# Auto console removal tip, COMPLETE ashtray diassembly, and plastic repair tips. Lots of pics...



## ghettocruiser (Jul 9, 2010)

*MK4 Jetta: Auto console removal tip, COMPLETE ashtray diassembly, and plastic repair tips. Lots of pics...*

Hey everyone. As Im going through the process of fixing up the 2000 GLS that I just got, Im doing a lot of searching on this site and a few others. There are a couple things that there just isnt any info on. If there is, there are broken links or missing pics etc etc. 

I just recently replaced my glove box assembly, so I had to remove my entire center console. Im not convinced this is necessary honestly. It looks like the front part of the console will lift up off of the rear part, without having to remove the armrest and all that... But all the write ups tell you to remove all of that stuff in the back, so I wont argue. I actually think that the front should be removed first, because the tabs on the front of the rear console get leveraged and broken when you try to remove it. Ill test this theory when I put it all back together. But there was close to no good info on removing the front console on an AUTO trans car. 

Here is the trick. You all know the main DIY write ups that are here. Those are invaluable. Read through them and follow them. When it comes time to removing the front part of the console on an auto, there are a few differences. 

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?958556 
That’s the main write up that I used. Ill be referencing a couple pictures…I hope VgRt6 doesn’t mind… 

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?1141385 
Thats the link to remove the chrome shifter gate. 

On a manual trans car, you need to remove this bracket. 










You cant remove it on an auto car. What you need to do, is remove the chrome shifter trim. Make sure the two front screws are removed. Once you do that, you need to CAREFULLY pull up on the rear of the console to clear that bracket (pictured above). It will clear. Just wiggle it and pull it up carefully. 

Ok…now the console is just sort of laying there, but you still wont be able to get it over the shifter assembly. Shift the shifter into a low gear like 2nd or something. Then, look at this metal bracket supporting the two sides of the console. 










You need to remove this. Here’s a shot from under the piece. Its really simple. 










Just stick a screw driver in and release the clips on both sides. 




























Once you remove that, the console will come out quiet easily. Just work it out and be careful not to break anything. That’s all there is to it. If you don’t remove that piece of metal….its nearly impossible. Its pretty obvious that that’s what needs to happen to remove it, but I didn’t find any info showing it, and lots of people have asked how to remove the console on an auto car. 

Ok…next thing. The interior of this car had sticky crap spilled all over it. It was a disgusting mess. One of the problem areas was the ashtray. It was gooey in the lighter socket, in the light assembly, under the lid…everywhere. So I decided to COMPLETELY take the ashtray assembly apart. There is ZERO info on this that I could find. This is assuming you already have the ashtray assembly out… Here we go. 










To get the sliding lid assembly off, you need to see whats keeping it on first. It slides on rails on the sides. It is stopped by that triangular piece right in the center of this pic. It hits a stop at the front of the door. 



















To remove the door assembly, you need to gently pry up on the front of the door while its in the open position. Just pry up, and at the same time it will slide back. Once its up over that triangular stop, it will just slide right off the back. 



















Now..to disassemble the door. Here’s the assembly. The two pieces are held together by those 4 rivets. The inner piece slides onto the outer piece via those rivets. Very easy to take apart. 










You can see here the little knobby that’s holding it in place. 










All you need to do is stick a flat head screw driver into that little rectangle, just like I show, and LIGHTLY and CAREFULLY pry forward. It will pop up over that knobby and at the same time start to slide forward and disengage the lugs. 





































This little gear you see is what gives the unit friction when you slide it open close. So it doesn’t feel loose or sloppy. This thing was all twisted with hair and grime. It was gross. I didn’t pop it out here, but you can see how it comes out. Just release those two tabs, and it will fall right out of the bottom of the unit. 










Next the lighter assembly. This was a pain. 










I couldn’t figure out how the light was supposed to come off, and it was obvious that it needed to come off first. So I just started to mess with it, and I think it just pops off. I did this 3 times without issue…so it should work. I just used a screw driver to pop off the upper part first. 



















Same thing with the lower piece that actually holds the light. 



















Now…mine was really grimy. So if yours is clean, you might have an easy time of this part. But the easiest way I found to remove the socket insert, was to give it a good pop with the back of a screw driver handle. DO NOT use something too hard or heavy as you can break the plastic for the plug. But I set the ashtray assembly down on the counter, and just gave it a strong tap. And it’ll come right out. 




























Last but not least…the light ring. This is self explanatory at this point. There are just two little tabs and it comes out VERY easy. These tabs can NOT be released while the inner part of the socket is installed though. 










That’s it. Clean it up, use white lithium grease on the side sliders and the friction gear, and its good to put back together. Putting it back together is way easier. Just reverse the above and it’ll just go right back. 

Finally…just a couple tips on fixing your broken plastic interior pieces. Im not sure how many of you are aware of this…but I see a lot of people throwing away their parts due to a crack here or there. Its not always necessary. A lot, if not most of the interior plastics on these cars are made out of ABS plastic. You can tell when its ABS, because somewhere on the back side of the part, it will say…you guessed it…ABS. All of the parts that I fixed were labeled clearly. 

Because its ABS, there is a very cheap, readily available, and very good product to fix it. You probably wouldn’t think to use it… Its in the plumbing section. Here’s what the can looks like. 










Looks like plain old rubber cement. But its not. It HAS to say “ABS” on it. If it does, it’ll work for you. What this does, is it actually reacts chemically with ABS. It will start to eat away some of the ABS, mix with it, and then cure with a very strong bond. Its like chemical welding. You can actually see the surrounding ABS start to mix and turn the glue black while you are applying it. 

Some of the things that I fixed with it… 










That’s the front piece under the HVAC controls. Both of the little clips broke. Clean the parts with some good rubbing alcohol. Put a little of the glue on both pieces, push them together, and hold them for a bit. After a short while, it’ll hold itself. Try to put the piece somewhere it wont be disturbed over night. I like to let them cure for 24 hours before using. Use light clamps or rubber bands depending what it is. 

I fixed my armrest as well. 










I was able to pop this armrest back into the base after gluing it…and it didn’t break. Anyone that’s installed one of these armrests knows that those hinges take a lot of pressure when installing. And it held… 

My cup holder door was broken too. It was missing the hinge pin on one side, and one of the rings from the door was missing. So I used a small nail, trimmed the head down a bit, and secured it in place with some of the cement. Obviously it doesnt bond to the nail, but I put a big glob on there. So it bonded to the plastic, then cured around the nail. Its not going anywhere. 










This will not fix everything. But it has worked very well for me since I started using it. Its definitely worth a try before spending the dough on new parts. It will NOT work on plastics that aren’t ABS or PVC or whatever the glue is rated for. It just wont stick. I tried to use it on my headlight housing, and the tab fell right off. Not sure what type of plastic that is…. 

Anyway. Just thought Ide post this up. Use the info or don’t haha. I know taking the ashtray apart isn’t exactly a common thing, but hopefully someone can use the info. 

Any questions or comments feel free to ask. I might update this when I find more pictures, or during my install process just to finalize a couple things. 

Thanks! 

Justin


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