HOW TO - REMOVE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL and STRIP APART
-
To remove the instrument panel to fit a new bezel, new dials or even just change the light bulbs that have gone is very easy with a mazda mx3 in very simple steps
First make sure your steering wheel is perfectly straight and the wheels are pointing straight ahead
Leave the engine off so its harder then to turn the wheel
older models without the airbag, use a screwdriver and lever off the logo disc in the center of the steering wheel, this will reveal the hub nut
For airbag steering wheels, you will find 4 holes or grommets to remove on the back of the steering wheel, using a short handle screwdriver undo the screws and the airbag will pop off to reveal the hub nutundo the nut and remove the steering wheel - be careful not to move the wheel to much so you can get it back on straight later.
Then remove the small plastic cover on the top of the steering column, this is only clip on and will pop off easily
This is the view now of your progress, the red arrows point to the locations of the screws you need to remove to gain access to the instrument mounts
When you have removed this panel you will see the instrument mounts are now on view
undo the 4 screws as marked by the arrows and the instrument panel is now free to pull out of the dashboard, the switches have clip on cable blocks on the back that pull off reasonably easily
To add a bezel as I have or to remove the needles to fit new instrument dials the plastic screen is clipped all around by these clips
just need to push them down and pull on the perspex cover and it will pop straight off
on the rear of the instrument panel is the bulb holders to replace the bulbs or to even change them for different colours.
I have not gone as far as to change the dials but the whole process took me less than 1 hour to this stage and refit it all
-
Guide Addon:
SUPPLIED by LORI CARLISLEOPTIONAL
Remove the metal Brackets: (Makes it a little easier to lay the unit flat)
There should be four, 2xtop 2xbottom.
The Timer adjuster has a small screw on the top, just undo it and pull the thumb screw off.The Trip distance isn't screwed down, just pull to remove the top cover.
Other then that it's just the normal small plastic push clips push and pull standard, nothing you can break unless you have ape like hands.
(there are two sets here, 1 for the Clear plastic and 1 for the gray plastic that people respray) take one off at a time starting with the clear plastic ones.
Only thing I'm not sure is how to remove the dial reader thingys, did try to pull but snapped the Rev counter, (Good job I has a spare now)
Unscrew the 2 screws holding each dial and remove/replace.