Removing A frame cover and headliner trim?

[Lola]

Do to health problems I haven't installed my dash cam yet Mobius 1. Sitting in my 1st generation Tacoma today (2001 4x4 Deluxe) I tried a couple of tools (Nylon pribars made for the purpose) I ordered from Amazon.
I pried the A frame plastic housing off fairly easy by slipping the tool between the headliner and plastic A frame at near the top of the windshield and prying, a tight fit, but it snapped right off the A frame.
Then I tried to snap it back into place without any luck. what am I doing wrong? I could have been to easy/cautious not wanting to damage it but I thought it more prudent to stop and ask you guys with all the experience. I've never seen any one ask this question before that I remember so it must be simple and just me being to easy going, but I simply don't know.
I called a radio installer place and told them what I was doing, they estimated between 2 and 4 hundred $$, I just thought to myself that was a crazy price!
I know what has to be done and how, except for this headliner trim and plastic A frame cover.

 

[Dashmellow]

I've learned from my Tacoma that it can be easy to remove parts like that and then find that they can be a bear to reinstall. Often Toyota uses some "secret" trick that you need to know before you attempt anything. For example, @Gibson99 a former Tacoma owner who has also had professional experience with this stuff explained the technique to me for how to remove and reinstall the coat hooks up on the headliner near the rear window. I wouldn't have known they "unlock" like a key. Maybe he would be willing to offer some advice?

In my Tacoma I've run cables up behind the rubber door gasket, scoot them over the A frame plastic and then into the head liner. Not the perfect install but neat, secure and not visible except for where it comes out from the door frame for a couple of inches. Over the last seven years I've had various reasons to swap out cables for different cameras (and a failed cable) and I find having a bit of cable showing is worth it because it makes it far easier to change out the cables than if they were behind the trim. Then again, I live in a rural area and it's a truck that gets worked. I might feel different in an urban area with a different vehicle.

BTW, you might find some exploded diagrams and shop manuals online that may help you.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

Sometimes after removing that cover a plastic clip or two will be left behind in a slot on the pillar. If that occurs you will be unable to snap it back in place. Look for any clips that remain, if so remove them with your tool and slide them back into the plastic cover then the cover will snap back in place. If you have a curtain bag behind that pillar you have to gently twist the top clip which is black, and remove the cover.

 

[Nigel]

Sometimes force is required to remove things, but when putting stuff back on you should use logic instead of force, everything is designed for the factory workers to install thousands of times each day, the only differences are that they know how to do it and possibly they are installing things in a different order.

 

[Dashmellow]

Sometimes after removing that cover a plastic clip or two will be left behind in a slot on the pillar. If that occurs you will be unable to snap it back in place. Look for any clips that remain, if so remove them with your tool and slide them back into the plastic cover then the cover will snap back in place. If you have a curtain bag behind that pillar you have to gently twist the top clip which is black, and remove the cover.

The thing I've learned from my Tacoma is that many clips have some sort of release mechanism built into them. If you just yank them out they can get damaged and never snap back into place. For example, some plastic clips have a little circular button in the middle that you press on with an appropriate tool that releases the barbs that hold the clip in place. Then when you press the clip back in, the little button pops back up.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

The thing I've learned from my Tacoma is that many clips have some sort of release mechanism built into them. If you just yank them out they can get damaged and never snap back into place. For example, some plastic clips have a little circular button in the middle that you press on with an appropriate tool that releases the barbs that hold the clip in place. Then when you press the clip back in, the little button pops back into place.

Agree, different style clips are used by Toyota depending on the location. As @Nigel points out careful re-insalling using logic always works for me.

 

[Lola]

I've learned from my Tacoma that it can be easy to remove parts like that and then find that they can be a bear to reinstall. Often Toyota uses some "secret" trick that you need to know before you attempt anything. For example, @Gibson99 a former Tacoma owner who has also had professional experience with this stuff explained the technique to me for how to remove and reinstall the coat hooks up on the headliner near the rear window. I wouldn't have known they "unlock" like a key. Maybe he would be willing to offer some advice?

