Overhead console
#2
11-30-2004, 01:37 AM
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RE: Overhead console
Remove the two phillips screws on the side closest to the windshield and then you have to just jerk it off! There are two metal clips that fit into holes in the top of the cab so you may have to be a little rough with it...you may have to re-bend the clips and center them on the plastic tabs when you put it back on...after you pull the console off you can unplug the wire and unscrew the two screws that hold the light assembly on. Make sure you do not overtighten the screws when you replace it, cuz you will have to replace the whole overhead console if you do (speaking from experience!!=) ) If I can offer any more help let me know!
#3
11-30-2004, 04:24 PM
#5
12-01-2004, 02:47 AM
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#6
12-01-2004, 09:19 PM
#7
12-14-2004, 03:08 PM
RE: Overhead console
I had a problem with the switch for the driver’s-side map light malfunctioning on my ’99 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4. I thought the spring had gotten stuck in the up position so I decided to finally try to get it working again. I scoured the Internet to find information as to how I was going to get access to the interior of the overhead console. I finally decided to just start messing with stuff. Unfortunately, I don’t yet have a good enough digital camera and was not able to take pictures. But I figured that I might as well post the steps now and then take pictures after I get a new camera. ***Note. I do not have the LED display option on my console.
Tools I used:
Small Flat-head screwdriver or Papermate ballpoint pen (only in emergencies)
Phillips screwdriver
Not all of these steps may have been necessary, but this is how I was able to remove it without breaking anything and put it back as it was.
1. Open the garage door opener compartment and remove the button pressing attachment by squeezing the 2 sides together and pull it out.
***NOTE: Removing the following pieces was more difficult than I expected. At points I thought I was going to break the pieces but they finally gave way.
2. Next, remove the main garage door opener compartment door. The hinges are tough to remove without breaking if you don’t use a flat-head screwdriver or something similar. They are basically a 2-part assembly. 1 part is part of the door; the other is attached to the main console. As you will see, each door hinge is comprised of 2 paralleled pieces that run up to the main console. What you can’t see is that each of the paralleled sections is connected at the end by a small cylinder (perpendicular) that allows for the door to move freely. The portion of the hinge that is connected to the main console is a plastic tab. This tab has an angled top and a recessed area to allow the cylindrical portion of the corresponding piece to be secured, yet move freely. To free the door, use the flathead screwdriver to push each tab (separately) toward the windshield with one hand and with the other, pull on the corresponding door hinge away from the windshield.
3. Next, remove the portion of the console where the LED display would be. Removing this piece may not be necessary, but I found that it allowed me better leverage to remove the main unit later on. To do this, just use your thumbnails to pull down on the center portion of where the actual display would be (front face). There is a small plastic peg that holds it in place, as well as, some plastic tabs around the rest of the piece (facing the floor).
4. In the garage door opener compartment, there are 2 plastic tabs that are recessed into the ceiling of the cabin. Using your thumbs, press them toward the windshield and with your fingers pull at the edges of the console where it meets the headliner. At this point you are only trying to get the tabs free of the ceiling, not remove the console completely. It may take a couple of tries to get both tabs free at the same time.
5. In the LED display compartment, take your thumbs and grab each side of the console and pull down. This creates a gap on between the console and the headliner. Insert your fingers into this gap and pull down and away from the windshield. Keep checking to make sure that the tabs in step 4 are still free and haven’t been reset to the locked position. You are going to have to pull pretty hard to free the console. Keep inching your fingers away from the windshield and pulling down and away from the windshield at the same time. Approximately at the center point there are clips, which are not accessible when the console is still attached to the ceiling of the cabin. These will give way after a good amount of pulling. The last tabs are above the glasses compartment. These are also not accessible when the console is still attached to the ceiling. These tabs are different than the others in that they face the windshield and are horizontal, running parallel to the ceiling and the console about 1/16 – 1/8 of an inch from above the top of the console for about a ½ inch or so. This means that you must pull more away from the windshield than down, at first. Be careful to not rip the console from the ceiling, as the wiring harness will still be attached.
6. Disconnect the wiring harness and now you have the console free from the ceiling.
7. To access the bulbs, unscrew the 4 screws using the Phillips screwdriver and remove the map light housing. The bulbs are #906 and are easily removed by pulling them free from the socket. It is probably a good idea to replace both bulbs now, as you wont want to go through this again, if you can avoid it.
Fortunately, putting the console back is much easier.
