Pulling my car apart !!

[Tomson]

Hi all,

I need help with simple instruction of how the centre console comes to pieces - the bit I am talking about is around the gearstick and armrest piece.

I am sure it is just a case of finding the hidden screws and undoing them all in the right order, sure to be some around the gearstick. Before I start I just wondered if anyone has had a go before.

Thanks,

T

[JohnW]

The carbon bit (well it is csarbon on mine) just pulls up from the rear. That will expose some screws.
Also try removing the rear ash tray and you sohuld find a couple in there.

I have no idea about any other screws as that was as far as I needed to go (was actually fitting the short shifter, but fixed a rattle while in there).

[Tomson]

Cheers, john, I will have a go at the weekend as I have a cunning plan !!!

[Golich]

I found two tech articles on www.Audiworld.com, look in their "tech" section header and "interior" Unfortunately the articales are not ideal but better than nothing. The short shifter articale has some pics on the removal of the carbon fibre/black gear stick panel and second artical with unfortunately no pics gives a detailed description on how to remove the centre console/arm rest as copied below. Be carefull though as the artical is dated 1996 article so could be from an even older A4 but I can't imagine they have changed the fundamentals!

Of course you could always download the official Audi workshop manual direct from Audi Erwin at about £13 for the section. https://erwin.audi.com/erWinAudi/

Ref: www.Audiworld.com

There are two large pieces that form the center console. The rear part is removed first. Slide the front seats all the way back, and remove an 8mm hex bolt from each side of the console (you first need to pry off the trim cap, you'll see it, just a few inches aft of the gear shift). Remove the rear ash tray. This will expose two 13mm nuts with large washers; remove them (there may be a third nut visible, that is visibly different; do not remove this one). Remove the rectangular rubber pad from the rectangular well to the right of the parking brake (in front of the phone jack); it just sits in there, not glued or anything. Now remove the phone jack assembly; it's a black box that sits in the rear of the rectangular well, and it is held in place by spring clips. Push the front edge of it aft, and lift it out. This will expose another 13mm nut that you need to remove.

The rear part of the console is now essentially free, after removing 2 screws and three nuts. To lift it out, though, you need to first remove the parking brake trim. As you look at the parking brake, notice that the black plastic trim is in two pieces: the handgrip, about 5" or so long, and the rest of it, to the rear of the handgrip. You must first detach the handgrip from the larger rear trim. Where they meet, underneath, there is a square plastic "plug" that is pushed in from below. This plug is part of the handgrip, and must be removed by prying it downward. Once the plug is removed, the handgrip will slide forward and off. You can then slide the larger trim off (you may have to slide it forward and back a bit to loosen it, there is a piece of it near the top rear that fits into the parking brake handle).

Once the parking brake trim is removed, you need to lift the console at the rear and slide it backwards a bit to free it from the front part of the console. First, though, you need to remove the diagnostic connector from the rear ashtray area; do this, by using a small flat-blade screwdriver and sliding it down along the grooves in the side of the connector housing, to free the connector catches. You'll be able to push the connector down and out of the console. The rear console is now free to remove.

Remove the front part of the console as follows. The rear console must have been removed first, as above. In the driver's side footwell, there is a nut that must be removed. Pry off the trim cap in the side of the console, up near the gas pedal, and remove this nut. (The passenger's side doesn't have a nut, the console is held in place by a clip... sliding the console forward will free it off this clip). Remove the gear shift knob by unscrewing it. Pull the top of the leather shifter surround up and over the shifter. Remove the wood trim from around the switches/radio/climate control as follows: first, slide the radio forward. This will expose two 8mm hex screws, one on each side of the radio, that hold the wood trim in place. Remove these (and verify that they are indeed the screws that hold the wood trim, which is mounted to a plastic frame, in place!). The trim is also held in place by two spring clips, one on each side of the climate control. With the screws removed, you should be able to snap the wood trim out of these clips. Once these clips are free, the trim slides straight out (NOT up or down... there are slots above the switches, that tabs in the trim frame slide into for alignement, so the trim must be pulled straight back).

Ref Audiworld tech article "Removing the centre Console"
Removing the wooden trim will expose the four 8mm bolts that you need to remove to free the console. It should slide straight back a bit, then you can remove it; you will first need to disconnect the cigarette lighter connector (the connector has a tab on each side of it; squeeze these tabs inward to remove the connector).

[Tomson]

Cheers mate...bob on

[toasty]

So what's the cunning plan? Something security related perhaps...

[derdle]

Hi,

It was a long time ago when I did this..and I've since been to sleep so have probably forgotten something. But, if I remember rightly, there is/are a couple caps either side hiding the (torx?) screws and I think I had to pull the radio out of the centre - a couple of screws underneath the radio. Then it slides back and off.

I will stand corrected if anyone else knows different.

Paul

[Tomson]

Here is the finished results.

[img]modules/pnCPG/Coppermine/albums/userpics/11036/rs246_norm_Start.jpg[/img]

[img]modules/pnCPG/Coppermine/albums/userpics/11036/rs246_norm_Button.jpg[/img]

[nervus]

S2000 button?

[Tomson]

Yes mate, lots and lots of sanding and filling required though, S2000 button is far to big for the hole.

[Hutch]

who needs the new RS4! That looks great!

can you still use the last turn on the ignition barrel?

[Tomson]

Yes mate, wife told me that, it was a waste of time etc etc, and that If i rendered the ignition barrell useless she would cut off my balls - she a lovely lady. So I left it attached - bet she pressed the button though this morning!!

[911TT_STEVO]

T I have to say that's a pretty good little mod, it's not to boy racer style (lexus lights and all...) but I actually like that!

Is that where the ciggy spark-up thing was?

[Tomson]

Many thanks, yes mate, initially i was going to leave it so it still spun around - but the back of the button is to long !! - so i went for the piano black look like the inserts in the new RS4 styleeeeeee