Originally Posted by
AlCapone
I have scoured this forum but am still stumped. The lower edge of the front-center silver trim panel around the blower/radio/lower switch bank is loose on my XF. I want to remove JUST the silver trim panel to see why it's loose. I THINK it just clips onto the black plastic cage that holds everything in place that sits behind it - I DO NOT want to remove that cage. If I grasp the lower edge of the silver panel I can pull it forward maybe half an inch. Note that the lower switches remain stationary, confirming that the silver trim is a separate piece. I have removed the radio and the two screws that sit behind the upper edge of the radio "hole" but these screws appear to fix the black plastic cage, referred to above, to the car itself. Looking at the diagram in the Nav Radio Installation procedure pdf posted elsewhere on this forum suggests that I need to simply lever out the trim panel at the top/sides. But this pdf suggests that the silver trim panel and the rear black plastic cage are one piece, when they are not. By removing the silver trim piece, I also hope to be able to loosen the two screws that hold the upper air-vent unit and straighten it up - the misalignment bugs me! I will try to attach a photo to illustrate my problem.
The silver faceplate is welded to a black backing plate and the backing plate has, the two screw holes in it, two retaining clips at the top, 1" in from each side and two retaining clips, one on each side 1" up from the bottom.
There are clips in the backing plate that each hold a switch or a switch holding plate. With the screws removed the faceplate is pried out with the plastic trim pry bars above or beside the clips.
When you move the bottom silver part out the switches should move with it, if so the bottom right retaining clip has been broken.
From what I see the black backing plate has separated from the faceplate in that corner as the switches appear to be in the correct position.
Attached is the rear view of the faceplate.
