I've used various tools - small flat head screw drivers, needle nose pliers, plastic trim removal tools, ect. I get some good results and some bad.

Pulling those clips is almost always a gamble once the car has some age. I keep a "supply" of different types around because it seems like anytime I work on the older Honda's I have (two 2007's and then the 1989) I end up breaking a few of them.

Don't get me wrong, I have spare "clips" for the 2016 as I seem to loose those ......I pull a panel and one goes flying into that "clip black hole in the universe"

 

I worked on a few Hondas that have had clips go to that "clip black hole in the universe" before (they were missing), or got some sort of improvised clip to replace the original ones.When I first started working on my own Hondas, I looked thru on e-bay for "Honda clips" and bought about 200 of a couple of different sizes. Sure made life easier putting them back together with new clips. 8-)

 

Update:
i evacuated the system, pulled vaccum several times. Checked the vaccum holdind for half an hour, then took the car for regas. Its generating ice cold air through all vents. Didn’t replace any components. Do you think if there was a problem in the system, it would work like now?

 

I would say that your components are ok. I'll guess that you have a slow leak somewhere in the system. I'd keep using it until you see a decrease in a/c performance, then add some dye in the system to locate the leak.

 

Glad you got to the bottom of your trouble. And I hope it keeps working for you. I'd run it a while, and keep an eye on it, as you might develop an "O" ring leak (common fault of AC juice loss).