Expert: William Forster - 11/6/2006

Question
William,
 Just wanted to throw this out there to you in hopes you can give me some insight as I know nothing about this. 01 Dodge Ram 1500, replacing the top dash half. I have the new one in the box and most of the ends and tips on it look like snap in pieces except for the bolts that go in it and are right under the windshied and go towards the firewall. Three questions, is there an upholestry tool that assists in removing the dash trim thats around the driver side guages? Secondly, does the passenger side Air Bag cover have to come off or does this dash half fit right under it at the top? And is this (passenger air bag) something that only a qualified tech should handle or can I pull the airbag fuse and do this myself? Sorry for so many questions unrelated to auto body but just looking to get started in the right direction. Thanks and I'd really appreciate any insight you could provide me with, I haven't gone to a body shop yet but I will as a last resort. Thanks again.
Norman

Answer
Hello Norman! Wow, I haven't done a Ram dash in at least 5 years. I can't really remember how it, or the air bags, come out. To disable the air bag system, first remove the neg. battery terminal. Then, remove any fuses to the air bag system. Then, at the base of the steering column, there should be a yellow wire connector. Unplug this connector. There may be one in the passenger side somewhere, I'm not sure. Wait 30 minutes to let any residual charges dissipate. The air bag can deploy accidentally for no less than 10 minutes after disarming. That will completely disable the air bag system. A stiff putty knife can really help with prying on plastic bezels, and will cause minimum damage to them. A screwdriver leaves obvious pry marks everywhere. About all I can say, is try to poke and pry carefully. I would think that the pass.  air bag should come out before the dash cap comes off, but be warned- I've seen some really INSANE pass. air bag retaining systems that required special removal tools that only a dealership would have. Dash replacement is a real pain for seasoned pros, you are really biting off a big chunk here. I hope this helps, my friend. You are in for quite a job. Bill