How to Remove a Chevrolet Colorado Dashboard
by Leonardo R. Grabkowski
The Colorado is Chevrolet's mid-size pickup truck. The Colorado was introduced in 2004, replacing the long-running S-10 in the lineup. Removing the dash can allow you to customize interior parts or repair the internal parts of the truck's interior. Removing the dash from a Colorado should take about one hour to complete. The process is the same no matter what model year your Colorado is.
Step 1
Disconnect the negative battery cable to disarm the air bag system, then remove the fuse labeled "SIR" in the engine bay's fuse box. Let the vehicle sit for 30 minutes with the cable disconnected before continuing the task. The air bag must be disarmed because you will be removing the passenger's side air bag to remove the dash.
Step 2
Remove the four air vents on the dashboard. Turn the vents to the left and pull to remove them.
Step 3
Locate the two screws underneath near the hood release. Remove the screws to take off the panel below the steering wheel.
Step 4
Remove the four bolts mounting the instrument cluster in place. Pull the instrument panel out and disconnect the harnesses from the rear.
Step 5
Remove the bracket mounting the dash below the steering wheel. There are six bolts attaching the panel.
Step 6
Pull the glove box door off by squeezing the inside panels visible when the door is open. Locate the three bolts behind the door and remove them to take off the entire glove box.
Step 7
Remove the two clips from above in the cavity where the glove box was. Four bolts will become visible. Remove the bolts to disconnect the passenger side airbag and carefully pull the airbag from the dash. Disconnect the modules from the rear of the air bag. Move the air bag to a safe place. Keep the front facing away from you.
Step 8
Locate and remove the bolt in the left part of the glove box cavity, beside the passenger kick panel.
Step 9
Remove the three bolts from the center part of the dash to access the CD player. Remove the two bolts mounting the CD player and unplug the antenna cable and connection module from the rear.
Step 10
Pull off the air conditioning vent controls with your hand. Have a friend help you to remove the dash by lifting on both sides. Once the dash pops off, you will have a few electrical connectors to disconnect before it can be fully removed.
References
Tips
- Lift the driver's side dash first, to lift the dash over the gear shift lever. The GMC Canyon shares all of its components with the Chevrolet Colorado; the process of removing the dash in a Canyon is the same.
Things You'll Need
- Pliers
- Phillips-head screwdriver
- Socket/wrench Set
Warnings
- Do not perform this without disarming the air bag system. Be careful when moving the passenger side airbag; it is possible the bag could malfunction, causing injury.
Writer Bio
Leonardo R. Grabkowski has been writing professionally for more than four years. Grabkowski attended college in Oregon. He builds websites on the side and has a slight obsession with Drupal, Joomla and Wordpress.
