Autopapyrus · Ford Expedition (2nd generation, 2003)
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/ford/expedition/instrument-panel-and-center-console-removal-and-installation/
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/ford/expedition/instrument-panel-and-center-console-removal-and-installation/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.
Ford Expedition (2nd generation, 2003): Instrument Panel and Center Console Removal and Installation
The 2003 Expedition instrument panel is bolted to the panel reinforcement, the pillars and the floor. The wiring harness, the climate control ducts and the passenger airbag run inside it. The panel can only come out after the harnesses are disconnected and the lower braces are loosened, and it takes two people to remove. Before you start, you must deactivate the SRS (airbag) system.
Part
| № | Part |
|---|---|
| 01 | Plastic clip and panel retainer setif damaged |
Tools
2- Socket set and ratchet with extensions, torque wrench, Torx and Phillips screwdriver set, plastic clip removal tools, soft pry tool, marker and masking tape for labeling connectors, gloves, safety glasses
- a helper is required
There's a full repair manual for this car
Every system, wiring diagrams and torque specs — not just this job. Haynes and 5 more.
See manuals →
Step by step
17 steps- Preparation. Park the vehicle on a level surface and turn off the ignition and all electrical loads. If the seats are power-operated, move them all the way back. Wear gloves and discharge static from your hands: the electronic modules in the panel are sensitive to static discharge.
- Deactivate the SRS. Open the right kick panel cover under the instrument panel. In the central junction box (CJB), remove the 10 A restraints control module (RCM) fuse F2.19. Turn the ignition on and confirm that the airbag warning light stays on steadily, without flashing, for at least 30 seconds. If it flashes, you pulled the wrong fuse. Turn the ignition off.
- Disconnect the negative battery terminal and wait at least one minute for the airbag module's backup power to discharge. Do not use memory saver devices. Do not probe the airbag connectors with test probes.
- Remove the front floor console, if equipped. Remove the cup holders and trim panels, remove the screws on the sides and at the rear, then the screws at the front under the climate control and radio. Disconnect the connectors (cigarette lighter, seat heaters if equipped) and lift the console out.
- Remove the lower steering column cover and the lower panel (valance) under the column. Release the clips with a pry tool without breaking the plastic.
- Disconnect the harnesses on the left side: the main instrument panel wiring connectors and the bulkhead (firewall) connector, and release the harness retainers on the panel. Label the connectors with tape.
- Remove the panel bolts accessible through the steering column opening.
- Disconnect the harnesses on the right side: the main panel connectors on the right.
- Through the passenger airbag module opening (after removing the glove box), remove the panel bolts and the bolt on the relay bracket. Do not remove the airbag module unless necessary. If you do remove it, do so only with the SRS deactivated, and handle it with the face pointed away from you.
- Remove the panel reinforcement bolt under the lower left corner of the glove box.
- Loosen the panel floor brace: remove the upper brace bolt and loosen the bolts and nut on the brace brackets.
- Remove the left and right cowl side nuts at the base of the pillars.
- On the Expedition, remove the cowl top bolts at the base of the windshield under the defroster grille. To get access, remove the windshield defroster trim panels.
- Check that all connectors, harnesses and linkages are disconnected and that nothing is still holding the panel. With a helper, carefully pull the panel rearward and maneuver it out through the door opening, taking care that the harnesses do not snag on the steering column or the console.
- Installation is done in reverse order. First position the panel and hand-start one bolt on each side, then the rest. Align the panel to the body gaps and only then tighten all the bolts. The torque values are approximate: small trim bolts 2-5 N·m (18-44 lb-in), the bolts that secure the panel itself about 20-25 N·m (15-18 lb-ft). Verify exact values against the manufacturer's specifications for your model.
- Connect all connectors according to your labels, making sure you do not mix up the connector keys. Reinstall the glove box, trim panels, console and lower panels.
- Restore the SRS. With the ignition off, install fuse F2.19 (10 A), make sure no one is in the vehicle and that the airbags are not covered by anything, then connect the negative battery terminal. Turn the ignition on: the airbag warning light should stay on for about 6 seconds and then go out. Turn the ignition off, wait 10 seconds and turn it on again. If the light flashes, stays on or does not come on at all, the system needs diagnosis and the codes need to be cleared with a scan tool. Check the operation of the radio, climate control, turn signals and gauges, and reset the clock and radio presets.
Common mistakes and warnings
- This job involves the airbags and the steering column
- A mistake can cause accidental airbag deployment or a system malfunction
- If you lack experience, leave the work to a repair shop
- Do not remove or move the RCM with the ignition on
- If the steering column was disconnected, the airbags and their connectors must be checked for proper function afterward