# Dashboard, remove and install.

Remove negative cable from battery. |

#### Non air bag equipped:

Remove three 1/4 turn screws along top edge of panel and one below the steering column |
Pull panel forward and out. Remove chime module from bracket in panel by pulling back tabs. |
Gently pry out the BMW emblem in the center of the wheel. |
Remove the 22mm (7/8") nut from the shaft. |
CAUTION: Do not lever against the steering wheel lock to loosen the nut, this will damage the lock. Instead, get out of the car, hold the ratchet with one hand and the wheel with the other and loosen that way.
After removing the nut and washer, but before moving the wheel, mark the column and wheel so that the wheel can be returned to the same position.
Turn ignition cylinder to position one to release the steering wheel lock.
Pull off steering wheel. |

#### Air bag equipped:

Remove the four 7 mm hex head screws from bottom edge of trim panel. |
Remove the three Phillips screws securing trim panel to dash. Remove trim panel. |
Pull horizontal panel down and forward. Remove chime module wiring connectors or entire module by spreading the plastic clips securing it to the panel. |
Remove the knee bolster by removing two 10mm bolts on left and three 10mm bolts on right side of bolster. |
DANGER: Extreme risk of serious injury if air bag deploys during removal. These instructions should be followed without deviation in order to prevent accidental injury.
WAIT 30 MINUTES! From time battery is disconnected, to allow system capacitor to discharge.
Remove the small rectangular cover on the lower column housing. |
Disconnect the lead to the slip ring. |
Located near the center of the wheel, in the rear, are two T30 Torx screws. These screws are retained in the wheel by clips, loosen them until the air bag comes free, screws remain in the wheel. |
Lift off the air bag and disconnect the wiring to the bag. |

DANGER: Place the air bag face up, outside of the vehicle, preferably in the trunk, where no injury can occur if it deploys. While it is highly unlikely that a disconnected air bag will deploy, the potential result of such a deployment requires due care be taken.

Remove the 22mm (7/8") nut from the shaft. Do not lever against the steering wheel lock to loosen the nut, this will damage the lock. Instead, get out of the car, hold the ratchet with one hand and the wheel with the other and loosen that way.
After removing the nut and washer, but before moving the wheel, mark the column and wheel so that the wheel can be returned to the same position.
Turn ignition cylinder to position one to release the steering wheel lock, lift off wheel. |
NOTE: Turning ignition key beyond position one with the battery still connected will result in an SRS fault, causing illumination of the SRS light which requires special equipment to reset.
NOTE : Moving the steering wheel is not a desired act for correction of a faulty or poorly done wheel alignment.
NOTE : Do not turn the steering wheel while this bolt is loose or removed. The locking mechanism of the slip ring will be damaged.

NOTE : The slip ring must not be rotated with wheel removed. There is a locking tab that prevents the slip ring from turning when the bolt securing the steering wheel is loosened. Rotating the slip ring will result in damage to this lock and subsequent damage to the slip ring.

#### All:

Remove the two screws from the bottom of the lower cover. |
Remove the two screws at the top of the steering column assembly. Remove lower column cover. |
Remove rear console ashtray by opening, then lifting straight up, remove 10mm nut (arrow) below ashtray. |
Rigid boot: Pull up front of park brake cover and slide off handle. Leather boot: Pull up front to release boot, feed boot through opening in console. |
Pull rear section of console back to disengage it from front section. Lift up at front and slide over parking brake lever. |
Squeeze edges of shift boot in and lift up. |
Pull boot up far enough to access wiring for lighted shift knob (if fitted) and unplug connector. |
Pull shift knob straight up to remove. A sharp tug is required. |
Remove insulation pad from around shifter (if fitted). |
Remove power window switches and power window circuit breaker by lifting straight up. Tight switches can be removed by placing fingers inside shift hole and pushing up. |
Remove 10mm nut from behind shifter, holding rear of console section to floor. |
Remove front ashtray by opening, then pulling straight up. |
Remove the two screws forward of the ashtray (arrows) and lift out the ashtray / lighter assembly. |
Unplug lighter and illumination bulb. |
Remove bolt from below heater slides. Position shown in mirror. |
Turn screws on either side of console, by firewall, 90° and remove. |  |
Pull front section of console up and to the rear to remove. |
Remove two knurled nuts from the rear of the plastic cover between the instruments and the steering column, one on each side. |
Remove two small Phillips screws from top of cluster surround, two small silver Phillips screws on either side of the steering column and two long Phillips screws, located one each side of the lower edge of the surround |
CAUTION: Mixing up the screws along the lower edge of the surround will result in damage to the battery board. Maximum length of two inner screws, by steering column, is 9.5mm |
Remove surround and remove two small Phillips screws from upper brackets on cluster. |
Gently pull down upper cluster brackets to clear dash top and slide cluster forward at the top. |

Pull cluster as far forward as possible, reach behind it and disconnect wiring connectors. There are 3 main wiring plugs, white, blue and yellow.

