'03 Removing Center Console

'03, wagon, 5 speed

trying to remove center console. removed screws into front/shifter console and according to bentley, there should be screws in rear of console but I cannot see/find them. There is no rear ash tray and rear cup holder is not the same as one in my '01 with 2 cup holders similar to the in dash cup holder. This one has usable cup holder while in the closed position and 2 cup holders near e-brake. No arm rest.

There are screws or clips holding the rear of the console down but I cannot see the screw heads and have not pryed up to hard for fear of breaking it.
Anyone know how this comes out or can you point me to a how-to thread?

Thanks,

Can you post of photo? It might help us out.

Pictures below:

http://pics.tdiclub.com/showphoto.php?photo=43479&cat=500&ppuser=72856

http://pics.tdiclub.com/showphoto.php?photo=43478&cat=500&ppuser=72856

http://pics.tdiclub.com/showphoto.php?photo=43477&cat=500&ppuser=72856

bump for lunchtime fix?

I believe that you need to remove the flat plate shown in your first picture, on the right side. There's a good write-up on the procedure at:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=958556
I had trouble getting some of the pictures to load, but eventually got all of them. Step 11 shows where the screws are located. The procedure shows the old style console.

Duane

Popped plate out by prying up between console and plate on arm rest side of plate and it popped right out.

Removed to install arm rest and just cautious of these plastic parts. Prying a little too hard can turn an $85 project into much more quickly.

Now I know.

Thanks tx

PS don't know how anyone can drive these cars long distance without an armrest.

txpigeon said:

I believe that you need to remove the flat plate shown in your first picture, on the right side. There's a good write-up on the procedure at:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=958556
I had trouble getting some of the pictures to load, but eventually got all of them. Step 11 shows where the screws are located. The procedure shows the old style console.

Click to expand...

__. I had to do the center console removal thing on my '03 wagon, too. But mine is a very early '03 (VIN **0059) and it has the "above radio" cup holder and the old style console. The Vortex procedure was good for me.

How do I access the back screws behind the armrest. I've got the new style center cup holder design, no ashtray, and I can't seem to find a way to remove the place the covers the screws. I've got the rear cup holder out, but I don't see a way to get to the screws.

Also, what are the tiny yellow sprockets down there?

pull the cup holder out, it will leave the base peace there, take a screw driver and pry up on it, its snapped in place. it will reveal the screws.

the sprockets are what the cup holder slides back and forth on.

http://c1552172.r72.cf0.rackcdn.com/14246_x800.jpg

see how the rear portion is two piece there? you can see on the back of the console itself how there is holes there and the other piece snaps in there and the cup holder itself snaps into that.

Thanks Steve,
Ya I eventually figured it out, I was just really hesitant to pry on any of that plastic.

One of the cogs had popped out and fallen down vertically, so I could figure out what the heck it did down there.

Almost all the how-tos are for the old style, and many of those are missing pictures. If you are taking pictures and notes as you go, we could have a how-to for the new style.