This 2011 Ford Expedition came in with the complaint that the driver’s side vents were stuck on heat. Since this truck has rear floor vents under the seats as shown below, the seats have to be removed from the vehicle.
The plastic trim covers unsnap from the seat brackets to reveal the attaching bolts. The seats need to be positioned fully forward to remove rear the bolts.
Then the seats need to be moved fully to the rear to remove the front bolts. The trim cover in the front has already been removed in the next picture. Also there is only one and it is over the outermost bracket and bolt. After all of the bolts are removed the seat should be moved one more time to center the seat over the tracks. Then the seat can be tilted back to access the wiring harness so that it can be disconnected. The yellow connector bodies are for the seat airbags and the manufacturers procedures should be followed before disconnecting and reconnecting those harnesses.
Once the wiring harness is fully disconnected, inch the seat assembly forward enough so that the seat back can be rotated towards the door opening. Doing this allows for the seat to be picked up by the backrest and rear seat cushion area. This coupled with the seat track’s centered position makes it less likely to damage any trim panels upon removing the seat,. I removed the sill plate and laid a fender cover over the carpet. I also had previously rolled the window down and hung a fender cover over the interior door panel to help prevent damage.
Now that the seats are removed the attaching side screws for the center console can be removed. The forward screws have cover plates over them that have to first be removed. I had already removed them before taking this picture.
The center console’s upper trim plate has to be removed. First lift the insert in the front storage tray to expose the 7 mm headed screw.
Of course the next step is to remove that screw.
This step is one of choice and until I get to do this again I will not be sure which is best. I knew the trim ring around the shifter assembly needed to come off but I was not sure how. In the end I used a wide plastic pry bar to lift up on the ring near the points of resistance and then used a small screw driver to move the tabs away from the shifter body. I worked my way around until all four clips were released.
I then used the same wide bladed plastic pry bar to lift the trim panel and released the spring clip. The spring clips are very tight and there are quite a few around the exterior edge. I started at the driver’s side rear edge and then the passenger side rear edge. Going from one side to the other I worked my way to the front.
I have read about others just concentrating on lifting the main panel out and the trim ring will come with it. Honestly it all felt like it was going to break to me so I was just going with experience and trying not to break anything.
Once all of the spring clips were free I moved the shifter handle back and lifted the panel up and towards the rear of the truck.
Now the main center console’s two forward screws could be removed.
The shifter cable and the harness junction blocks are still holding the center console in the truck.
There is a locking tab that needs to be released before the cable can be slid up and out of the housing.
I then removed the four bolts that hold the shifter to the console.
Then disconnected the wiring harness connector.
I did not feel that I could get the correct angle on the shifter cable to release it without breaking something so I released the plastic clips that hold the top trim panel in place first.
Then I could get a suitable tool in there to detach the cable end from the ball.
Now that the shifter assembly is out of the way I could turn my attention to the harness connectors. The two large connector separate by fully loosening the center attaching bolts.
Then the SRS wire can be disconnected. Again use the manufacturers guidelines before working with the SRS system.
This is what you have left after the center console’s main body is removed.
