Removing factory fit phone cradle (in front of glovebox)

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bazzabear
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Removing factory fit phone cradle (in front of glovebox)

Post by bazzabear » Fri Jul 22, 2016 7:26 pm

My S4 had the standard fit phone cradle that's on the side of the centre console. We've never used it, and have an aftermarket radio now with bluetooth, so we never will.

I've been meaning to go around to getting rid of the cradle for ages, and have finally got around to it. Cradle came off easy enough, leabing us in this state:

http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u36 ... oto-28.jpg

(Not my picture - someone on the net who was going in the opposite direction to me!)

I intended to get a trim repairer to fit the holes I knew would be left in the dash - but the problem is that the two connections you can see in that picture are too big to just push back through the holes as I'd hoped.

The question I have for you clever chaps is (and I feel daft even asking it, because it sounds like a BAD idea):

Can I just cut off those connectors, or will it do major bad juju to my electrics?

The annoying thing is that I'm sure when the guy fitted the radio he said he'd disconnected these wires so I could get rid of the cradle if I wanted ... but I'm not sure enough to be confident doing it if it might kerblamo the car...

Any advice gratefully received!

bazzabear
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Re: Removing factory fit phone cradle (in front of glovebox)

Post by bazzabear » Fri Jul 22, 2016 8:12 pm

OK, I've been thinking a bit more about this myself.

I wondered if I could find the other end of those wires and disconnect them there. I assume they will be wherever the actual bluetooth module is (sure I remember reading it's under the drivers footwell, but can't find that info now).

That led to another idea - checking the fuse plan, fuse 8 is for the telephone and nothing else. Removing said fuseresults in "Audi UHV 8287" disappearing from the list of bluetooth devices when I search with my phone, and putting the fuse back in brings it back.

It therefore seems logical to me that as long as I remove that fuse, I have decommissioned the bluetooth device, and cutting those cables off will not be an issue.

Can anyone confirm my thinking?

marc1
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Re: Removing factory fit phone cradle (in front of glovebox)

Post by marc1 » Sat Jul 23, 2016 8:09 am

Pretty sure the other end of that wire will be in the back of the stero. Pull out the stereo though to give you the room to trace the wire back and as you say, disconnect it from the source and see what happens.

Rw@@dy
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Re: Removing factory fit phone cradle (in front of glovebox)

Post by Rw@@dy » Sat Jul 23, 2016 8:40 am

You should be able fine them behind the head unit to remove but when I took mine out once you remove the bracket that held the phone holder you can get the cables back through the hole

bazzabear
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Re: Removing factory fit phone cradle (in front of glovebox)

Post by bazzabear » Sat Jul 23, 2016 9:28 am

Thanks. The wife is out in the car currently, but when she gets back, I'll see whether I can get the head unit out.

That black connector block just wouldn't fit past the support behind the edge of the console for me unfortunately. It's possible, I suppose, that the thing blocking it is part of the cage assembly for the new head unit.

bazzabear
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Re: Removing factory fit phone cradle (in front of glovebox)

Post by bazzabear » Sat Jul 23, 2016 9:59 am

Just to report back (because it's horrible when you do an internet search, find your exact question, but there's no final answer!):

Just to report back, on the vague chance that this comes up for anyone else:

I started on a plan to pull the pins from the connector block, and isolate the individual cables, but what I quickly found was that the black connector block was kind of an adapter plate. It could be unlocked, and a smaller connector block slid out of it. In fact, looking at the picture in my original post, that guy is showing only the smaller block.

Anyway, that smaller block fits fine into the dash hole, so can be happily sealed up in there with no risk of setting fire to us. :)
I guess, Rw@@dy, that the block you found when you did this job was the smaller one, hence it fitting. Maybe my cradle was a later (or earlier) model, hence the adapter.

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clived
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Re: Removing factory fit phone cradle (in front of glovebox)

Post by clived » Fri Jan 20, 2017 4:51 pm

Did you end up completing this - pushing the connectors through and getting some sort of fix on the dashboard? How does it look?
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B5 RS4: MRC custom remap, Milltek 100cpi cats and rear system, RS6 8-pots, H&R PCS coilovers, H&R ARBs, AWE DTS, Tanoga Shortshift, Dynaudio / Focal / Genesis / iPod audio: SOLD, and still missed. One day....

bazzabear
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Re: Removing factory fit phone cradle (in front of glovebox)

Post by bazzabear » Sat Aug 05, 2017 10:39 am

Sorry, only just spotted this again. I got everything hidden within the console. I have to admit though, haven't got around to having the hole patched yet.

We got a Brodit satnav mount fitted, and it covers the worst of the holes. Really must get around to patching the other though...

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SimonS4MTM
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Re: Removing factory fit phone cradle (in front of glovebox)

Post by SimonS4MTM » Sat Aug 05, 2017 1:46 pm

A new centre console is only around £100 from Audi. I got one for mine and changed it in about 2 hours. Better that getting someone to patch up the whole.


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