Start by isolating the negative battery cable to turn off the air bag, wait for two minutes for it to discharge and you can then take out the instrument panel. Do what you can to stop the front face from getting dents or scratches. Lift the negative battery cable, take the refrigerant out of the machine and empty the refrigerant from the front of the engine. In LHD models, release the gear
Shift Cable from the transaxle and also from the bracket in the engine compartment. Pull off the nut that holds the A/C suction and liquid lines to the expansion valve and then disconnect both hoses and set aside the dual-plane seals. Let go of the bottle jack holding the car and loosen the hose clamps from the
Heater Core. Then insert plugs or tape into the open fittings for the refrigerant line, expansion valve and heater core ports. Take out the bolt that holds the HVAC housing to the engine bay side of the dash and next, take out the floor ducts. Take the steering column out, together with the left and right side A-pillar trim panels, unplug the wire harness connectors attached to the A-pillars and free the instrument panel wire harness retainers. With trim stick C-4755 or an alternative, depress the retaining tabs at the back of the instrument panel top cover, draw the cover away from the front and unfasten the seven bolts attaching the front of the instrument panel to the top of the dash panel. Take off the bolt holding the right HVAC air inlet housing to the dash panel and then free the tabs that secure the two side ends of the instrument panel and take them out. If your car has them, clip the retaining pins that keep the silencer attached to the passenger side of your instrument panel and remove the silencer. Pull out the screws holding the knee blocker cover on the driver's side, remove the cover and then tackle the four bolts under the instrument panel that support the knee blocker. Tilt the knee blocker sideways to clear the tabs and then lift it up to get rid of it. If your car is LHD, take out the front floor console; if it is RHD, take off the covering for the gear selector on the floor panel. Take out the six plastic retainers supporting the console, separate the wire connectors from the back of the instrument panel console and pull the console away from the panel. On the floor panel, just below the instrument panel support, remove the occupant restraint controller. Pull back the carpet and reach the instrument panel center support brackets, after which you'll have to remove the bolts that connect them to the support and the floor panel. Press the retaining tab upwards and then take out the brackets. Pull off the right and left side cowl trim panels, remove the instrument panel wire harness connectors under each side of the panel and take out the wire harness retainer from the cowl panel. Take out the three bolts screwed into each support of the instrument panel and, with someone helping, raise the instrument panel high enough to release the lower supports. LHD models require the gear shift cable to be routed through the center of the dash board while removing the instrument panel. Last, take out the instrument panel and HVAC housing together as an assembly and put them on a workbench and if you need to, take the HVAC housing out of the instrument panel.