Does anyone know how to remove a 2015 dashboard?

I know I need to change the lower heater door actuator motor for the driver's side. It is located at the bottom of the heater box and I have already removed both seats, the carpet, the tunnel that goes to the back seat area for climate control.
And... I still can't get that actuator out. I read where a guy removed the dashboard and was able to lift up on the heater box so you can get to the actuator. But I want to know what/how to remove the dash.

I only have instructions for 2007-14 but 2015-17 should be very similar:

1. Move adjustable pedals (if present) to the full forward position.
2. Remove floor console.
3. Remove steering wheel.
4. Remove right instrument panel insulator (disconnect lamp).
5. Remove LH and RH lower cowl trim panels:
6. • Remove scuff plate.
   • Remove lower cowl trim.
7. Remove both A-pillar trim panels.
8. Remove steering column opening trim.
9. Remove hood release handle and position to one side.
10. Remove instrument panel lower cover.
11. Remove bolt from parking brake handle and position aside.
12. Remove bolts and steering column reinforcement (under steering column).
13. Loosen bolt and disconnect LH IP bulkhead wire connector.
14. Disconnect two (2) LH electrical connectors.
15. Disconnect parking brake indicator connector.
16. Disconnect cruise deactivator and brake on/off switch connector.
17. Disconnect electrical connector located above the Data Link Connector.
18. Disconnect steering wheel position sensor electrical connector.
19. (Column shift only). Disconnect selector lever cable from the selector lever, remove selector lever cable and position aside.
20. Remove steering column shaft pinch bolt and disconnect steering column shaft from steering column:
21. • NOTE: DISCARD THE BOLT and use a NEW BOLT when reassembling.
22. Remove floor console bracket bolts and position bracket aside.
23. Remove valance panel (has 3 pin-type retainers).
24. Disconnect EATC hose from evaporator case.
25. Disconnect stability control sensor cluster electrical connector.
26. Remove satellite radio antenna from the wiring harness (if equipped).
27. Remove RH side finish panel and disconnect RH electrical connectors:
28. Remove RH ground bolt.
29. Disconnect the inline antenna connector.
30. Lower glove compartment and disconnect 6 electrical connectors.
31. Remove two (2) RH and two (2) LH IP to floor brace bolts:
32. • Position carpet aside, remove bolts and IP floor braces.
33. Remove defroster grille.
34. Remove IP cowl bolts (5).
35. Remove LH IP bolts (2).
36. Remove RH IP bolts (2).
37. NOTE: This part requires an assistant:

I haven't seen any videos on the Expedition, but here's one for the driver's side actuator on the F-150 where he does it without removing the entire dash:

I'm still wondering when a lawyer is going to initiate a class-action suit against Ford for designing Blend Door Actuators (BDA) that require removal of the entire dash -- often at a cost of $1000 or more -- even when they are known to fail quite frequently. AND, even when they redesign/upgrade a vehicle to a new style, they STILL don't fix the problem. B*stards!

All they had to do was make a cable-actuator like back in the good old days and mount the BDA remotely in an easily accessible location.

My used 2008 came to me with a very carefully and neatly routed out bottom edge of the glove compartment housing to provide an extra inch of clearance. I'm guessing an earlier repair was done in that area and this may be a useful workaround to investigate.

Star-art,, Where did you get that list of instructions?
Would it insult you if I told you I don't know all the terminology?
If not then I will repost your list with three question marks next to anything I don't know.

It's from my 2009 Factory Service Manual. It's several pages worth of material, so not very practical to scan. It also doesn't provide a lot of step-by-step illustrations. There are some diagrams, but not really that thorough.

I recommend going to AllDataDIY.com and getting a subscription. You should be able to access a factory service manual for your 2015 Expedition there. It might not be much more detailed than what I have, but at least you'll be able to see the illustrations. Hope that helps!

May still apply in 2015?

star-art said:

It's from my 2009 Factory Service Manual. It's several pages worth of material, so not very practical to scan. It also doesn't provide a lot of step-by-step illustrations. There are some diagrams, but not really that thorough.

I recommend going to AllDataDIY.com and getting a subscription. You should be able to access a factory service manual for your 2015 Expedition there. It might not be much more detailed than what I have, but at least you'll be able to see the illustrations. Hope that helps!

Click to expand...

I did do just that. I've got a subscription for all 4 of my vehicles. I've been looking at the diagrams. I wonder if I can remove the dash with the steering wheel still in tack. It looks like you could remove the pinch bolt and remove the steering wheel along with the steering column.
Is it recommended to disconnect the battery negative before removing the connectors in your list and all the ones I see in AllDataDIY.com. I ask this because I haven't seen an actual statement for that. I was wondering does it cause problems when reconnecting especially if it's days from now. And yes as you can see I have still not completed the work. I'm scared. Not incompetent just don't want to do anything wrong.

Yes, I would disconnect the battery negative cable before proceeding.

I haven't done this on an Expedition, but I have pulled a dash to replace a BDA in a Mercury Grand Marquis. The steering column is likely heavy making it even more difficult to get the dash out so it's best to remove the entire assembly first. I did not remove the steering wheel but instead pulled the entire steering column. But, there's an important tip you need to remember before attempting this.

The CLOCKSPRING is a delicate and very important component inside the steering column. The wire harness attaching it is designed so the wheel can rotate only so many times. For the Grand Marquis, the factory manual specifies that after disconnecting the steering column from the steering column shaft (i.e. pinch bolt) the steering wheel MUST NOT BE ROTATED. If it gets rotated more than one full revolution while disconnected from the shaft damage to the clockspring wiring may occur. Therefore, the wheel must be lashed/secured so that it can't rotate after being removed from the vehicle.

I have not checked the instructions in the Expedition manual regarding steering column removal. But, just to be safe, I would follow this recommendation.