OK thanks to help from SeanR I have footwell actuator disassembled and all ready to go in.

Taking out the HVAC head doesn't give sufficient access to the footwell actuator, so I want to take off the centre console.

This is a RHD car but I've pretty much followed the Pirtle instructions. All the screws, shelves, glovebox are free, as well as hvac head and warning console. The bolts in the centre comb flap are out. Carpet tunnel covers off and the 2 screws at rear base of console are out.

It's amusing to see which screws have been left out on previous occasions, which explains the collection at back of glovebox!

The console will lift but I can't rotate it so that I can have access to the actuator. The big problem seems to be the transmission stick! I've removed the T-handle as instructions but there's still a rather long stick of steel sticking up to make it tricky to move the console. The console has two plastic 'nubs' to clip into base of steel handle and these can be popped out.

Have experimented with different positions of the AT but doesn't help much, except that I can move the console highest when it's in the central N position rather than fully forward on P.

Please does anyone have any tips for lifting console on RHD cars? Please don't say you have to take the pod off?

I'm tantalisingly close to fixing my hvac almost completely (apart from centre comb flap) but am stymied by this problem now!

TIA,

Adrian

 

Hello Adrian
Ask Richard Armstrong on the 928uk list. He has taken many of these apart :-)

John

 

Thanks John - I'm mystified!

 

Hi, had mine off last week. I found that I had to loosen the glovebox as there is a flap of console that sits behind the bottom right corner of the glovebox surround. Once I had loosened that it was just a matter of persistant jiggling. IIRC I had the gear lever as far back as it would go. I had a total of 7 screws holding mine.
Hope this helps.

Myles Garmonsway

 

Did you unhook your window switches? One side had me stuck for a few minutes. It gave me enough room so when I moved the AT stuck to 2, I could wiggle it free. The shift pattern plastic must all come out too. Was it perfect? No, but it worked.

 

Hi Myles,

Yes I found I had to loosen glovebox to free the console flap there. Did you have to remove the ribbed plastic plate at base of transmission selector as another poster says?

Adrian

 

Thanks for the window switch tip - will try tomorrow.

In the WSM there's a very elaborate procedure for removing the shift pattern plastic which has locks holding it in place. It reeads like procedure for cracking combination lock to remove it! Did you have to do this or just prise it out? The WSM says older cars did not have the locked shift pattern plate, but I don't know what year was referred to.

All this for one actuator!

 

Adrian,
I removed the plastic plate to remove the console but installed it before I replaced the console - so you should be able to get the console off without removing.

 

Just to report back that I got the console off (so far off that I could take it inside for soldering when one of the very delicate wires from the dash fan motor for temp sensor broke, having reconnected the fiddly clock and lighter stuff!) following advice about removing the transmission indicator plate. A few worries prising it out and snapping back in but the ancient plastic held up.

Checked the footwell actuator directly (to rule out vac line) and it didn't hold vac. Replaced it (just the rubber boot) with new one and now works fine. I just attacked the retaining slots on the old actuator with snips to get the top off - even with console removed access to aqll the clips is awkward. The old rubber has a tiny tear in it. Kind of reminds me of the Challenger tragedy insofar as a tiny part (also rubber) can jeopardise the entire system (the flappy valve won't work if vac is leaking) but I hope no-one is upset by the comparison.

I had to unbolt the passenger side shelf (RHD) because the left hand side windows switch connector was tucked away behind a bracket bolted to the shelf.

Everything back together now except for glovebox and shelves and all systems have survived tugging and disconnects!

Thanks to everyone who offered advice and encouragement. Turned out to be not a difficult job but a very tedious one. Nice to know the wiring under there a bit better though.

 

Good job, now let's hope that you don't have any of the others fail on you. I went ahead and replaced all of mine while I had it apart just in case of that.

Did you take any pictures while you were in there?