Removing Dash

[Zextraterrestrial]

I have the dash squeak when it is cold....but the 12" NVX I recently upgraded to also makes the dash bounce about 1/2" if I turn it up.
I was considering removing a bunch of the interior and slowly adding it back in as I drive on rough surfaces and make everything extra tight + maybe add a few lbs of dyno mat or something lighter that does the same for sound deadening.

the squeak is a bit annoying at the proper temperature

 

[Sonny]

To remove the dash pad, under the binnacle you will see a D shaped piece of plastic. Clip that out downwards. There is a screw holding the dash pad to a bracket under there. Then unclip the dash pad upwards with a sharp upward blow using the heel of your hand. You may need to un clip the trim from the A pillars to remove the dash pad completely. I am surprised that the upper trim around the vents was removable without lifting at least the front of the dash pad, since the top of the vents are screwed into place and those screws are hidden by the dash pad. The vents are screwed to the trim. The bezel around the instrument cluster is held by 4 screws and the vinyl infill between the dash and steering column clips out. The trim pieces either side of the instrument cluster are held by screws top and bottom as well as clips. All screws are Torx.
The FIRST step is the binnacle screw though.

Hi Dborn,
I need to lift the top panel and See if I can correct the little gap above the 17 inch screen. When sun rays into the cabin from behind the gap shows some sort of metal bracket. And at night at the right angle there is light from the screen coming through.
Is there really only that 1 screw above the steering wheel to remove before popping the panel out? When I clipping the panel; do you need the nylon prying set or do you pull or push it using you hands?
Thanks for your advise. Wouldn't want the panel or all trim to crease...

 

[Dborn]

The D panel should be clipped out with plastic trim puller. As I recall 1 perhaps two screws but they will be obvious going through a metal bracket into the dash pad. They are torx head like most of the screws in the car.
I only lifted the pad just enough to access the screws at the top of the air con vents. I did not completely lift the dash pad and I had to use a wedge to maintain the slight gap I needed. For a more extensive exposure, you may need to remove the trim on the A pillar, but that covers an airbag and I do not have the courage for that. It fouls the dash pad and I guess is installed after the dash pad at the factory.
I moved the dash pad with a sharp upward blow with the heel of my hand. Lots and lots of tight clips hold the dash pad in place. careful you don't bend the aluminum strip on the edge of the dash pad.
However, your car is new. Perhaps this problem should be dealt with by Tesla under warranty?
I did the exercise because I was installing custom trim that Tesla refused to install because it was not OEM.

 

[Sonny]

Thanks a bunch Dborn, for you input.
I will be asking the guys at Tesla to take on that challenge. If they break it...

 

[DC Doc]

Any updates on this? I want to remove my dash to fix the annoying rattling sound.

Did you ever remove your dash and find the rattle noise? What was it?