I decided to upgrade my console to a B7 console. The cup holders rock and the b7 console just looks nicer IMO. I now have a total of 7 cup holders throughout my b6 including 5 directly available to the driver. I'll never run out of cup holders! And, finally, I have cup holders in the console that don't get in the way of shifting (like the armrest ones do)!
This guide covers two things:
1. How to remove the B6 console.
2. How to install the B7 console into the B6 including modifying the B6 e-brake assembly.
Lets get on with it.
Removing the B6 Console
1. Start by removing the shifter trim. Use your fingers the grab the inside lip of the trim through the shifter boot and pull upward. There are 4 clips (one at each corner) that hold it in.
2. The shift knob will not come off until you remove the one-time use clamp underneath. Use a flathead screwdriver to do that now. *A zip tie will be used later to re-secure it upon re-installation*
3. Remove the headunit. Pretty self explanatory. You'll need radio keys. Unplug everything, remove the headunit.
4. With the headunit removed, you can now pop the climate control unit out from behind with your fingers. Unplug everything, remove the climate control unit.
5. With the climate control unit removed, you can now remove the flip-lid ashtray. Remove the two 8mm bolts holding the tray in. There is also a little plug and wire for the light in the ashtray. Unplug it and remove the ashtray unit.
6. Remove the two bits of foam surrounding the shifter area. One is a "C" shape in front of the shifter and the other is a "T" shape in the rear of the shifter and down into the console.
7. Remove the e-brake trim (the plastic half-moon shaped piece that's underneath the e-brake handle). Reach underneath through the shifter hole and pop it out.
8. Remove the 10 bolts holding the front part of the console in. They're all 8mm and this does not include the 2 bolts removed in step 5 (Ashtray Removal).
-2 bolts on either side of the headunit slot
-2 bolts tucked in underneath the lip where the ashtray used to be. These are hard to see as they're recessed quite a bit.
-4 bolts at the four corners where the shifter trim used to be.
-2 bolts on either side of the console, down in the footwell. You will have to pop the little covers off.
TIP: These two little plastic covers look very similar, but they are not the same. They are specific to each side.
9. Remove the ashtray and door lock button (and for some of you lucky bastards, rear seat heater buttons) from the rear of the console. The ashtray is easy: Lift the ashtray lid up and yank it out. The lock button piece is not as easy. There are two tabs holding it in on either side. Push the tabs (in or out, I don't remember) and pull the unit out. It took a decent bit of yanking for me. Don't forget to unplug the wires in the back of the lock button piece.
10. With the pieces removed in step 9, you can now remove the two bolts holding the rear of the console in and the one bolt holding the armrest in. All 3 bolts are 13mm. Remove the armrest. The console should now be loose.
FYI Pictured is a B7 armrest. I don't believe the B6 armrest has any electrical connections running to it.
We're not quite ready to remove the console yet...
11. Remove the e-brake grip. Use a screwdriver (or whatever) to push up on the metal tab underneath at the base of the grip and pull the grip off. It may be easier to disengage the metal tab if you push the grip toward the e-brake.
12. Remove the e-brake cover. To do this, pull the e-brake up (engage the e-brake). Remove the 2 philips head screws below the base of the e-brake and remove the plastic piece they were holding. Then, push a medium-sized flathead screwdriver into the space between the now exposed metal e-brake handle and the e-brake cover to disengage the tab holding it in and pull the e-brake cover off. This can be very difficult. Be patient.
13. Pull the console up and unplug the cigarette lighter wire.
The console can now be removed. Congratulations! Go have a beer... :thumbup
Now onto the slightly more advanced task of installing the B7 console...
Installing the B7 Console
1. Remove the B6 console.
2. Remove the B6 e-brake assembly.
- Remove the 2 bolts (13mm) holding the assembly.
- Unplug the e-brake sensor wire.
