michail71

Since they are dirt cheap and my car came with a scratched screen I just ordered a new 7" LG LCD screen. However, beyond removing the IC I haven't seen anything on removing the actual LCD screen from its assembly.

Has anyone here had experience with this? There are a million + 1 DIYs involving the popup screen.

Werkzeug

Its pretty easy, you just use a wedge to pry the dash trim piece off with center vents attached. Try and do this evenly so as not to bend the trim piece. Then you do the same with the instrument cluster bezel. Once those are out the bolts for the screen should be accessible. You then simply unbolt and unplug.

michail71

Thanks, that is what I was hoping for. It seems the biggest challenge will be unhooking the AC vents but that just needs a pick.

I found one screen on ebay for $9 but it was the exact same panel out of a portable DVD player. I wasn't sure if that one had the right connections so I passed it up for a new one at $55.

michail71

I managed to get all but the last edge off the AC strip off. I couldn't seem to get the vent unhooked nearest the steering wheel. I'd pull on the tab but nothing budged.

Basically where this guys is at 1:07. The video quality is so poor I can't quite see what he did just there either.

TangoRed

My screen is very scratched as well. I'm hoping I can find someone to replace it.

michail71

Ok, I got that thing off. I could do it in about 1 minute now. There are clips on the edge as well. I had to pull up on the hook while using the trim tool near where the key hole is located.

That center vent piece is very sturdy.

I really needed to get the cluster trim off since it was rattling so bad after the dealer broke it. Now I can see what they broke. They tried to glue two of the grommets to tabs on the plastic trim that broke. I'm having them order new parts now and will see if they can get new grommets as well.

I just wanted to get my new LCD screen in before getting the trim replaced.

michail71

You can get the screen for $70 shipped. They are made by LG and are generically used in automotive applications.

After getting in there myself I would say this should be about a 60-90 minute job for someone experienced.

michail71

Here are some tips for future reference.

Cover anything in the vicinity you are working to prevent scratches. I would even put masking tape on the AC vent slats where you need to pass the hooks through.

Use a wide and narrow trim tool. They usually come together in a kit. The wide trim tool helps get the long narrow side undone without too much effort.

For the AC vent latches I found using a straight pick worked just as well as a hooked pick.

The hard part is getting the last bit off by the steering wheel side. So get everything else done first. Unhook the AC vent away from the steering wheel first. You can't pull too hard on the tab as it has a stopper on it to prevent breaking. You'll know you unhooked the AC vent as the tension will release in the tab and it will become flush with the vent wall.

Now for the hard part. I had to pull up on the second vent tab while using the narrow trim tool to pry the end piece off it's pressure fittings. This took a little more force than I was comfortable with. But the strip is very solid, just take care to not scratch the dashboard and pry outward on the strip.