Hi folks and Brickboard admins,

I just had an experience that I think I could have avoided had I been better prepared. I cracked my windshield badly while trying to extract my cowl panel.

Here's what I suggest be added to the FAQ:

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Regarding the center bolt for the cowl panel lip: the 10mm bolt that holds the braided ground wire from the valve cover ended up being the mysterious 'third screw' that holds the cowl panel on. The AC line clamp right beside it is also 10mm, but has a nut on the other side of the firewall and holds nothing else.

If the car has an aftermarket windshield, or one not installed by someone in the Volvo in-crowd, it can be installed with the cowl as well as the cowl's top molding adhered to the windshield, making it almost impossible to remove. In this case, I found that working the looser side as far out as possible was the only way to 'crack' the other side loose. Unfortunately, while prying out the butyl rubber near the stuck edge, the force of leverage put a 10-inch vertical crack in the glass.

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I hope I'm not overstepping here, as I'm pretty green, but I think these couple of remarks could save some other folks a little time and grief.

Thanks,

Ari