws located inside the glove box at the top that must be removed.  Once these are out the dash pad can begin to be lifted out.  You have to be careful as there is a hose and an electrical connector attached to the upper trim pad on the passenger side that have to be removed as well.

03_Glove_Box_Screws_Location.jpg05_Inverted_Dash_Pad_Long_Shot.jpg

A close-up of that assembly on the passenger side of the upper trim pad:

07_Passenger_Side_Inverted_Dash_Pad.jpg

Shot of the driver's side of the upper trim pad from below as I'm removing it from the car.  Obviously that was just before I put it on top of the car to take the preceding picture:

04_Driver_Front_Speaker_Grille_From_Belo

 

Now, on to what you'll see under that upper trim pad that's related to the Twilight Sentinel, located on the driver's side:

08_Photo_Cell_In_Situ.jpg

09_Photo_Cell_Closeup.jpg

NOTE WELL:  When you are putting the dash vents back in the easiest thing to do is to insert them in to the openings with the vanes pointing as close to directly upward as you can, then rotate downward, pressing firmly as you do so.  They'll reseat this way very easily.

I hope that the above may prove helpful to anyone who needs to get the upper trim pad removed for whatever reason.

 

Brian

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Bri the Tech Guy   http://britechguy.com
britechguy@gmail.com   (540) 324-5032
"If it's got you screaming, I'll help you stop!!"
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