[Zagor]

I'm trying to remove the black plastic facia around the climate controls (because I want to add a switch to the bottom of it) but I don't quite understand how to do it.



Another thread suggested using a bent old credit card and pull straight out. But when I try it I just wind up with a broken card...

Any suggestions?

[FrankoQ]

look for threads about doing the Ipod integration.
I remember seeing steps to remove that whole piece.

[ntpcrew13]

i needed to remove that panel when i installed my navandtv2go module. place your fingers on the bottom of the panel right above the ashtray cover. apply some pressure upwards with your fingers and slide your hands and fingers toward the gear shift knob. this will unclip the bottom part of the panel and the bottom part of the side of the panel. once the lower portion becomes undone; you can slide your fingers inbetween the open slot areas to release the other tabs/pegs on the upper portion of the panel. i hope that helps.

[Zagor]

Thanks. It turned out I simply used too little force, and too weak a tool. With a more sturdy tool the facia came loose quite easily.

For future readers, the facia is attached in two places:

1) In the bottom corners, using very small plastic hooks molded into the facia. These come off easily.
2) In the sides, using "metal spring clips" located height-wise between the top and middle button on either side. Pull as close to that position as you can for easiest removal.

[txusa03]

cool, good to know for future ref...

[carve]

Sorry to bump a really old thread, buy I'm prying at those exact spots. The bottom comes off easy. The top...I can get the cover plate to come loose at the corner, but I can't get the whole climate control panel, or even the whole fascia, to come off. I even found some plastic barbs that broke off down by the ashtray, so I quit, but I can't get the damn thing out!

[rollsISU]

This was more of a pain than I thought it should be so figured I would post some pics that might help a few people out.

You need to pry where the red arrows are shown here. Pay attention to the buttons on the front of the panel as a point of reference.



Here is another view from the back that shows why you want to pry here. These are the tabs on the body of the unit. You need to get under the fascia and find these.



One mistake that I found easy to make is sticking my screwdriver or pry tool in between the arrows shown in this next shot. That definitely won't work out, but that is where your tool will go if you just stick it in deep between the surrounding trim and the control panel.



The thing comes out pretty easily once you get it from the right spot. It's just kind of a pain to find it.