warpc0il

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Okay, so this afternoon I've finally got it off! There was a trick to it, which is a different action to that shown in any of the youtube vids or discussed here, and I don't know if that's because it's such an early car. Anyway, it was clear that no amount of pulling, or pushing down was going to work. This only left a few directions and, with the screws removed and the side clips disengaged, I tried pushing the lower section in, away from me, toward the front of the car. There's about 1/8" movement in this direction if you push hard enough and, if you hold it in and gently move it down, then two hooks on the back disengage and the frame becomes loose in your hand. We have lift off!!! Just need to get the instruments out now, and apart, and find and fix those dry/cracked joints on the board.....

There's an increase in tension on the alternator drive belt, just after starting, as it tries to make up for the power just taken from the battery. This can cause related noise, either from the belt slipping, or from a bearing. The noise would naturedly reduce and then stop as alternator load does. Does it carry on any longer if the headlights and heated rear window are ON?

Some things never change and so 18 years on and I have exactly the same issue. Undo the two screws - check Unclip the two clips each side - check (after discovering that the top right clip was trapped behind the frame of the hole in the dash panel Pull the trim away from the bottom - that's NOT happening!! Tried lifting, squeezing, and pulling as hard as I dare, and there's slight movement but it's not coming away. I notice that the trim has got the original manufacture date label on the back - 3rd November 1998 - so maybe the very early ones are somehow different??? @EddyHDid you just pull MUCH harder or was there a trick to it? I've tried blowing warm air, from a heat gun, through the slot underneath, in the hope it would soften the plastic and ideally help it unclip, but at least stop it shattering. Not broken it yet but not getting anywhere either. I need to get access to resolder the joints on the board behind the speedo, as the immobiliser keeps cutting the fuel as soon as the engine starts.