Instrument Panel: Removal

All vehicles 

1. Rotate the steering wheel until the front wheels are in the straight-ahead position.
2. Drain the coolant. For additional information, refer to ENGINE COOLING .
3. Recover the refrigerant. For additional information, refer to CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM - GENERAL INFORMATION AND DIAGNOSTICS .
4. Remove the wiper mounting arm and pivot shaft assembly. For additional information, refer to WIPERS AND WASHERS .
5. Remove the 2 LH instrument panel upper cowl bolts.
   Fig 1: Locating LH Instrument Panel Upper Cowl Mounting Bolts

   Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
6. Remove the PCM. For additional information, refer to ELECTRONIC ENGINE CONTROLS .
7. Remove the wire harness retainer from the PCM bracket stud.
   Fig 2: Locating PCM Bracket Stud Wire Harness Retainer

   Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
8. Remove the 3 nuts and the PCM bracket.
   Fig 3: Locating PCM Bracket Mounting Nuts

   Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
9. Remove the RH instrument panel upper cowl bolt.
   Fig 4: Locating RH Instrument Panel Upper Cowl Mounting Bolt

   Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

   Vehicles with 2.0L engines 

10. Remove the upper engine cover.
    • Lift up the engine cover, releasing the cover from the 3 cover retainers.

    Vehicles with 3.5L engines 

11. Remove the vacuum hose clips from the strut tower cross brace.
    Fig 5: Locating Strut Tower Brace Vacuum Hose Clips

    Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
12. Remove the strut tower cross brace.
    • NOTE: LH side shown in illustration below, RH side similar.

      Remove the LH and RH strut upper mount inboard nuts.

      Fig 6: Locating LH And RH Strut Upper Mount Inboard Mounting Nuts

      Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

    All vehicles 

13. Remove the heater hoses from the heater core.
    Fig 7: Locating Heater Hoses Clamps

    Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
14. Remove the Thermostatic Expansion Valve (TXV) manifold nut and the TXV manifold.
    • Discard the O-ring seals.
      Fig 8: Locating Thermostatic Expansion Valve Manifold Nut

      Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
15. Remove the steering wheel. For additional information, refer to STEERING COLUMN .
16. Remove the front seats. For additional information, refer to SEATING .

    Police vehicles without floor console 

17. Remove the lower center instrument panel finish panel.
18. Remove the LH and RH center instrument panel side panels.

    All vehicles 

19. Remove the floor console. For additional information, refer to CONSOLE - FLOOR .
20. Remove the LH and RH A-pillar trim panels. For additional information, refer to INTERIOR TRIM AND ORNAMENTATION .
21. Remove the LH and RH scuff plate trim panels. For additional information, refer to INTERIOR TRIM AND ORNAMENTATION .
22. Position aside the LH and RH door opening weatherstrips.
23. Remove the LH and RH instrument panel side finish panels.
    • Pull the sides of the instrument panel side finish panels away from the instrument panel to release the retaining tabs.
24. Remove and discard the steering column shaft-to-steering column bolt.
    Fig 9: Locating Steering Column Shaft-To-Steering Column Mounting Bolt

    Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
25. Separate the steering column shaft from the steering column.
26. Disconnect the instrument panel upper LH bulkhead electrical connector.
    Fig 10: Locating Instrument Panel Upper LH Bulkhead Electrical Connector

    Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
27. Disconnect the 2 Smart Junction Box (SJB) lower electrical connectors and instrument panel lower LH bulkhead electrical connector.
    Fig 11: Locating SJB Lower And Bulkhead Electrical Connector

    Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
28. Remove the hood release handle bolt and position the hood release handle aside.
29. Remove the driver footrest pad.
    • Remove the 2 pin-type retainers.
      Fig 12: Locating Pin-Type Retainers Drivers Footrest Pad

      Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
30. NOTE: To avoid damaging the carpet with coolant when the instrument panel is removed, the carpet must be removed.

    Remove the LH and RH front carpet sections.

    • Remove the 2 pin-type retainers.
31. Remove the 2 pin-type retainers and the rear footwell duct.
    Fig 13: Locating Rear Footwell Duct Pin-Type Retainers

    Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
32. Disconnect the instrument panel RH bulkhead electrical connector.
    Fig 14: Locating Instrument Panel RH Bulkhead Electrical Connector

    Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
33. Disconnect the antenna cable and the satellite radio antenna connector, if equipped.
    Fig 15: Locating Satellite Radio Antenna Connector

    Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
34. Remove the 2 bolts and the ground wires from the floor pan tunnel.
    Fig 16: Locating Floor Pan Tunnel Ground Wires Mounting Bolts

    Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
35. Disconnect the Restraints Control Module (RCM) small electrical connector and detach the 2 wire harness pin-type retainers.
    Fig 17: Locating RCM Small Electrical Connector And Wire Harness Pin-Type Retainers

    Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
36. Remove the 4 instrument panel center support bracket bolts.
37. NOTE: To avoid damaging the instrument panel, an assistant is required to support the instrument panel when carrying out this step.