Anyone know where to find instructions on how to install a dashboard (3 pieces) for an R53 (2006) ? Please assist...thxs

 

t's simple.

First, remove your tachometer from above your steering wheel. To do so, put the steering wheel in its lowest position, and then look behind the tach. Remove the two torx screws. Then unclip the tach from the wiring harness.


After that, get in the passenger seat, and open the glove box. You are going to be removing the passenger dash panel first. To do so, get a firm grip on it from the bottom, and simply pull it off. It is held on with friction clips, nothing else. Don't be afraid to use some force (be reasonable though).

Then move on to the driver side panel. It helps to pull down the knee bolster before doing so, so you can get a grip on the panel from the bottom. This piece also pulls off. The rubber boot loops around where the tach was screwed, be sure to un loop it or you will tear it.


The third piece, the one in the middle, also is held on with friction clips. Same thing, just pull it off.


When putting it back together:

Do the center speedo part first. When putting on the drivers and passenger sides start with the outside corner and work your way to the inside of the car. Otherwise the corners will not go in and they will look all popped out and odd.

 

I just finished installing my jcw carbon fiber dashboard in my 2006 S cabrio, and while the previous instructions covered the removal pretty well, they were a little sparse on the install. Here are some more tips for this otherwise easy job:
After you remove the tachometer, remove the top piece of the steering column also. Pull up on the opening in the plastic where the tach attaches. There are 2 clips on either side - they will just let go. Push in on the driver's side, just above the seam, if you want to make it even easier. Until I did this, I could not figure out how to unloop the rubber seal from around the tach opening. Once this piece is out, it's simple.
When you remove the side dash pieces, you pull out at the bottom, and then do the same at the top inside and outside corners. When you remove the center section, pull out at the bottom, and swing the piece upwards until the little tabs at the top outside ends unhook and let go. That's right - they are not the same friction clips as at the bottom, and if you just pull them straight out, you'll break them. They need to unhook. Look at your replacement piece, and you'll see what I mean. Also - when you remove the center section, push/hold the panel above the section you're replacing (the speedometer surround) forward, or it will start to come out, also, and your bezels will all come off. No biggie to put them back, but save yourself some effort. I wish I had.
Now for the best tip you'll ever get for this job. I had to transfer some of the friction clips from my old dash to the new, because I was missing 2 or 3 of them. While I was at it, I also transferred the little self adhesive felt tapes that Mini was good enough to put over all of my clips to reduce noise. When I put the driver's side in, the right top corner wouldn't click into place - it was loose. I pulled the panel back off and checked that the clip was there. It was. The only way I could get this corner to install tight was to pull the clip off of the dashboard piece, and install it and the felt tape in the hole in the plastic dash. I then pushed the Carbon Fiber part into the clip, and problem solved. I then replaced the steering column top and tach, and moved to the passenger side, where 2 clips at the top wouldn't lock in (the center and inboard). I used the same technique over here as on the drivar's side, and problem solved again.
If I had to guess, I'd say that the factory puts all of these friction clips into the plastic holes first, and then presses the dash panels into them. They hold so well to the dash panels that they come out with them, but that's probably not how they go in.
That's my 2 cent's worth. Good luck with your dashboard replacement. It took me about an hour, including removing those #@%& friction clips.

 

I'm having a lot of trouble getting my dash to clip bag which covers my airbag. The top is attached, but the bottom still dangles freely. Anybody know how to "clip" it back into place?

 

The passenger side are all friction clips, as long as the top part was snapped in correct place, the bottom part is also just snap. I used my palm to snap so the force distributed evenly, not press on the dash but like hitting the dash with your palm.