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I'm not sure how else to word this other than saying that my radio dash controls are compressing. It's annoying because it takes way from the feel of the solidity of the start button. The start button works fine and feels solid but if you move your fingers to the side you can compress the bottom of the radio control assembly. I've done some searching, and I am probably just not wording it correctly, but have come up short. Any help on resolving the issue or getting some answers would be greatly appreciated. I've included a gif of what is happening. Thanks!
What appears to be the issue is the plastic snaps/tabs on that side of the dash trim have broken, which is why that peices is sticking outward like that. It should be tight against the dash. There are either wiring harnesses that are causing it to push outward (since the tabs are not engaging) or the plastic has warped due to not having any snap lock or tab holding it in place. If you remove the dash trim you are pushing on there, you should be able to see what the issue is.
All parts that snap together in a car like that tend to eventually fail later in life because the plastic becomes more brittle and the tabs or snaps tend to break, especially if it has ever been taken apart.
That makes sense. It looks like that entire bottom side of the instrument panel garnish is loose. Is there a write-up anywhere for removing that piece? The piece I'm referencing is shown below. The link below that is about as close as I could get but doesn't really show where the steering column clamp bolts are located.
best to remove the trim bezel, very easy to do, pop out the two plugs in front of the instrument cluster, then remove the screws, the rest basically snaps in place, disconnect the wiring connectors once you get it loose. Once you get it out you will see what is causing the issue, hopefully you can replace the one piece as a fix, or might just be a missing metal clip, hopefully the dashboard parts are not broken as it is easier to replace the bezel compared to a dash.
Thanks for your help everyone. Turns out it was the bottom left clip, number 20, had gotten its metal prong pushed in and was not grabbing the plastic. I removed the trim and bent the metal back to its original shape and it snapped right into place. The instrument panel garnish now sits tight and flush and I no longer have a squishy trim piece.
Radio Dash Controls Compressing
