Getting your dash apart

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Get the Dash Apart.

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In the Chevy Avalanche, the OnStar unit you are looking for is under the dash cover behind the passenger side airbag. Getting your dash off can be a challenge and hopefully these steps will help you out. You may click on any photo to get a larger view.

FIRST things first, please disconnect your battery. There are way to many things you could mess up somewhere and having the battery disconnected will be one of your safest guards against any damage.

Remove Dash Bezel. This is the piece of plastic that faces you and surrounds your instrument cluster, stereo, and A/C controls. Remove this by firmly grabbing the upper right corner and pulling firmly outward. Don't be shy. This piece is very tuff and will not break easily. After that is off you should have something that looks like this.

 

Now for the dash cover. The easy part is the screws that are under where the dash bezel was. But, there are more. Remove the small triangle piece of plastic at either end of the dash. Driver's side is a fuse panel, passenger side is blank. Under each of those are to screws. Remove those

Now go sit in the passenger seat. See those 2 vents facing you?

Remove those by holding on to the middle vane and pulling straight out. Don't worry, they won't break. Don't forget the one to your left too.

See? Now stick your hand inside the vent a bit, holding on to the inside lip, and pull out the vent controller. This too snaps out without a problem.

Now remove the screw in there. There is also one in the left side passenger vent.

 

Ok. Now, what about that grab handle in front of you. If you look up in the open vent holes, you will see a little white button. There is one on both sides of the handle. Give them a push and pull on the handle at the same time. Do one side at a time, it is actually very easy to get out.

 

Now remove the two front pillar trim pieces. Just grab the top and pull. The small clip may pull off the plastic and stay in the pillar, just pull out of the pillar and push it back on where it goes on the plastic.

 

Now, firmly grab the dash cover and pull towards you. You will need to put some muscle into this as there are a dozen or so clips you are releasing.

 

Before you lift off the dash cover you will need to release the 2 sensors from under the dash. Just reach under and give each one a quarter turn. This will release them and then you have a free dash cover.

 

Now, let's get the elusive OnStar unit out of the vehicle.