# Removing console switches?



## donpost (Jul 12, 2018)

Hi All,

So this morning as I was getting out of my 2 month old Atlas I grabbed my coffee that was in the cup holders and as I was pulling it up the top popped off and I spilled a bunch of coffee (luckily black) all over the console. :banghead: On the positive side it wiped up well but I was wondering if anyone knows how to pop out the console switches to I can clean any fluid that got under them.. Not how I was planning on spending my Saturday morning.

Thanks!

-Don


----------



## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

Food inside your vehicle?


----------



## knedrgr (Jun 6, 2011)

Sucks to hear your luck.

I did spend the weekend installing heated elements in the front seats. So, I had to pulled the console to install my switches. The center console can be remove by:

1) Gently pull up the shifter's boot, around the edge. You can grab a bit of the rim from under/inside the boot and yank it upward.
2) Flip up the arm rest to get it out of the way.
3) Once the boot if off, pull it over the shifter knob. You can cub underneath the console panel and yank upward. There are 6 total attachment points on the whole panel, one in each corner and one on each side of the long sides.
4) Grab part of the cub holder's adjustment tabs as leverage to remove the console panel. 

The console is on fairly tight and will take some force to detach. You might hear some crack, when pulled off, but that's normal due to the attachment points. This will remove the whole panel from the phone cubby to the arm rest.


----------



## donpost (Jul 12, 2018)

Thanks!!!

I'll give it a try this weekend and let you know how it worked out.. Hopefully they thought this might happen and have it fairly well sealed but only inspection will find out..

Again thanks for the tips!

-Don


----------



## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

knedrgr said:


> Sucks to hear your luck.
> 
> I did spend the weekend installing heated elements in the front seats. So, I had to pulled the console to install my switches. The center console can be remove by:
> 
> ...


Anyone done this or can shed any more light on it? I pulled the shifter boot and tried pulling up the console trim, but it wouldn't budge. I was afraid of breaking something. Sounds like it takes a strong pull? VW's parts diagram just shows clips along the sides, consistent with what you said...


----------



## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

mhjett said:


> Anyone done this or can shed any more light on it? I pulled the shifter boot and tried pulling up the console trim, but it wouldn't budge. I was afraid of breaking something. Sounds like it takes a strong pull? VW's parts diagram just shows clips along the sides, consistent with what you said...


As with any snap in part meant to be noise free, the holding tabs would have to be push in manually. It wouldn't come out with a pull.


----------



## knedrgr (Jun 6, 2011)

mhjett said:


> Anyone done this or can shed any more light on it? I pulled the shifter boot and tried pulling up the console trim, but it wouldn't budge. I was afraid of breaking something. Sounds like it takes a strong pull? VW's parts diagram just shows clips along the sides, consistent with what you said...


Yes, you'll need to put some force behind the pull. It'll come off.


----------



## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

knedrgr said:


> Yes, you'll need to put some force behind the pull. It'll come off.


Thanks! Any particular part of the panel that you put pressure on or pull up first? Or just pull up the whole thing? It seemed the left front was flexing a lot, given it's narrower because of the shifter.


----------



## knedrgr (Jun 6, 2011)

mhjett said:


> Thanks! Any particular part of the panel that you put pressure on or pull up first? Or just pull up the whole thing? It seemed the left front was flexing a lot, given it's narrower because of the shifter.


That's the first corner that I'd pulled.


----------



## Ashgoodly (Feb 9, 2021)

donpost said:


> Hi All,
> 
> So this morning as I was getting out of my 2 month old Atlas I grabbed my coffee that was in the cup holders and as I was pulling it up the top popped off and I spilled a bunch of coffee (luckily black) all over the console. :banghead: On the positive side it wiped up well but I was wondering if anyone knows how to pop out the console switches to I can clean any fluid that got under them.. Not how I was planning on spending my Saturday morning.
> 
> ...


Is this the cup holder trim area? I am replacing that and trying to see if this thread is discussing it’s removal?


----------



## Ashgoodly (Feb 9, 2021)

knedrgr said:


> Sucks to hear your luck.
> 
> I did spend the weekend installing heated elements in the front seats. So, I had to pulled the console to install my switches. The center console can be remove by:
> 
> ...


Is this the trim around the cup holders? We are trying to replace ours?


----------



## Danniaction (Mar 6, 2021)

GTINC said:


> Food inside your vehicle?


What the **** do you think the cup holders are for you dip****? Storing jars of your pretentious thoughts so you can write comments like this on other people's ****?
People eat in their cars and drink! that's why there's cup holders. By the way I signed up for this room just to ****ing reply to this bull****


----------



## shadytheatlas (Jul 5, 2018)

good ness


----------

