14 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHSwapping to Full Leather Dash
Leading reported evidence
Use vice grips
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
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Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I used vice grips to loosen the security nuts and replaced them with flanged 6mm nuts).
Leading evidence: 'Use vice grips' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'screw still in place' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Disconnect lines at the firewall in the frunk' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that suspect a cause
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Suspected cause
If it doesn�t want to come out easily, there is probably a screw still in place.
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Discussions that contain suggestions
1
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Suggestion
You must evacuate the refrigerant and disconnect the lines at the firewall in the frunk to be able to remove the HVAC box.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
So, while the dash is out, would not this be the best time to replace the foam on the heater blend doors proactively?
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
14 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261026T150451Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Has anyone done this? How big of a pain is it to do? My car is a very early first gen in graphite grey and the interior bits just look and feel so cheap. I've found a decent amount of good-looking full leather interior pieces at a few dismantlers. So I've been thinking about doing a gradual swap to full leather.
it is not a hard job, just tedious. There are about 30 screws. Raise the seat up as high as it will go in the back. That makes it easier to reach the front of the dash to remove the screws at the center of the dash up by the windshield. I loosen the clamp on the signal stalk cluster and slide the cluster off the steering column. That makes it much easier to get the dash out and back in. For me the hardest screw is the one behind the dash that connects the brace between the ignition switch housing and the dash. It is hard to reach because of the location and I have big hands. there are a few threads on here detailing the removal. Just work carefully and make sure you get all the screws out. If it doesn�t want to come out easily, there is probably a screw still in place. I put a full leather interior in my wife�s car. It sure is nice. I have done 4 dash removal/replacement. It gets easier with practice. Good Luck with iot.
Mark
if you have the dash out, you are half way there to remove the HVAC box. Then you can disassemble it and replace the foam on both sides of both blend doors. I did this and was able to do a very nice job reforming the doors. You must evacuate the refrigerant and disconnect the lines at the firewall in the frunk to be able to remove the HVAC box. Mire Schwartz posted a procedure on HVAC box removal (search for Evaporator replacement). I used it when swapping a dash remove the HVAC box and redo the blend doors in my wife�s car. You do NOT need to unhook the Positive cable at the firewall or remove the nuts holding the fusible link block to the inside of the firewall. I did end up removing the support bracket from the center tunnel in front of the shifter to remove the large round bar in the support that fits into the front of the HVAC box. I removed the air bag module in front of the shifter (it has to security nuts and 1regular 6mm. I used vice grips to loosen the security nuts and replaced them with flanged 6mm nuts). One note; when you reassemble the HVAC box and dash be sure to route the wire loom for the door locks, rear window defrost switches and cigarette lighter over the top of the air duct to the passenger side. If you route it under the air duct it will be too short to connect to the switches, ask me how I know! Good luck with it. Mark
Did you cut the top at the pivot of the hot/cold blend doors to be able to remove the door or did you cut open the front of the HVAC box to gain access to the blend doors?
After the dash is out, it�s about 3 Philips screws and a few integrated clips for the outlet manifold to come off of the HVAC box. That�d get you the better access to the doors.
As others have said, it is just a matter of removing the ducting attached to the HVAC box. Then you will have a rectangular hole in which to have access inside. In order to get proper access to both blend dorrs, I just powered up the HVAC and repositioned the doors so I could tape them both up. Wasn't a big deal.
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