1. After replacing the bulbs, connect the wiring harness to the main harness and test the new bulbs by clicking the plunger switch. Be careful, as the switch design is not that great and you could run into the very same problem that I did, a failed switch. Press on the black plate with your finger while pressing the switch with your thumb.
2. Disconnect the wire harnesses and re-attach the map light housing to the main console. Notice that the piece is marked with an L and R. L will go on the driver’s side. Screw all of the screws in but do not over-tighten them, as you could crack the housing.
3. Reattach the wiring harness and secure it to the console by sliding it onto the tab. Double-check that the lights still work by gently pressing on the plastic lenses as you normally would.
4. If they work, place the horizontal tabs (as described in step 5 of the removal process) into the corresponding holes in the ceiling and push toward the windshield.
5. Next move your hands down the console toward the windshield pressing firmly (at approximately a 45 degree angle to ensure that the horizontal and vertical tabs will seat properly). You will hear some creaking from the plastic tabs as you are pressing on it. It should then snap into place with a noticeable pop. You can use the indentation in the headliner as a guide when reinstalling the console. Confirm that the tabs mentioned in step 4 are back in place.
6. Next, replace the LED display compartment panel by tilting the panel and inserting the windshield side first followed by the opposite side.
7. Next, replace the garage door opener compartment’s main door, one hinge at a time. Be sure to backup the console’s portion of the hinge to ensure that it won’t break when you snap the door’s hinge into place.
8. Reinstall the button pressing attachment by snapping the 2 sides into the corresponding slots.
As I mentioned earlier, I had to do this because the map light switch had failed (the spring seemed to have gotten stuck). I found that the spring had been ejected from it’s housing (inside the switch) and had landed in the LED display compartment. Fortunately, the spring was easily recovered.
I was able to repair the switch after reassembling it and applying some crazy glue to the top and bottom parts of the switch.
This seems like a lot of work at first, but after knowing how to do it, it really is a quick process. In fact, a few hours after I had completed the project, I was showing my friend how the lights now worked. I pressed too hard on the light (not the one that had failed) and it stuck in the on position. We were on our way to get some drinks and I could not just leave it on. I was able to do the whole process using a Papermate ballpoint pen (instead of a flat-head screwdriver) and my fingers, in the dark (only the light from the permanently switched on map light), in 5 minutes flat. That included the repair of the switch. I knew I should have super-glued that one when I had the chance.
Since I will no-doubt be doing this again (so I can super-glue the other switch), I will take photos and re-submit this post.
Tools I used:
Small Flat-head screwdriver or Papermate ballpoint pen (only in emergencies)
Phillips screwdriver
Not all of these steps may have been necessary, but this is how I was able to remove it without breaking anything and put it back as it was.
1. Open the garage door opener compartment and remove the button pressing attachment by squeezing the 2 sides together and pull it out.
***NOTE: Removing the following pieces was more difficult than I expected. At points I thought I was going to break the pieces but they finally gave way.
2. Next, remove the main garage door opener compartment door. The hinges are tough to remove without breaking if you don’t use a flat-head screwdriver or something similar. They are basically a 2-part assembly. 1 part is part of the door; the other is attached to the main console. As you will see, each door hinge is comprised of 2 paralleled pieces that run up to the main console. What you can’t see is that each of the paralleled sections is connected at the end by a small cylinder (perpendicular) that allows for the door to move freely. The portion of the hinge that is connected to the main console is a plastic tab. This tab has an angled top and a recessed area to allow the cylindrical portion of the corresponding piece to be secured, yet move freely. To free the door, use the flathead screwdriver to push each tab (separately) toward the windshield with one hand and with the other, pull on the corresponding door hinge away from the windshield.
3. Next, remove the portion of the console where the LED display would be. Removing this piece may not be necessary, but I found that it allowed me better leverage to remove the main unit later on. To do this, just use your thumbnails to pull down on the center portion of where the actual display would be (front face). There is a small plastic peg that holds it in place, as well as, some plastic tabs around the rest of the piece (facing the floor).
4. In the garage door opener compartment, there are 2 plastic tabs that are recessed into the ceiling of the cabin. Using your thumbs, press them toward the windshield and with your fingers pull at the edges of the console where it meets the headliner. At this point you are only trying to get the tabs free of the ceiling, not remove the console completely. It may take a couple of tries to get both tabs free at the same time.
