DIY : Innova Aircon Duct Cleaning / Dashboard Removal

Dust and dirt accumulate inside the air ducts. Moisture from the a/c
operation makes it an excellent medium for bacteria and fungus growth.
Regular cleaning at least once a year will minimize growth of disease
carrying organisms. But you can clean the air ducts , you need to remove the dashboard.

To my fellow Innova owners, below is the step by step procedure in removing the dashboard of our beloved Innova.
WARNING : This is procedure is very tedious and timeconsuming.It can cause some injuries if not done carefully.

DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

1. Remove the aircon switches on the center console. Remove screw on the middle switch. Pull-out the center console/panel. You need not remove the stereo and MID. Remove 2 screws holding the dash. Screws are encircled in the photos.



2. Open the upper glove compartment. Remove the cover as shown. 2 screws that holds the dash need to be removed.



3. This is a step bit tricky and challenging. Tilt the steering wheel
downward. Remove the screw on the optitron meter cover panel. Slightly pull-out the panel. You cannot remove the panel completely but you should be ableto remove the 3 screws that hold the meter.There's another screw behind the meter. You need to tilt the meter inside to be able to remove that screw. You may need to remove the steering column plastic cover ( DO NOT REMOVE the steering wheel , Be careful not to engage the air bag as this might cause injuries ).



4. Remove the side panels as shown.




5. All the screws that hold the dash should have been removed by now. Dashboard now only being held by clips. Pull-up the dash starting from the center console then on both sides. You may now pull-out the dash.Pls. have someone assist you in bringing out the dash.

6. The 2 center console vents needs to be removed. These 2 air vents are held only by clips.just pull it out carefully. Remove the clips on the vents as shown.



There you go.Time to clean. I'll leave it to you the cleaning method. Vacuum cleaner will be needed as well as a lot of rags/towels. BTW , I permanently closed the air in-let/vent coming from outside. I do not use it anyway.This will also prevent dust from entering the cabin.

Another big task is returning the dash back.
Hope this procedure helps.