My gauge replacement attempt foiled...

[Fourth Horseman]

So I tried to get the oil and volts gauge panel out of my car today with no luck. It appears that when the body shop put everything back together in my car they got the center console with the shifter either too far forward or somehow the entire dash is too far back. Or maybe a combination of the two. In any event, I don't have enough clearance between the front of the shifter console and the gauge panel to get it out.

Has anybody had the center console out of their cars? I'm wondering how hard it would be to loosen it and shift it back. I only need another quarter inch of clearance to get the panel out.

[TripleTransAm]

I'm not underestimating your efforts, but I too had a metric b*tch of a time getting the pod out from between the console and the instrument panel. In fact, I gave up before I looked like a horse's arse (not the fourth one, don't worry) and asked the tech to do it. He had a rough time, too... we practically had the whole console apart until we realized (if I recall correctly) that you can't remove the console without removing the gauge pod!!!! (one fastener is hidden underneath it, I believe).

We sat there scratching our heads over this 'chicken/egg' scenario for a bit...

So he put everything back together, and wrestled with it some more... and eventually succeeded in pulling out the pod. Needless to say, the shifter must be out of Park to allow for clearance.

So, expect some pod/console friction as you remove the pod from its location, but once it 'pops' loose, you'll be surprised how easy it will be to clear the console itself!

[1 BAD 03 MM]

Had I not had this info from you TTA, I would've been screamin' and:cry: . But after getting the 411 from you, it was a cinch.:banana:

[Logan]

Want a trick? Your chassis DOES flex a bit. Jack your car up in the center of the frame rail mid way down the car, just enough to take the weight off.

That'll give you a bit of clearance to get the pod out.

[RF Overlord]

Fourth:

I, too, thought "this frikken gauge pod will never come out"...I think the trick is to use the correct four-letters words in the correct order...once I did that, and jiggled it about some more, the pod suddenly slipped right out...sorry, I forget which words are the magic ones...just use them all to be safe...

[Fourth Horseman]

On your cars, does the front of the gauges, I mean the silver rings around the glass, actually touch the front of the shifter bezel? I mean, when it's all snapped together and normal. Mine does, but I don't remember it being this close before my repair.

I'm not saying you guys are wrong, but I really don't see how I can get that out of there without bending plastic, which I'm scared to do for fear of breaking it.

[TripleTransAm]

I, too, thought "this frikken gauge pod will never come out"...I think the trick is to use the correct four-letters words in the correct order...once I did that, and jiggled it about some more, the pod suddenly slipped right out...sorry, I forget which words are the magic ones...just use them all to be safe...

ROFLMAO!
:lol:

That's one of the aspects in which I believe the service manual is seriously lacking... the 4 letter word part (although I think I spotted "frikken" in there... gotta go check the index again...)

4th... I can recall if the trim ring touches the bezel or not... as much as I'd like to help you, it's -28 C outside my house right now and there's a windchill of -41 C and the car is covered in snow... so, no I'm not going out there. But from memory I think it HAD to be touching the bezel in order to have made my life miserable... you really do have to do this multi-axis twisting to get it out.

Best way I can describe it is holding the lower sides of the pod (near the clips) as you would hold RF's lapels moments before choking him to death, and pulling until the clips let go (easy part). Then, still holding the lower ends (the parts that go deepest into the footwell, if you get my drift), you tug and twist in ways to get the bottom edge of the pod to slip past the bezel. If I recall correctly, the top of the pod is soft (kind of like a gasket) so you can use that to your advantage as you try to massage the pod past the bezel. Think of what Marty and Todd must do when they get together behind closed doors and you'll get an idea of the effort required (skip the KY, it's just messy)...

Once you get to the point where you think you're micro-moments away from shattering everything in your hands, that's usually when it'll pop right out.

I'm not discounting the possibility of your chassis having shifted somewhat during the impact (can you see your diff when looking over your shoulder from the driver's seat? Hope not...) but consider that the only way I'm aware of removing the console is by first removing the gage pod to get to that last fastener (a bolt, I believe).

[Haggis]

Think of what Marty and Todd must do when they get together behind closed doors and you'll get an idea of the effort required (skip the KY, it's just messy)...


I did not need that visual this early in the morning or at any time for that matter!! :eek: :puke: :shake:

[Fourth Horseman]

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. My father has a heated garage, so I think next weekend I'll take the car to his place and let it warm up before I try again. One of my biggest concerns was breaking cold plastic (it's been in the mid-20s here lately).

After looking at it all again, I don't think the console has shifted at all. I think it's more likely the gauge panel just wasn't snapped all the way back in when they put it back. But again, I didn't put too much pressure on it for fear of breaking something that'd cost me $300 to replace. :)

I'll give it another go next weekend when I can warm the entire car up and I'll definitely try some of the tricks you all suggested.

Many thanks!