Check engine light and ABS lights are separate light bulbs, with two wires, for each. These pull straight out of the socket.

Cruise control adds another, single wire connector to the rear of the speedometer.

Each main connector has a black tab in the center. Lift this black tab straight up, away from the connector to release. When tab is at full extent, pull plug from cluster. |
Remove wiring connector from headlight switch by pushing arrowed tabs outwards and pulling connector down. Push fog light switch out of dash and pull connector off. Photo taken from below dash, looking up |
Open glove compartment, remove pins from retaining straps. |
Press tab on flashlight socket and push socket out of holder. |
Remove wiring clips and remove glove compartment. |
Loosen the three 10mm nuts from hinge behind glove compartment. Slide glove compartment forward to remove, hinge is slotted to allow removal without removing the 10mm nuts. |
Remove the two Phillips screws (upper green arrows) and two 1/4 turn clips (lower green arrows). Remove upper cover. |
Disconnect wiring to glove compartment light Remove screws from glove compartment striker plate (red arrows above), remove plate. |
Disconnect glove compartment light switch. Pull switch down and out of frame. |
Pull main wiring harness away from plastic trim on left side of glove compartment opening. |
Remove plastic cover from left side of glove compartment by removing left most screw in glove compartment opening (blue arrow), and 1/4 turn clip (green arrow). (click on image for larger view) |
Remove radio, requires BMW special tool number 82 11 1 466 971 |
Use flat end of tool to open left and right screw covers |
Loosen screws until they stop turning |
Gently grab radio at cassette door and slide out of opening. |
Disconnect wiring from rear of radio. White arrow is wiring, Red arrow is antenna lead. Green arrow shows location of serial number. This serial number is required to obtain the CODE from your dealer. |
Remove switches and blanks from above radio by pushing out from behind. |
Remove 2 screws located behind 2nd and 4th openings. |
Pull knobs off vent slides and temp / fan dials. Remove 2 screws in bottom of face plate, (white arrows) accessed from where center console coin tray belongs. |
Pull cover plate off vent slides, remove 4 screws behind cover plate. |
Pull fascia panel forward. |
Remove wiring connector from blower switch and clock/OBC. Lay face plate aside. |
Remove four 10mm bolts securing DME control unit, disconnect and remove. |
Disconnect DME connector by lifting up on latch (arrow). Pull connector away from DME and out of slot. |
Dismount ABS control unit by removing the 10mm bolts securing it. |
Remove the following 10 or 13mm bolts securing dash panel to the A pillars and dash frame. |
Drivers side A pillar, above hood release. |
Passenger A pillar, glove compartment opening |
glove compartment opening, left side. |
Left of steering column |
Pull door edge protector away from A pillars |
remove both A pillar trims by pulling into the car from the top. |
Open any cable ties securing harnesses to dashboard |
Remove all switches from the steering column. This is for clearance, and to prevent damage to the switches. |
Lift dash up to disengage single clip by windshield, then pull right side out past A pillar, then remove dash through passenger door.

### Installation:

Ensure air ducts are secure in dashboard. |
Secure ground wires when installing column switches, also ensure cruise lever is located by both pins.
Install wiring connectors with black tab fully extended. Seat connector then push tab in to lock. |
Cruise control speed signal wire can go in any of the compatible green connectors on the rear of the speedometer. |
If the vehicle does not have cruise, it may not have the green adapter on the rear of the cluster. |
Blue and white connectors (green arrows) are present on all clusters. Yellow connector (pink arrow) is not used if there is no tachometer. Orange arrow is ABS light, if equipped Red arrow is Check Engine light, if equipped Blue arrow is cruise control speed signal, if equipped. |

#### Non air bag equipped:

Ensure rear edge of panel locates correctly in bracket on steering column. |

####
Air bag equipped:

Mount bolster first. |
Ensure rear edge of horizontal panel seats in clip on center console. |
Loosely insert the four 7 mm hex head screws through horizontal panel into bolster.
Trim panel is slotted on bottom edge to allow it to be inserted past the screws. Line up trim panel and install screws along upper edge first, tightening the hex screws along bottom edge last. |

E30 M3 Repair Manual V2.7. Copyright ©1999-2001 Koala Motorsport & Brett Anderson