How do I remove the Cluster Finish Panel Assembly?

Alright, after 3 mos., an additional $3200 and now pursuing legal action against a dealer, I am on the road with the $10000 2002 Prius. I have the replacement cluster finish panel assembly in hand. How do I remove the old one? I would really like to do this without dinging up the interior.

Thanks

go invest 15 and get the haynes manual

Just use the search function on this website. There are numerous detailed posts on how to take apart the dash on these cars. Pretty simple, really. most of it snaps on and off. Just take your time and it should be OK.

Re: How do I remove the...fix the NAV system

Yeah, I found one from the guy who does the aftermarket NAV and DVD player. I fixed the audio functionality and was hoping to have the NAV system and maintenance menus active again. I saw the menu for the maintenance briefly, now I have a Japanese screen with a few English words saying "incompatible data" and "please insert system disk".

I had actually opened up the player and cleaned it and the disk before all of this when I had gotten the same thing. It recognizes there is a disk as it also knows when there is no disk, so I assume the DVD system is operational. You can also hear it spin up when the disk is loaded.

Help?

Be careful. At least with the 2001 like I have It just doesn't snap off. There are 2 nuts you need to take off under the emergency flasher panel assembly. Seems like there were a couple screws near the bottom too. I broke mine because I didn't see the nuts. The whole thing seems flimsy and a poor design in my opinion so take care.

It is a bit more complicated than that. Because the CFP is "underneath" a bunch of passenger and driver side components, it's necessary to take off the lower panel of the center front console (two fasteners, one by driver foot and one by passenger foot) which will probably break, so have a couple of speednuts in readiness). Remove the ash tray, unhook a couple of wires from the lower panel, and get it out of the way.

Pry up the panel which holds the flasher switch (big red triangle) and unhook the two cable assemblies. Undo the two lower screws and two upper nuts, and then gently pry first the lower panel, then the whole assembly, a bit at a time, out of its snug little nest.

There are several sets of plastic fasteners hidden blindly around the CFP to hold it in place, so some amount of fiddling is necessary. Patience is a virtue.

Pictures: Check the repair manual, pages 1853 and 1854 (in my 2003 edition)

Warning: I have found that in Southern cars, having been exposed to heat and sunlight for years, the plasticizer in the CFP has been driven out and the entire assembly becomes incredibly brittle. I have had one literally crumble in my hands during a disassembly.

But, if you want to replace the little lights behind the cluster panel, it's what you gotta do...

What I learned the first time I did this was to expect the force required anywhere to be pretty low, and to stop and find out why if it isn't. On my car anyway, it seems like if the word "pry" is used in the manual (complete with a nice picture of a tape-covered screwdriver), "gently squeeze and pop out with fingers" seems to work fine. The time it didn't, it was because I had missed the nuts under the flasher switch, not because anything needed to be pried.

The hazard switch itself gently pops out with fingers (put all fingers on top of the assembly, that is, the flat surface under the MFD screen, thumbs on the center panel below the flasher switch, and squeeze fingers and thumb together to draw the switch assembly down and toward you).

The lower panel (which has to come out before the CFP) has two plastic clips (one by the driver's and one by the passenger's foot). My favorite Toyota body clips are the 90467-07117 style, with the center pin that you just push in with a click, then the clip is loose and comes right out. Before you put the clip back in, you push the pin back through so it sticks out, put the clip in place, then push the pin flush with another little click. I don't remember if the lower panel clips were originally this style, but they are now: I bought a couple bags of these clips at the dealer and whenever I have to take out any of the more annoying kind, the nice kind is what goes back in.

-Chap

What is the part number for the cluster Finish panel assembly?

Not sure what the part # is but, here's a link to purchase a new one.

2001 Toyota Prius Parts - Genuine Toyota Parts

Type in finish panel for keyword/part # and it will be the first item to come up. You can click on the View Diagram and it is item 9.

Thanks for the detail. I have an '03 I just purchased and the display touch screen is broken as well as the finish panel. I need to remove the finish panel and install a new one as well as remove the multi-function display and replace it. I have the display, waiting on the finish panel. Do you or does anyone know where I can access the repair manual pages to which you refer in this post? On line. Not really interested in buying a shop manual from Toyota.