5. In the LED display compartment, take your thumbs and grab each side of the console and pull down. This creates a gap on between the console and the headliner. Insert your fingers into this gap and pull down and away from the windshield. Keep checking to make sure that the tabs in step 4 are still free and haven’t been reset to the locked position. You are going to have to pull pretty hard to free the console. Keep inching your fingers away from the windshield and pulling down and away from the windshield at the same time. Approximately at the center point there are clips, which are not accessible when the console is still attached to the ceiling of the cabin. These will give way after a good amount of pulling. The last tabs are above the glasses compartment. These are also not accessible when the console is still attached to the ceiling. These tabs are different than the others in that they face the windshield and are horizontal, running parallel to the ceiling and the console about 1/16 – 1/8 of an inch from above the top of the console for about a ½ inch or so. This means that you must pull more away from the windshield than down, at first. Be careful to not rip the console from the ceiling, as the wiring harness will still be attached.
6. Disconnect the wiring harness and now you have the console free from the ceiling.
7. To access the bulbs, unscrew the 4 screws using the Phillips screwdriver and remove the map light housing. The bulbs are #906 and are easily removed by pulling them free from the socket. It is probably a good idea to replace both bulbs now, as you wont want to go through this again, if you can avoid it.
Fortunately, putting the console back is much easier.
1. After replacing the bulbs, connect the wiring harness to the main harness and test the new bulbs by clicking the plunger switch. Be careful, as the switch design is not that great and you could run into the very same problem that I did, a failed switch. Press on the black plate with your finger while pressing the switch with your thumb.
2. Disconnect the wire harnesses and re-attach the map light housing to the main console. Notice that the piece is marked with an L and R. L will go on the driver’s side. Screw all of the screws in but do not over-tighten them, as you could crack the housing.
3. Reattach the wiring harness and secure it to the console by sliding it onto the tab. Double-check that the lights still work by gently pressing on the plastic lenses as you normally would.
4. If they work, place the horizontal tabs (as described in step 5 of the removal process) into the corresponding holes in the ceiling and push toward the windshield.
5. Next move your hands down the console toward the windshield pressing firmly (at approximately a 45 degree angle to ensure that the horizontal and vertical tabs will seat properly). You will hear some creaking from the plastic tabs as you are pressing on it. It should then snap into place with a noticeable pop. You can use the indentation in the headliner as a guide when reinstalling the console. Confirm that the tabs mentioned in step 4 are back in place.
6. Next, replace the LED display compartment panel by tilting the panel and inserting the windshield side first followed by the opposite side.
7. Next, replace the garage door opener compartment’s main door, one hinge at a time. Be sure to backup the console’s portion of the hinge to ensure that it won’t break when you snap the door’s hinge into place.
8. Reinstall the button pressing attachment by snapping the 2 sides into the corresponding slots.
As I mentioned earlier, I had to do this because the map light switch had failed (the spring seemed to have gotten stuck). I found that the spring had been ejected from it’s housing (inside the switch) and had landed in the LED display compartment. Fortunately, the spring was easily recovered.
I was able to repair the switch after reassembling it and applying some crazy glue to the top and bottom parts of the switch.
This seems like a lot of work at first, but after knowing how to do it, it really is a quick process. In fact, a few hours after I had completed the project, I was showing my friend how the lights now worked. I pressed too hard on the light (not the one that had failed) and it stuck in the on position. We were on our way to get some drinks and I could not just leave it on. I was able to do the whole process using a Papermate ballpoint pen (instead of a flat-head screwdriver) and my fingers, in the dark (only the light from the permanently switched on map light), in 5 minutes flat. That included the repair of the switch. I knew I should have super-glued that one when I had the chance.
Since I will no-doubt be doing this again (so I can super-glue the other switch), I will take photos and re-submit this post.
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#8
12-15-2004, 01:30 AM
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#9
03-10-2006, 03:18 PM
RE: Overhead console
Just some insight from what I found on my truck. I just took mine off yesterday!! I have a 1999 2500 ram with the led display close to the windshield. All that I had to do is push down two clips and then pry the front off. Then you slide the console towards the back of the cab and it should come right off. Please note though... I had to use a knife (or a standard srew driver would probably be safer) to keep the front two clips from getting caught back up. Hopefully this helps someone!! Also I was wondering if anyone has had the problem of there display reading ccd??? I can't figure out for the life of me what the problem is??? Please let me know if you have any ideas!! Thanks alot!! I have Pics of what I did but I cant figure out how to put them on here!!
#10
03-10-2006, 03:19 PM