How to remove the wood-grain trim part of the dash?

[211]

My 2000 OBW has a burnt bulb on the fog light button and I'd like to fix it. I cant seem to remove the trim that surrounds the three buttons on that side of the dash though. I didn't try prying too hard because I didn't want to snap anything- figured I'd ask around first.

[nipper]

If its like the 1997, there are two screws under the top of the bezel, and two screws, one on either side of the steering wheel under the bezel pointing up

 

( i can be wrong)

 

 

nipper

[porcupine73]

Hi I have an '00obw too. What I did is reach up in behind the dash and push the buttons out. Didn't have to remove the woodgrain trim or anything.

[porcupine73]

I double checked this morning. I removed the coin slot/fuse cover below the cruise/fog/etc buttons. Then I reached up into that opening and pushed out the buttons from behind.

[211]

Just an update:

 

Following Porcupine's direction I reached up through the fuse/coin box cover. Only while trying to remove the individual button I discovered the tab that holds the wood grain panel to the dash. There's two tabs set vertically on the outside edge of the panel. If you pop those loose it's enough to pry the panel out just slightly. Theres another tab towards the lower middle panel that takes a bit more effort because it's an actual insertion-clip type tab, with enough tension on the panel that middle tab will pop loose. Then there's a couple more tabs along the steering column that pop off real easy once the rest are free.

 

Now you can really get in there, pull the plug harness and pull the buttons free. The bulbs are super easy to take out, their mounted on the side of the button with a Phillips head twist-lock type fixture. My problem was I did all this in the parking lot where the Radio Shack was, got the bulb out and they didn't have a match. The closest thing they had was a bulb that "looked" similar in shape and size but has some plastic shell around the bottom where the leads go through (sorta like a replacement christmas tree bulb), plus the leads are thicker.

 

Sometime maybe later this week I'll try and shave off the plastic stuff around the bulb, pull the old subaru bulb out of the twist-lock thingy and see if I can make it work.

 

For now I swapped the bulb with the one for the wiper defrost- not only have I never used it yet, but it's sorta hidden from sight because of the steering wheel anyway.