Front Speaker Grille Removal - '89 Sedan de Ville

[guyslp]

Hello All,

          This thread is a direct spin-off of my Twilight Sentinel malfunction inquiry, but since there are other reasons one might remove the front speaker grilles, I thought a dedicated thread might be best.

          My question is simple:  how does one do this?   It does not seem to be covered in any detail in the Service Information manual and I suspect these might be simple "pry gently" removals, but I want to be sure.  I have no desire to break off a plastic clip or the like that I don't know about before trying to take off the driver's side speaker grille to try installing a replacement photo cell that I sourced from a local junk yard to see if that fixes my twilight sentinel problem.

[OldCadTech]

They are NOT a "pry up gently" if IRC.  Little nuts hold it in place on the dash pad at each corner of the grille. DO NOT REMOVE THEM

You need to remove the pad to change the photocell If I remember correctly on that one also.

Remove all 4 of the A/C vents and remove the screws behind each vent. Remove the 2 screws (maybe only one cant remember now, or none, that may be the Eldo)) from the top inside edge of the speedo cluster, and there should be 3 or 4 screws (can't remember) along the windshield edge and the defroster  duct. There are two screws that you access through 2 holes in the top of the glove-box opening. The pad should come off easily, don't force it, if it is hard to get off you probably missed a screw.

[guyslp]

OldCadTech,

         Thanks.  I will dig in to this more.

         The instructions for replacing the photocell sensor in the Service Information Manual states the following:

Remove or Disconnect (Figure 2)

1. LH speaker grille
2. Instrument panel upper trim pad (refer to Section 8C as needed)
3. Connector (1) from bracket (3)
4. Electrical connector (1) from sensor
5. Sensor (4)

And other threads on the forums suggest that for other models these grilles are pry-off.  I don't know how one would complete step 1 as an independent step unless it were very straightforward since they make no reference to needing to look elsewhere for the technique, hence the reason I ask here.  It also appears that a number of the steps you recall are a part of the instructions for removing the speaker itself.

 

[OldCadTech]

The upper trim pad is the dash pad removal. I could be wrong about the grille but the harness connector is under the pad. Does your replacement photocell have about a 8" tail on it?

[OldCadTech]

@guyslp If the FSM states remove the grille then it would be a pry up gently...

[guyslp]

Since I sourced the photocell from a junkyard/wrecking yard/auto recycler it appears that what they did was to pry off the speaker grille, take out the screw that holds the photocell bracket itself, then cut the line about 2 inches from the photocell itself.

Given the nightmare that it is to dig in to the dash to get the connector off where it plugs in to the control unit and that my photocell is dead I thought I'd just try cutting mine off and join the wiring, probably with small wire nuts.

If worse came to worst and the situation remained I'd even consider leaving the photocell out completely and having what are now known as daytime running lights.

The "you left the lights on" chime has never worked in this car (though I may need to test that again, as I've always had the twilight sentinel on and the chime need never activate if that system is working) and I have a tendency to forget I've turned on the headlights if I'm doing so during the daylight hours due to rainy weather or similar.

Thank you for confirming that step 1 from the FSM does mean "pry up gently."

 

[OldCadTech]

@guyslp    The dash pads are NOT a nightmare. In the day they were 20 mins max. Being a first timer 30 mins, hardest part is getting the dash vents out. A small flat blade screwdriver inserted between the end of the vent and the dash pad pry gently and work them out evenly. They simply snap back in place on reassembly.

[guyslp]

OldCadTech,

             I believe your initial presumption about the front speaker grilles on this particular model year at least is correct.  I just tried the "gently pry" method and heard a "snap followed by ping" sound sequence and it's clear that the corner where this happened had a post on it that most likely used a threaded fastener.  I will now look at the instructions for removing the dash pad since it sounds easier than I had it in my mind that it is.

             I will report back on my findings, probably with photos.

 

[guyslp]

I have posted a new topic, Dash Upper Trim Pad Removal - 89 Sedan de Ville, that delves into the details of getting the dash upper trim pad removed.  What I found most nightmarish was getting those two screws at the top of the glove box out and it wasn't fun getting them back in again, either, since you really can't see what you're doing and have to go by feel.

OldCadTech was absolutely correct in his initial assertion about how the speaker grilles are held in place on this car.  The front speaker grilles definitely can not be pried off!

I did manage to fix my Twilight Sentinel as it was the photo cell sensor that had gone bad.