MFT Screen Removal

Hey all!

Does anyone know how to remove the two silver trim panels on either side of the MFT screen/controls?

I have had it in the shop several times for a very annoying buzz/rattle behind the nav screen that goes away with a light touch to the screen and the service folks are probably deaf in addition to incompetent, so I keep getting the "we couldn't replicate it" thing and they won't take it apart unless they repicate it.

As usual, if I want something done I am better off doing it myself. I just want to see if there is something obvious that is causing the buzz or if the screen itself needs to be replaced under warranty.

The Ford shop manual doesn't really say how to remove these trim panels. I got my fingers pinched under them and pulled but there was absolutely no movement and I don't want to break them.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

It just pulls off. There are like 6 small snap clips that hold it on. Make sure you pull by the clips so you don't break it.

JustB_Rad said:

It just pulls off. There are like 6 small snap clips that hold it on. Make sure you pull by the clips so you don't break it.

Click to expand...

Thank you, sir.

So, again looking at the service manual, there are 3 clips for each trim panel? I guess I need to get some nylon pry tools since I was unable to get it by hand.

Should I pry from the inside edge of the trim panel (toward the screen) or the outside edge (I was guessing from the inside since it is hard plastic to pry against there versus the squishy plastic on the outside)? I just don't want to damage anything.

Forkmachine said:

Thank you, sir.

So, again looking at the service manual, there are 3 clips for each trim panel? I guess I need to get some nylon pry tools since I was unable to get it by hand.

Should I pry from the inside edge of the trim panel (toward the screen) or the outside edge (I was guessing from the inside since it is hard plastic to pry against there versus the squishy plastic on the outside)? I just don't want to damage anything.

Click to expand...

I think I started at the top with a nylon prying tool just long enough to get my fingers inside, and then just yanked it off.

I have a buzzing in the same area that goes away by pushing on the piece between the air vents and the mft screen.

JustB_Rad said:

I think I started at the top with a nylon prying tool just long enough to get my fingers inside, and then just yanked it off.

Click to expand...

Cool, thanks. I will give it a go this evening.

harlenm said:

I have a buzzing in the same area that goes away by pushing on the piece between the air vents and the mft screen.

Click to expand...

I can push on the screen or pretty much on the plastic anywhere around it and it goes away. I will post my findings if I can figure out how to make it go away permanently.

Forkmachine said:

Cool, thanks. I will give it a go this evening.



I can push on the screen or pretty much on the plastic anywhere around it and it goes away. I will post my findings if I can figure out how to make it go away permanently.

Click to expand...

We must have the same rattle, cause I just pressed on the screen and it stops. Seems like we need a little foam in between the screen and the plastic up under the bezel.

I have the same exact rattle on my 2012 after a few weeks! Keep us posted on any permanent solutions.

I am headed across snowy lands in our 05 Sport Trac so I will probably not get this figured out until after the new year but I will be sure to keep people posted on a good fix if I can deterimine one.

Forkmachine said:

I am headed across snowy lands in our 05 Sport Trac so I will probably not get this figured out until after the new year but I will be sure to keep people posted on a good fix if I can deterimine one.

Click to expand...

Please do, gonna make an appointment for 3 TSB's to be fixed, as well as the rattle issue.

1st quarter 2012 can't come soon enough, as the MFT issue is just getting worse.

Ok, the rattle/vibration is gone.

I just pulled off the two trim panels (the proper tools make this possible...don't know why I waited so long to get a nylon pry tool set), then removed the four screws to get the control panel/screen bezel/air vent piece off.

There is one little wire connecting the control panel and clips at the top and up at the center speaker grille (pull straight out to get those loose).

Then the screen is exposed. I just went to Home Depot and bought a small roll of 3/16" black weatherstripping, labeled as being for "very narrow gaps". I put this around the sides and top of the screen on the metal frame and put everything back together and took it on a test drive around the craptastic roads in town. No more buzz!

All in all, it was pretty easy. I wish I hadn't waited so many months of the dealer refusing to fix it before doing it myself.

I really wish you had taken pictures of this process... that same rattling is about to make me go insane...

Forkmachine said:

Ok, the rattle/vibration is gone.

I just pulled off the two trim panels (the proper tools make this possible...don't know why I waited so long to get a nylon pry tool set), then removed the four screws to get the control panel/screen bezel/air vent piece off.

There is one little wire connecting the control panel and clips at the top and up at the center speaker grille (pull straight out to get those loose).

