Help me? Remove dashboard trims, steeringwheel...

[eresseraca]

So related to my recent passenger airbag install thread and also to install aluminium decoration rings around the speedo/rev meters. I need to remove some parts of the dashboard to access, swap and install the new cabling.

First off, yes I will unplug the minus pole from the batteries 30min before I start, don't want to get caught in there with an airbag going off

1. Where's the airbag control module located? I need to unplug and remove the cable that attaches the steering wheel airbag and replace it with the new cable harness that attaches both the steering wheel and the passenger airbag to the control module, so where behind the dash does the control module sit?

2. Steering wheel and airbag removal procedure, is this correct?
- loosen two bolts behind the steering wheel that holds the airbag in place, unplug and remove it.
- then loosen the bolt that holds the wheel in place and pull it till it comes off, if needed. Best case scenario I'll get by, by just threading the new cabling in without needing to remove the wheel completely.

3. How do I remove the trim around the stereo, and the stereo itself (RDS3000)?
- figured if I get these out of the way I can probably manage to get the cabling for the passenger airbag in place through the center console.

4. How to remove the glove box for the last part of the passenger airbag install and connection?

5. How do I get the speedo cluster out for installing the alu rings and replacing the meter bulbs with LEDs (got clear ones ordered for this)?
Found some threads on this but none that really told me how to get it out of the dash, unfortunately.

So any and all help I can get is very appreciated!

[eresseraca]

This thread shed some light on it but I was hoping I don't need to go this far to get the airbag cabling in there and decorate the speedo cluster with alu rings

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=28119

It's gonna be tight to get the cable fitted without removing everything, sure... but I'm persuasive, stubborn and audio engineer who have wired a lot of tricky stuff inside broadcast trailer walls without tearing them apart. So I figured I might just get it done without tearing it completely into pieces

[eresseraca]

Alright, found the answer to my number 1

So if the airbag control module is behind the speedo cluster, then I'll remove that first thing right. How would I go about?

[ernie b]

Just a note on the air bag module
In my experience it's held on by 3 rivits, an not your normal friendly aluminium one's either.
Steel buggers that if they start to spin and you have to put a chisel behind em will pull through the panel before they let go

As for the centre facia, now you have the speedo surround out you should see two screws holding the centre that were covered up, with these out I think it's just pull carefully (it's been a while) take out the radio first if possible, makes it a lot easier

[eresseraca]

Thanks Ernie! for the heads up on the center fascia, but what about before that? how does the fascia around the speedo/instrument cluster come off without damaging it? Is it fixed on there with plastic clips so something like prying with a taped up silverware knife blade will work? Also do I need to remove the small panel that surrounds the vent and fog light switches as well prior to this? Any screws on these or just plastic clips?

Doesn't sound like too much fun with rivets holding the airbag in place I just realized though, that the airbag cable on the Transit doesn't go all the way to the airbag (as it seems to do on some vehicles), instead there's a connection on the back side of the airbag mounting plate, so the cable that I need to swap out, will on the steering wheel airbag terminate on the "other side" of the mounting plate, while it for the passenger air bag goes all the way to the airbag itself. So I might even get away with replacing the cable without fiddling with the steering wheel and airbag. I HOPE!