In my Tacoma I've run cables up behind the rubber door gasket, scoot them over the A frame plastic and then into the head liner. Not the perfect install but neat, secure and not visible except for where it comes out from the door frame for a couple of inches. Over the last seven years I've had various reasons to swap out cables for different cameras (and a failed cable) and I find having a bit of cable showing is worth it because it makes it far easier to change out the cables than if they were behind the trim. Then again, I live in a rural area and it's a truck that gets worked. I might feel different in an urban area with a different vehicle.

BTW, you might find some exploded diagrams and shop manuals online that might help you.

In your 2nd paragraph you say "I've run cables up behind the rubber door gasket, scoot them over the A frame plastic and then into the head liner." How did you get the rubber gasket loose/off to tuck the cable behind the headliner or do you mean you went from the A frame and fished the cable through/behind the rubber and headliner?

My reasoning is that I must get the rubber off or hanging free to tuck the cables behind the rubber and headliner, then re attach the rubber from the A pillar to the back window where the camera will be is this wrong? Am I confusing the instructions?

I know (reading, no practical experience) to get by some obstructions like the coat hanger (on Tacoma) , you push in on the object (coat hanger and give it 1/2 turn to the left I think) turn it and off it will come. It is the trim that I am having problems with.
However Later on after the cable is run from the back window to the front A frame, I will have to undo clips in the dash to get the Cigarette lighter out and replace it and add additional hardware.
Then remove the rubber at top of windshield, run cable behind rubber and headliner down A frame under dash to charger. Same trouble, how do I get behind rubber and headliner to conceal wires?

We do agree on one thing, Tacoma's are "Clip joints" on wheels !

 

[Dashmellow]

This isn't the exact clip I was talking about but you get the idea.
Blue arrow points to a release button.

 

[Dashmellow]

In your 2nd paragraph you say "I've run cables up behind the rubber door gasket, scoot them over the A frame plastic and then into the head liner." How did you get the rubber gasket loose/off to tuck the cable behind the headliner or do you mean you went from the A frame and fished the cable through/behind the rubber and headliner?

My reasoning is that I must get the rubber off or hanging free to tuck the cables behind the rubber and headliner, then re attach the rubber from the A pillar to the back window where the camera will be is this wrong? Am I confusing the instructions?

I know (reading, no practical experience) to get by some obstructions like the coat hanger (on Tacoma) , you push in on the object (coat hanger and give it 1/2 turn to the left I think) turn it and off it will come. It is the trim that I am having problems with.

In my truck, the door gaskets are kind of folded over so that you can literally just get your finger in there. I use a tool to hold the rubber back and press the cable in with my index finger and then run my finger up the gasket until the cable is pressed in all the way. When, it's all done you don't even know there is a cable tucked in behind the gasket except where it emerges at the top of the A pillar and heads into the headliner.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

@Lola you have to use sufficient force with your hand and that plastic cover will snap out. Open the door and pull the rubber gasket towards you and it will pull away from the body. Goes back on by lining up and pushing back.

 

[Dashmellow]

@Lola you have to use sufficient force with your hand and that plastic cover will snap out. Open the door and pull the rubber gasket towards you and it will pull away from the body. Goes back on by lining up and pushing back.

Hmm. In my truck there is no need to remove the gasket at all. Maybe I can grab a photo later.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

I was referring to how I removed the cover itself. Your method which obviously works does not seem to requre pulling the plastic cover completely away.

 

[Dashmellow]

I was referring to how I removed the cover itself. Your method which obviously works does not seem to requre pulling the plastic cover completely away.

OK, thanks for explaining.

 

[Lola]

Sometimes after removing that cover a plastic clip or two will be left behind in a slot on the pillar. If that occurs you will be unable to snap it back in place. Look for any clips that remain, if so remove them with your tool and slide them back into the plastic cover then the cover will snap back in place. I've run cables up behind the rubber door gasket, scoot them over the A frame plastic and then into the head liner.

Hi Gabacho, the sentence " I've run cables up behind the rubber door gasket, scoot them over the A frame plastic and then into the head liner." lost me sorta, same place as with dashmellow, when I run cable from A frame to back window do you lift out the rubber gasket some how and push the cable behind the rubber and headliner or do yo try to fish the cable behind the rubber and headliner bach to the back window. I want to pull the rubber out from front to back, push wire into and under rubber and headliner back to rear window, but how do you do this, pry the rubber up and out of it's channel ?

