Dash cap cover

The former owner of my 1986 560 sl put a dash cap cover on to to cover the cracks in the dash. He covered the climate control sensor. My question is since I'd like to fix his mistake, can I remover the cover w/o damaging it? If I can do I remove the sensor and fit this around the cover or? If I have to buy a new cap how do I get the old one off and again how do I handle the sensor issue. Thaks for all the help. This forum is great.

I don't think it's possible to remove the dash cover without damaging it. When I changed the dash cover on my '78 450SL, there was no way to salvage it. The cover is attached using a silicone adhesive, so getting ALL the pieces of the old dash cover off was a chore. The new dash cover did not have the hole for the sensor. I had to lay out the location for the sensor and drill and file the hole for the sensor. To do the installation job right, expect to spend 4 to 6 hours.

Thanks Neil,

I kind of knew that I would have to get a new cover. Is the silicone that hard to take off?Would it be easier to remove the sensor and make a hole in the new dash cover with the sensor out? Wondering if I should really bother with the whole thing, who knows if the senor really works at all...

It's not difficult to get the silicone off, it's tedious. The old cover may break apart (mine did), and then you have to be careful not to get cut. In some areas the silicone adhered better than others. It's worth the effort to get all the silicone off. It would really be easy if you could take out the windshield, especially when you're putting the new dash cover on. It's important that you get good, all-over adhesion. It's best to keep some weight or pressure on the new dash cover until the silicone cures (about 24hours)......this can be tricky.
I'd definitely remove the sensor to make the hole in the new dash cover, that way you can use it to assure that the hole is big enough for the sensor to fit. Once the new dash cover is installed, it's almost impossible to cut the sensor hole. So I'd recommend making the hole and putting in the sensor.