Help request: removal of dash lower centre panel

[Johnt25]

Hi All,

Trying to get the front carpets out of our Westie, which are one piece (across the middle).

It has the (optional?) heater tunnel taking heat to the rear (which is on top of the carpet).... have removed screws holding it in place but the heater centre panel that it 'hooks' under is preventing it sliding back - and can't find any info on how to remove it.

As pic shows, the floor heater unit/cowl/thingy ideally needs to be lifted more or less straight up after a little backward shuffle, otherwise the handbrake is in the way too

Lower dash panel.jpg

It's an '85 LHD 1.6td, so has the little panel with the cold start handle... overlaps the pesky panel in question an inch or so.

All help greatly appreciated!

John

[ZsZ]

If you remove the L shaped cold starting aid cover, then you may press the lower side of the metal dash inside enough to slide the center panel out.
If it not works than you have to remove the whole dash panel.

[Johnt25]

If you remove the L shaped cold starting aid cover, then you may press the lower side of the metal dash inside enough to slide the center panel out.
If it not works than you have to remove the whole dash panel.

Thanks ZsZ, it worked. Now it's off I can see it's more of a pull and slide out, as opposed to a good yank with my eyes shut (oo er missus )

Thanks again,

John

[MF74]

Hi, I would like to resurrect this thread as I'm attempting to remove my centre panel and to be honest I don't quite follow the instructions given about 'sliding' it out? (mine doesn't have the cold start lever).

Can anyone be more specific? Which way does it slide? I've given it a good yank in all directions and it doesn't want to budge!

[nicq]

Horizontally towards the back of the van.

[scottbott]

it will move is makes a bit of a noise as in plastic creaking and I was scared it was going to break,but I have removed it plenty of times, someone posted a mod that I thought was really handy,it was to cut down a plastic door pocket horizontally along it's full length and clean it up and I screwed/bonded onto the dash panel and you have a nifty little storage space for for odd's and sod's,I keep the remote control for my subwoofer there as I filed a half moon slot in it,cut a suitable size grommet in half and routed the cable up behind the panel and exit out of the half moon hole so it looks pretty tidy,ok for tissues etc

[Titus A Duxass]

Horizontally towards the back of the van.

[MF74]

nicq wrote:
''Horizontally towards the back of the van.''

Ok thanks. So I'm just grabbing it at either side and giving it a good pull backwards?

[ghost123uk]

Yes (pull it from about 1/4 from the top s that is roughly where the runners it slides on are, so you are pulling it "in line" with the sliding bits, not at an angle)

Usually they are a bit stiff on their plastic runners, but the one on our Tin-Top keeps sliding backwards by itself This is probably because I have actually had it off so many times, all that stiffness has disappeared. If you want it to slide back and forth easier in the future, try smearing Vaseline on the relevant parts.

[MF74]

Thanks for all your help

[ghost123uk]

Posts crossed then as I was editing my last one, have a look at the edited post re where to pull.

[MF74]

ok thanks! I'll give it a go armed with this info, cheers!

[chuggers72]

Yes (pull it from about 1/4 from the top s that is roughly where the runners it slides on are, so you are pulling it "in line" with the sliding bits, not at an angle)

This is probably because I have actually had it off so many times, all that stiffness has disappeared. If you want it to slide back and forth easier in the future, try smearing Vaseline on the relevant parts.

OK I admit its childish but that made me laugh! Its all a bit Carry On!!!