Ed Scherer

I'm ripping into my climate control system (on a '90 S4) to replace some vacuum actuators (I've got leaks on the blue and orange vacuum lines). Really major leak on orange that's probably responsible for the horrible tapping near the center vent I get about half the time now. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I need to get the center console off to get to the actuator that the orange line runs to.

I've got the console almost all freed up, except it's hanging on the upper right-hand side (the side near the inside temperature sensor) and close to the passenger air bag. Acts like there's a screw there, but I'm not sure. Haven't been able to free it up and I don't want to force it until I know what's really going on. Nichols and other tips have gotten me this far, but I'm wondering if the air-bag-equipped model years are a little different than the ones the tips were written for.

Also, do I need to remove part number 20 in the diagram below? I've loosened it by removing two bolts on the right and one right under the steering wheel (number 23 in diagram), but it's attached at the upper left hand corner by some hardware (numbers 19, 21, 22) that's damn hard to get to (would need to get the RDK control unit out of the way, at a minimum), and probably also grow some triple jointed limbs, so I'd rather not remove it unless I need to.



I had just about forgotten about how much I hated working under the dash. Just not a job for us 200 pounders. Nothing quite like having that e-brake handle just about adding another orifice to your body or outright disemboweling you as you try to maneuver your way toward a working position on your back.

Anyway, any BTDT stories and tips would be greatly appreciated.

Ed Scherer

I was wondering if I could get in through there... thanks for the info, I'll give it a try.

And thanks for "knee bolster", too!

borland

Since you need to remove part 20, might as well update your steering wheel lock mechanism with the later design. Parts are not that expensive, function is greatly improved and less prone to braking.

There are two screws under the center vent that will need to be removed. With the airbag cars (rounded corner on the console top), the console screw from inside the glove box was eliminated.

Ed Taylor

Ed, There is a bolt from inside the glove box, top left on the side toward the console behind a plastic plug. Did you get that one?

GlenL

Yep. That's the way it sounds.

Could use my personal all-purpose approach:

1) Get obvious fasteners off.
2) Search until aggravated
3) Pull vigorously
3a) If that fails, apply force multiplier
4) Examine broken pieces
5) Curse over obviousness of issue
5) Order new parts with overnight delivery

Works every time. Note that step 3a may need to be repeated with incrementally more extreme measures. The sawzall is my favorite tool. In fact, I've penned this haiku:

Serrated blizzard
Joyous whirring of release
Many from the one

Ed Scherer

I took an alternate approach. Downed a couple of brews, went and consumed a Thai dinner (Thai hot for me, mild for the wife), came home, popped off the "knee bolster" (thanks for the tip, Bern), and will resume attacking the center console tomorrow.

Thanks for the help, everyone. Will report back after resuming work tomorrow.

Nicole

I think what Glen and Ed Taylor describe does not apply to airbag equipped cars.

Thom1

Hi Ed,

It is so easy to pull the seats,... 4 allen head bolts each,... wiring connectors beneath seats. It will certainly be more comfortable to work in there while they are out. It should even take less time to complete the job. A cool flourescent trouble-light helps down there too.


On my Boxster, if you turn the key with the seat out, the airbag light will remain on until reset by the dealer's PST2,... don' think the Bosch hammer will do it on the Boxster, maybe on the 928? So, disconnect the battery, or never turn the key with seat out. Does anyone know if this happens on the 928?

borland

Sterling,

On your 90', that is a screw that holds the side cover in place, not the center console.

Ed Scherer

Yup, there is in fact a bolt up there. And you can see the hole for it in the diagram I posted earlier. I haven't been able to get a tool on it yet. It's really tight in there. I'm wondering if I need to get the passenger air bag out of the way.

This is starting to get ridiculous. Everything I try to get out, something else needs to come out first. I think I'm recursively disassembling the whole damn dash.

How did you get that bolt out in the first place, Sterling? I can guess why you didn't put it back in!

John Struthers

Ed,
Are you really, really sure that the dash has to come out?
Can't you mini-vac to test? You can check the upper and lower sliders on the HVAC control head to see if the micro swithches are working , or if there is coffee/coke/fuzz blocking contact, also see if the the ball is out of place on the upper slider control slider, or if one of the two locking tabs is broke off the other slider/actuator arm.
You'd be suprised how many sHARKs are running around with broken slider
or blocked end cap micro switches.
On the up side ...I could be wrong here, someone jump in... the early models have a vacuum manifold with about 15 vacuum connections possible
should be grouped on 3 sets of 5, some of which are plugged. Unfortunately, some sHARKs have no color codes on these manifold vacuum lines, some do - PO work? - Also be careful if you see a connection of two, and three black wires, these are fiber optic. If you mess up with em' you may lose lighting to the HAVC control head in some places.
Personally, you guy's can use that personal satisfaction stuff for stuffing pillows and sleep on them...me?... I'm lazy and would recommend testing the HAVC control head, if you haven't done so already.
Either way, mark everything so it all goes back the same way you took it out unless upon vac. testing vacuum lines were discovered to be mis-routed -PO-.
HTH

Ed Scherer

John, I'm sure I've got vacuum leaks and all the symptoms of leaking actuators.

On the bolt in question, I've managed to turn it perhaps 10 degrees. It's damn near impossible to get to. I'm thinking that there's got to be a better way to get to it, and it's probably by removing the air bag, as that would be just about right next to it. Of course, the air bag looks like it's a bitch to remove, too.

Of course, I still don't know exactly where the actuator lives that the orange vacuum line leads to. I'm kind of taking it on faith that I'll be able to get to it when the center console is out.

GlenL

Have you tried to remove the glove box door and the box itself?

John Veninger

fftopic:
Hi Ed,

We going to hook up on the way to the 2004 928OC Convention?
The GT needs to stretch it's legs again

Ed Scherer

Yeah, glove box (both bottom and top portions) is off. Top part of the glove box being out of the way at least lets me see the bolt in question. It's about 5 or 6 inches up with hardly any hope of using a ratcheting tool because of the tight squeeze. The more I mess with it, the more I'm convinced getting the air bag cover off is the key.

So... that raises the question... I wonder if the airbag cover can just be pried off? Looking at the diagram again, it looks like it might be hinged on the top, thus offering hope that it could be pried at the bottom, but I'm reluctant to do that without knowing that it'll work. Don't want to deface my interier.

BTW, here's the wonderfully detailed passenger airbag removal instructions from page 68-10 of the FSM:

1. Disconnect the battery and cover the terminal or battery. [Hey, that part was easy!]

2. Remove the instrument panel. [Uh, yeah. That would include separating the two pieces (center console and dash) connected by the bolt that I can't get to, right?]

3. Disconnect the plug-in connections at the unit.

4. Undo the fixing screws.