Dieatomic's instructions were really helpful. Along the way I took some additional photos, and I thought I'd share them with you guys. Here goes!
Step 0: Put your car in neutral
Having the gear-shift in the neutral position will help make things easier later. Make sure you keep the parking brake ON, and make sure your on a level surface. From this point on, do NOT turn on the car. If you do, the car will detect many electrical components have been disconnected, and you'll have a bunch of computer warnings show up (read down in dieatomic's thread).
Step 1: Remove the climate controls
This step might not be necessary, but it makes accessing the bolts around the ash-tray much easier. Dieatomic used a small hook to pull the climate controls forward. I didn't have such a tool, so I used an alternative method.
Using your finger, feel around the underside of the climate control unit, just below the passenger-side tempature knob. You'll feel a hole you can stick your finger up in. Doing so, pull the passenger-side of the unit forward. Create just enough gap to pry forward around the passenger-side of the unit with a bone tool. Inch along the side up then along the top until you can pull the entire unit forward. There are four clips holding it in, once unclipped it pulls straight forward.
Using the bone tool:
The finger-holes on the underside:
Once you pull it forward, there are two wire-harnesses to remove. Cut the zip-tie on the drivers side. Pull the red tab out from both harnesses, then depress the clip & remove each.
Wire harnesses on backside of climate control:
Step 2: Remove the trim around the gear-shift
Slide open the ash tray. On each side you'll see a clip. They're in the green circles in this picture:
Start with the clip on the drivers side. Insert a screw driver and push the clip outwards (towards the side where your feet are). Then using your fingers lift up on the trim piece surrounding the gear shift. Using a bone tool, slide into the side UNDER the rubber gasket that lines the underside.
Using the bone tool under the rubber gasket:
You can remove the screw driver now - work the bone tool down towards your seat, then around the bottom of the trim piece. Now insert the screw driver into the opposite clip hole and push outwards towards the passenger foot well. Work the bone tool up the passenger side until the entire panel has been released. The clips holding the panel are really strong, so don't worry if it requires a little more effort than expected.
Carefully lift up on the panel:
Unclip all the electrical harnesses underneath.
The shift-boot has four clips on the underside (two on driver-side, two on passenger-side). Push in two on the driver side and carefully lift up the boot. You can now remove the trim panel by rotating the boot and sliding it through the hole.
Boot clips:
Step 3: Remove the ash-tray
Next the ash tray is removed. There are two 8mm bolts on either side of the tray.
Remove these, then lift-up and pull the tray towards you and set it aside.
Step 4: Remove the arm-rest
Next the arm-rest must be removed. Raise it, and using your hand pry open the bottom gently. It will snap out fairly easily:
Next, undo the two exposed torx (T25) screws. Set the arm-rest aside.
Step 5: Remove the rear HVAC controls
Now time to jump in the back seat. Using a bone tool, remove the air-vent. Start by prying around the top of the vent. Go around the sides until it pops-out.
Undo the wire harness and set the vent aside.
Next, look inside the hole - on the left side is a 8mm bolt (shown in green below). Remove it.
On the opposite side, there's a clip, push it in and use a bone tool to work around the outside of the entire piece. There are three clips holding it in on each side:
Once freed, unclip the wire harness and set the unit aside.
Step 6: Unbolt the center console
At this point, there are eight 8mm bolts holding in the center console. Four up front, and two in the rear.
Begin by removing the 4 rear bolts. The first two are tough to spot - they face upwards in the area where you removed the HVAC vent. This photo is looking inside the hole left by the missing vent. The bolts are shown in green. Remove them.
The next two are down by the carpet, shown in green in this photo. Remove them as well:
Now, move back to the front seat. The first two bolts are up where the ash-tray used to be. This photo shows me removing the driver-side bolt. The other one is exactly opposite, facing the passenger-side. Remove them both.
The last two bolts are opposite one another just below the gear shift. This photo shows the passenger-side bolt (in green). Remove this one and the driver-side bolt exactly opposite.
Step 7: Remove the center console
At this point, the center console should be removable. You can do this yourself, but having a friend makes it much easier. Start by going to the back seat. Lift up on the console and clear the arm rest. Hopefully you've already disconnected the wire-harness for the 12v outlet in the center cubby hole. If you haven't, reach under the console and do that now.
Finally - Have your friend in the front lift the front up, then slide the entire unit backwards towards the rear seat and lift it up to remove it.
Center console - partially lifted:
Success!
To re-install the console, reverse all the steps above. When lowing the console back into place, make sure not to pinch any of the wire-harnesses around the gear-shift. Remember to re-do the zip-tie behind the climate control unit. And make sure to keep all your bolts organized so you don't lose any!
Again - make sure you do NOT turn on the engine until after you've reconnected all the wire-harnesses and the climate control unit.
Hopefully this was helpful - and I want to thank dieatomic again, I couldn't have done this without his help!
Thanks!
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Originally Posted by vaf888
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