- Once free, unhook the ebrake assembly from the two cables on either side. This is a little tricky. You're just gonna have to mess with it. I found it easiest to pull the assembly up off of the protruding bolts and push it toward the drivers seat to remove the passenger side hook. Once one of the hooks is removed it comes right off. I also do the same for installation.
In order to get the B7 console to fit the B6, you have to:
- Lengthen the B6 cigarette lighter plug as it will not reach the B7 cigarette lighter.
- (If using the B6 e-brake assembly) Modify the two mounting bolt holes in order to slide the B6 e-brake over toward the driver into the B7 position.
Lengthening the B6 Cigarette Lighter Plug
The B7 console that I ordered from LKQ (Foster Auto Parts $100 shipped), fortunately, came with the cigarette lighter plug attached. Wires cut off... but plug attached.
Note: The B7 plug has 4 wires while the B6 plug requires only 3. Compare to the B6 plug to the B7 plug to figure out which 3 wires are required.
Also, I don't believe in hacking up ANY OEM wiring. I always make my modifications reversible.
I attached a 6" length of wire (different gauges to match each wire) to the 3 required wires of the B7 plug and put a sort of "spade" type connector on the end of each wire. I soldered and heat-shrinked everything to ensure it would last and give me no problems down the road. Plug the three spade connectors into the corresponding slots of the B6 plug and, voila!, the plug is extended!
Hook the wires together.
Solder.
Heat-shrink.
Crimp, solder, and heat-shrink the spade connectors (these are my substitutes, I didn't actually have any "spade" connectors) to the wires. Remove the covers from the spade connectors before installation. In this case, they're red, see them on the right?.
Modifying the B6 E-brake Assembly
We are modding (hacking up
) the e-brake mounting bracket to allow the B6 e-brake to fit the B7 console by moving it closer to the driver.The B7 e-brake is exactly a half (0.5) inch closer to the driver than the B6 e-brake (I measured). At first I thought I would just lengthen the holes with a tungsten carbide bit, but after measuring, the rear bolt hole has to be cut so it's open-ended, so I just did em both that way. I used a hack saw and a vice to cut. Finished off and rounded the edges with the tungsten carbide bit. Also the back side of the rear bolt hole needs to be filed down a little to allow the bracket to slide without hitting the metal lip where it mounts to the floor.
Wear those safety glasses kids! Metal flakes in the eye hurt like hell.
Here I am lining up (poorly, I might add, as you will see i the rest of the pictures) the cut with the hack saw. My wife was hanging out with me while I was working and decided to take this pic.
The front bolt hole. I was pretty far off from the edge of the hole.
The rear bolt hole and the tungsten carbide bit.
File down the back of the rear bracket.
Modded e-brake installed.
In this pic, the rear bracket is not flattened on the back like it needs to be. Notice how it will hit the raised potion (painted) of the floor.
Installed with the back side of the rear bracket filed down.
The B7 e-brake cover bracket does not work on the B6 e-brake assembly as only one of the bolt holes matches up and it sits too high, not allowing the B7 e-brake cover to seat properly.
Instead, the B6 e-brake cover bracket needs to be modified. Cut off the bottom portion of the B6 cover bracket.
Mounted to the B6 e-brake assembly.
Your B7 console can now be installed!!!
As they say in 90% of all repair manuals: Installation is the reverse of the removal procedure. lol
One note on the final installation, though:
I believe the B6 e-brake is slightly longer than the b7 e-brake. This doesn't allow the console to simply slide over the installed B6 e-brake assembly. I removed both mounting nuts on the e-brake assembly in order to gain enough wiggle room to slide the console over. Don't worry, you can access the nuts easy enough (with a long ratchet extention) after the console has been positioned.
Once you're done, admire your work:
And GO USE IT!!!
For additional information and a complete parts/numbers list of the B7 console: Thanks RLB6!!!
B7 center console swap -- the entire parts list, in all colors
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im planning on doing this as well as soon as i can source a b7 console cheap enough
Originally Posted by victimdumper
GONE
Though like most of the wreckers price depends on mood, the parts pullers' attitude, availability, etc.
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