[xjpro]

I had the plan on writing this post for a couple of months know since I did what I call “THE QUIET DASHBOARD PROJECT to my 01 XJ. All of them suffer from the same things, and one of them is the annoying noises and rattles in the dashboard area. These noises got really worse after I took my XJ to have the evaporator replaced, and after that it’s when the noise nightmare really started. The one that really was driving my crazy was around the center lower part of the dashboard and around the middle lower part in the frame of the glove compartment. Another common source of noises for the XJ is in the upper part of the dashboard and close to the windshield area.

It’s been a couple of months since I did this and I will try to mention step by step everything required to do it. If by some reason there is something that I forgot to say, just use your common sense and you will get trough it.
For everybody attempting to do this my best recommendation is to do it step by step and whenever you remove an specific part, put the screws that hold such part on its place, so afterwards you know where those screws go.

I have to admit there’s a lot to disassemble, and a lot of screws to remove, but definitely this is not the most difficult project in the world and the results are simply amazing.

The only material involved in this project is a 9”X12” adhesive felt sheet that can be purchased at any Michael’s or similar craft stores. I recommend buying 2 of them just in case you run out of it in the middle of the project since it’s like $1.25 each

1. First start by disconnecting the negative terminal of the battery because some electrical plugs will have to be removed in the dashboard area.

2. Now its time to remove the center console which will give access to the center bracket that holds the dashboard in its lower center part. To remove the center console the shift knob needs to be removed, this can be done by pulling the knob firmly and its better if you put it into drive so you have more control (be careful with your face and with the rearview mirror) After you remove the gear knob, remove the plastic shift frame that has the gear indicator, be careful with the bulb attached to it. Under there you should find one or two screws, the remaining ones to take the console out are inside the CD compartment of the console. Work the parking brake up to a point that will make it easy to take the console out.

3. Remove the frame around the radio, its attached there only with some clips, with both hands start by pulling it in both bottom corners, pull it out and start by pulling it from the bottom all the way to the top. That will give access to the radio, remove the screws pull the radio out and unplug the electrical connectors in the back of the radio.

4. After radio is out, remove the bezel around the instrument cluster, it has 4 or 6 screws.


5. Now proceed to remove the steering column opening cover which is the cover under the steering wheel. After this is removed you can remove the two plastic shrouds around the steering wheel switches for turn lights and wipers.
6. Next step is to remove the plastic cover on top of the dashboard, this can be done by simply unclip it from the remaining part of the dashboard as it only holds there with metal clips.

7. Remove the instrument cluster.

8. Remove the glove compartment cover; it has a few screws in the upper inside part and in the outer lower part as well.

9. So far its time to remove the passenger airbag, it’s very important that you have disconnected the negative terminal of the battery to proceed with this step. To remove the airbag, for me it was easier to unplug a yellow connector that it’s highly visible after the upper cover from the dashboard is removed. You can locate it in a plastic frame on top of the airbag. Now remove the 4 screws that hold the airbag to its frame. Its 2 screws on the top at each corner and 2 screws exactly in the same position at the bottom.


10. Now remove the 2 A/C vents at each end of the dashboard, **there’s 2 screws facing the doors and they need to be removed with a very short Phillips screwdriver.

11. There’s a metal base that holds the dashboard in its center lower part just in front of the shifter, its holding there by 2 screws to the car’s body and 2 screws to the dashboard, remove all 4 screws.


12. There’s 2 sill trims one in the right and the other one at the left just below the dashboard. On the left side this is the part where the hood release is located and in the right side is where the fuse box is. Be careful as these two sills are hold in place by 2 nuts that are not visible, specially the one in the drivers side.

13. On the drivers side there’s 2 big electrical connectors located below the dashboard. They are easy to identify since they are hold to the other side of the female side of connector by a screw. Unscrew them and separate them from its female side.

14. There are 2 screws located in both ends of the lower portion of the dashboard corners, take half of them out but don’t remove them completely.


15. On top of the dashboard frame and attached to the very highest part of the firewall(right underneath the windshield) you will find the screws that hold the dashboard frame to the body, remove all of them and be careful not to drop one of them.


16. Now its time to pull the dashboard out; do so with help from somebody else by pulling and lifting it gently until it can be taken away as far necessary to work on its back part.


17. Last but not least before start doing the necessary to take the noises away there is a metal bracket attached to the lower center part of the dashboard that needs to be removed, be patient since the screws are in the back part of the dashboard. In order to remove these screws, use a short Phillips screwdriver.


18. At this point what needs to be done is cut 1¼ X 1¼ pieces of the adhesive felt and with a pair of scissors cut a little hole in the middle of it to make it fit trough the screws that later you will put back.

Basically what needs to be done now it’s very simple. Just use the pieces of adhesive felt and wherever there is contact between 2 parts, stick a piece of felt there so after everything goes back there is no direct contact between 2 surfaces, I does not matter if its plastic to plastic or metal to plastic, just use your common sense to isolate every possible rubbing surface.

I have taken some pictures that will be helpful to the ones that will perform this project. For assemble do it from last to first. And again I guarantee that the results will be amazing!!

Sorry for the ones that find this post too long, I just took the time to write it up to help the ones going crazy with noises and rattles.

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/CIMG0201.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/CIMG0202.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/CIMG0203.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/CIMG0204.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/CIMG0209.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/CIMG0211.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/CIMG0212.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/CIMG0213.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/CIMG0214.jpg
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/CIMG0215.jpg

Hope this helps!!!!
__________________
xjpro
bone stock 01 xj limited (except for ZJ rear disc brakes with working parking brake)