PWith2

The wiring plug at the back of the cigarette lighter socket has come off. I removed the radio and the environmental control unit to get to the ash tray assembly. Then I pushed down on the two tabs holding the ash tray assembly in. It starts to slide out, but the bottom edge of the tray assembly catches on the lip of the pretty polished wood-patterned plastic piece that wraps around the gear shift.

How does one remove that piece? Or how can one lift the ash tray assembly up a few millimeters to get if over the plastic piece?

sounddude

Note, stick a nickel between the button and **** to keep the button from retracting while you work. It's a fiddle to get the button back out if you let it go.

PWith2

Unfortunately, the video doesn't address my issue. What I need to do is remove the plastic piece that surround the whole shift assembly. In the video, the piece is somewhat like the blue-gray plastic on the console. In the case of my Audi, it is a larger and flatter piece.

sounddude

Got it. It's not screwed or anything. Just grab the back (rear) and pull up. It will release. If you need to you can use a bondo scraper and get underneath the back lip and pry it up. People spill soda and such so they can get sticky. Once the back is loose it just slides back. If you don't remove the shift ****, you will need to have the key in and put the car in gear so the wooden piece will clear the shifter.

PWith2

Thank you, SoundDude!