Then the screen is exposed. I just went to Home Depot and bought a small roll of 3/16" black weatherstripping, labeled as being for "very narrow gaps". I put this around the sides and top of the screen on the metal frame and put everything back together and took it on a test drive around the craptastic roads in town. No more buzz!

All in all, it was pretty easy. I wish I hadn't waited so many months of the dealer refusing to fix it before doing it myself.

Click to expand...

Thank you. Gonna print this out and bring it to the dealer. My car is going in Wednesday for brake, windows, a pillar tsbs and this.

Rosko97 said:

I really wish you had taken pictures of this process... that same rattling is about to make me go insane...

Click to expand...

Sorry, I am really bad about taking pictures of things while I do it. I understand too - that crap was driving me absolutely nuts for months.

It really is pretty easy though - here's a more detailed write up of what I did:

Remove the two silver trim panels as follows.

1. Apply two layers of masking tape to the plastic bezel around the nav screen and all the way down to the bottom of the climate control panels. Make sure the tape tight up against the trim panels on both sides. This will minimize the chances of scratching anything up.

2. Starting at the top of the trim panels by the vents, slide a nylon pry tool in and pry to release the small upper clip that is molded into the trim panels.

3. The next clip, in the region of the top of the nav screen is actually a really annoying peg clip similar to the clips for door panels. I had to get the pry tool right up next to it it to get it to come out.

4. Immediately below that peg clip is yet a different kind of clip, this time, it's one of those expanding slot clips. There is a second one towards the top of climate control panel and a third down beneath the control panel. By the time I had the peg clip out I could use my hands to release these final two clips, starting with the top one. Remember to pull straight out on the panel near each clip so you don't risk breaking it.

Once the trim panels are removed, it is pretty easy sailing.

5. Remove the four hex head screws on either side of the nav screen bezel.

6. Starting at the bottom of the climate/audio control panel, grasp at the sides where the trim panels were and pull straight out again. The clips holding it in should release easily.

NOTE: Be careful of the one wire connecting to the control panel towards the bottom right. I was able to disconnect it before proceeding, but you might want to wait until you have the whole control panel and bezel assembly free.

7. Work your way up, again pulling straight out, until you get to the top. The clips at the top of mine were snapped into the framework of my center channel speaker grille. I grasped at the edges of the bezel by the center vents and again firmly pulled straight out.

8. Disconnect the one wire from the control panel if you haven't already done so.

9. Now you see the guts of the electronics system. The screen has a steel frame around it and I applied the weatherstripping from home depot that I referred to in my previous post on both sides and the top of the screen (putting it on the bottom won't do any good). I was careful to attach it to the steel so it could not be seen once everything was back together. Some of it rolled around the edges, but that is fine.

When everything is done you should see very little (if any) steel frame around the nav screen on the sides and the top.

That's it. Everything in reverse to reassemble (the trim panels go back on easier than they came off).

Just as an aside, I had always been able to see the bottom steel of the screen so when I put things back together I put pressure on the bezel in the upward direction before I put those four screws back in and it isn't visible anymore unless I lean forward and really look for it.


Sorry about the lack of the pictures. I hope I was able to paint an acceptable one with my words.

harlenm said:

Thank you. Gonna print this out and bring it to the dealer. My car is going in Wednesday for brake, windows, a pillar tsbs and this.

Click to expand...

No problem. I hope your service was successful. The screen buzz made me want to strangle someone, but fortunately I haven't noticed enough issues relating to the other TSBs to have the work done by the hacks at any dealer nearby.

The window streaking seems to have gone away after a few window washings. I am still pretty sure we are giving this thing back after the two year lease is up though. I am afraid a bunch of the issues I have been lucky enough to avoid will just show up after warranty.

Forkmachine said:

No problem. I hope your service was successful. The screen buzz made me want to strangle someone, but fortunately I haven't noticed enough issues relating to the other TSBs to have the work done by the hacks at any dealer nearby.

The window streaking seems to have gone away after a few window washings. I am still pretty sure we are giving this thing back after the two year lease is up though. I am afraid a bunch of the issues I have been lucky enough to avoid will just show up after warranty.

Click to expand...

It's at the dealer now for an overnight stay. Hopefully the heard the noise and were able to fix it. I gave them a print out of your original description of the fix.

Here is a recording of the sound. Its a 3ga file, not sure what player will play it.

http://db.tt/geOaTRGn