 

[Dashmellow]

Hi Gabacho, the sentence " I've run cables up behind the rubber door gasket, scoot them over the A frame plastic and then into the head liner." lost me sorta, same place as with dashmellow, when I run cable from A frame to back window do you lift out the rubber gasket some how and push the cable behind the rubber and headliner or do yo try to fish the cable behind the rubber and headliner bach to the back window. I want to pull the rubber out from front to back, push wire into and under rubber and headliner back to rear window, but how do you do this, pry the rubber up and out of it's channel ?

Maybe my terminology was misleading. Perhaps I should have said rubber door frame gasket? Not the door gasket.

Anyway, it looks like this:

 

[Harsh]

These ones are a PITA, always a struggle while removing with the A-pillar.

 

[jokiin]

Maybe my terminology was misleading. Perhaps I should have said rubber door frame gasket? Not the door gasket.

Anyway, it looks like this:
View attachment 32347

right picture, for reference the correct name is the 'bailey channel' so it gets referred to as the bailey channel rubber, or bailey channel gasket

 

[Dashmellow]

right picture, for reference the correct name is the 'bailey channel'

Thanks.

 

[Lola]

The thing I've learned from my Tacoma is that many clips have some sort of release mechanism built into them. If you just yank them out they can get damaged and never snap back into place. For example, some plastic clips have a little circular button in the middle that you press on with an appropriate tool that releases the barbs that hold the clip in place. Then when you press the clip back in, the little button pops back up.

I heard about these and I have some of them in the dash I believe. I think It's a y shape tool that you push behind the plastic till it encounters and slides around the plastic lock. When you pull up a little on the tool it squeezes the fingers shut on the lock and he panel pops off. I've watched a guy pull a couple of these off and sometimes it gave him a fit along with putting them back on, but I understand the concept.
There is also some that have a little panel (about an inch x inch or so), pop panel off put screw driver in Lock slot turn 1/2 turn and they pop off, put back on in reverse

However it's the trim that has be stumped, thinking about it I believe I haven't been quite aggressive enough to get the rubber away from the headliner. I had left 3 of the tools I bought in the house. tomorrow I'm going to take all the tools I bought for this purpose and see if I can get behind the rubber to run the cable from the front to the back window without tearing up the rubber or headliner .

Forgot to add that Gabacho told me about some clips that I might have not noticed to get the A pillar plastic to snap back on, that's the first thing I will investigate.

Thanks to all for the advice, I'll check back in the morning to see if there is any more advice before I start. My intention is to run all the cables, wires and items I will be using and when that is accomplished and checked out hook it all up to the juice. This way if it takes me a few days, I can still drive around and no hot wires will burn my baby to the ground, I just hate it when that happens!

 

[Dashmellow]

I heard about these and I have some of them in the dash I believe. I think It's a y shape tool that you push behind the plastic till it encounters and slides around the plastic lock. When you pull up a little on the tool it squeezes the fingers shut on the lock and he panel pops off. I've watched a guy pull a couple of these off and sometimes it gave him a fit along with putting them back on, but I understand the concept.
There is also some that have a little panel (about an inch x inch or so), pop panel off put screw driver in Lock slot turn 1/2 turn and they pop off, put back on in reverse

However it's the trim that has be stumped, thinking about it I believe I haven't been quite aggressive enough to get the rubber away from the headliner. I had left 3 of the tools I bought in the house. tomorrow I'm going to take all the tools I bought for this purpose and see if I can get behind the rubber to run the cable from the front to the back window without tearing up the rubber or headliner .

Forgot to add that Gabacho told me about some clips that I might have not noticed to get the A pillar plastic to snap back on, that's the first thing I will investigate.

Thanks to all for the advice, I'll check back in the morning to see if there is any more advice before I start. My intention is to run all the cables, wires and items I will be using and when that is accomplished and checked out hook it all up to the juice. This way if it takes me a few days, I can still drive around and no hot wires will burn my baby to the ground, I just hate it when that happens!

For my rear and side cameras I run the cable under the trim that goes along the rocker panel instead of along the headliner, then I run the cable upwards under the trim in the back.