rear deck removal - CEG Archives

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I'm trying to remove my rear deck (carpet where 3rd brake light is) and I'm stuck. I've gotten to the point where it is about to slide out but its cought/pinched under on the 2 plastic surrounds (trim pieces) of the back seat latches.

What I've done so far is: folded down the seats, popped off the 6 plastic clips that is holding down the carpet/trim on the inside (this is located where the seat back hits the rear deck). I popped off the cover over the middle shoulder belt (pull towards you and slightly up and off the carpet comes). Uncliped to black platic clips on underside on deck (in the trunk) that hold deck down.

So like I said I can basically pull the deck out when I tug on it, its very loose. The only thing holding it on the the 2 plastic surrounding trim piece where the seat latches. I do not want to bend or disfigure the cardboard by trying to pull it out while still being stuck in those 2 spots. I tried prying but the plastic is not very strong and looks like it may crack. I thought there might be some kind of tabs but when looking from the trunk, everything is covered in sheet metal so there is no access from the back.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

anyone?

Mine has been removed at least twice the way you are trying. The plastic trim has held with no problems at all.

I was scared at first also. Just take your time and pull only enough to slip it out.

I don't know if we are speaking of the same trim piece. I'll try to explain the best I can. Once you flip down the seat, look where the back of the seat latches i.e where the seat plugs into when the seat is flipped back. Right around the latch is a navy blue plactic piece that surounds the latch. I tried to pry it off (carpet is being held/pinched under it thus not allowing the deck to come all the way off) and it began to crack. I dont think its just a pry thing. I think there has got to be a trick or some kind of tab or something. I just dont want to crack it or snap a part of it off.

Originally posted by teamSVTour:
I don't know if we are speaking of the same trim piece. I'll try to explain the best I can. Once you flip down the seat, look where the back of the seat latches i.e where the seat plugs into when the seat is flipped back. Right around the latch is a navy blue plactic piece that surounds the latch. I tried to pry it off (carpet is being held/pinched under it thus not allowing the deck to come all the way off) and it began to crack. I dont think its just a pry thing. I think there has got to be a trick or some kind of tab or something. I just dont want to crack it or snap a part of it off.

Wow, I just went and looked to see what you were talking about.

Both my 98 and 00 do not have those. I checked the 98 parts car I have, folded down the passenger side, no plastic. Just for the hell of it, folded down the drivers side and saw that plastic.

I guess I'm missing it completely on my car, the 00 just never came with it, because I know that deck was never removed, and the parts car only has 1 side left.

I dont see how to remove that piece either. No clips or anything visible.

Originally posted by SVT4STD:

Originally posted by teamSVTour:
I don't know if we are speaking of the same trim piece. I'll try to explain the best I can. Once you flip down the seat, look where the back of the seat latches i.e where the seat plugs into when the seat is flipped back. Right around the latch is a navy blue plactic piece that surounds the latch. I tried to pry it off (carpet is being held/pinched under it thus not allowing the deck to come all the way off) and it began to crack. I dont think its just a pry thing. I think there has got to be a trick or some kind of tab or something. I just dont want to crack it or snap a part of it off.

Wow, I just went and looked to see what you were talking about.

Both my 98 and 00 do not have those. I checked the 98 parts car I have, folded down the passenger side, no plastic. Just for the hell of it, folded down the drivers side and saw that plastic.

I guess I'm missing it completely on my car, the 00 just never came with it, because I know that deck was never removed, and the parts car only has 1 side left.

I dont see how to remove that piece either. No clips or anything visible.

yea see what I mean. I searched everything and nowhere did it say how to get those off. It's like every other car does not have them. Wierd. The stranger part is how its held on there. There is no sign of clip etc. I need this rear deck out and prying them and potentially breaking them is not an option. Hmmm. Thanks for the help svt4std. If you happen to play w/ it and figure it out please let me know. I need this thing off by Monday. Any one else tamper w/ this and know what I'm referring to and how to get it off?

do you mean the plastic trim where the rear fold down seats actually lock shut? If so, take a flat had screw driver and pry from up from the outside edge. I just got done putting my rear deck back on and i think that's what you're talking about.

Edit...

the plastic trim around those clips? hang on, i'll go do it again for you real quick to get exact, but i know there's no clip. Also, you'll need to remove the seat belt with a torx t55 to remove the rear deck carpet out of your car.

see you don;t have them either

. Here take a look at the pic. Look at the blueish squares. That is a piece of plastic around where the seat attaches. Imagine that being a solid piece of plastic....you can see how the carpet is pinched underneath and this is what is keeping the desk from sliding out.

Those cicular push pins I just used 2 spoons on. Made cakework of the job. But those are what I'm talking about.

Anyone else have what I'm talking about. Maybe it's an SVT thing I don;t know. If everyone is still confused I can go try to get a pic of it.

I DO have what you're talking about. That's a pic from another CEGer. There are no clips on them, they pry off. I just wanted to make sure that was what you were talking about.

EDIT...Hang on, i'll get a pic 4 u of how to take them off too...

awesome! I need to see this. Those things are a PITA

I tried prying all sorts of diff ways but the darn thing was about to snap. Right in the middle of the plastic piece the plastic gets very thin and each time I tried to pry your could see the plastic "whiten" and would crack w/ any more pressure.

P.S. do you mean remove the plastic trim piece on the deck where the seatbelt comes out or do you mean actually removing the seatbelt itself? If so where is the torx screw that needs to be removed for that? I did not look at the belt too much b/c I was fidling w/ the other 2 trim pieces.

Like I said, take a standard screwdriver and turn it on the outside...

Wah Laa!

see thats exactly what I tried to do and mine was gonna crack. I'll try it again. Yours looked like it came off easy.

P.S. I think I have the same amp as you LOL. Is that a Pioneer?

Originally posted by teamSVTour:
see thats exactly what I tried to do and mine was gonna crack. I'll try it again. Yours looked like it came off easy.

P.S. I think I have the same amp as you LOL. Is that a Pioneer?

Yup, pioneer.

BTW, for rear deck removal... here

Remove the seat belt that is attached to the frame under the rear seat with a T55 torx. If you don't mind me asking, are you putting in a rear deck sub?

I'm contemplating it. I needed this thing out for a couple reasons. I am getting my car all retinted and I want the tint to go all the way down and not stop at the 3rd brake light so I'm getting 3rd brake light (attached to the deck)it out of the way. I am also thinking about doing a deck sub. I have a 12 now and it does not take much trunk space at all but a deck mount would be even better. If I do so I am also going to need to E-dead this whole area so I needed to be able to get to it for that as well.

Well, I wish you luck.

Thanks, and thanks alot for the help. I guess I was on the right track I just did not want to break anything. It really seems to be there for cosmetic purposes only but I still would not want to break it. I'll give it another try tomarrow.

Just as a sum up I found that prying up on the side edge did not work for me. I tried untill almost breaking it. Maybe b/c it was the 1st time these trim pieces were pulled off so they were on there good.

BUT, I did find that if you stick the tip of a flat head screw driver underneath the bottom edge right in the middle of the trim piece right under where the groove is and pry up there, it pops off pretty easy. There are two very tiny tabs that hook into the the metal latch and by prying here it pops them out. Figured I'd add this for anyone else that was having trouble w/ it.