I removed the 3 screws from the lower plastic cover but it wont come loose
. Do I have to pry it off to get access to the tilt mechanism that has stopped working?

 

Hello and welcome to ClubLexus!

Try this thread for the removal and the common fix for the tilt mechanism's plastic gear and metal worm gear:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/per...wheel-fix.html

The fix to the worm gear setup is also addressed in this thread:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...ng-repair.html

The plastic housing should not be forced, no. Gently push on the areas shown in the first thread where two internal plastic tab catches hold the housing together. The two shallow screws and one very deep screw just locate the two halves in place on the metal column.