B5 A4/S4 Trim Removal
Door Trim Removal
I started with the driver's side door. Remove the screws that hold the door panel to the door - there are two screws near the top of the panel on the ends of the door. One other screw is in the door handle section. After removing the screw in the door handle, a trim piece can be moved out of the way, exposing another screw that needs to be removed. At this point you will be able to remove the door panel by lifting the panel up and away from the door. If you want to completely remove the panel you must unplug the speaker connections, etc. I just propped the panel away from the door so I didn't have to disconnect everything. When you have the panel away from the door, you will have to peel back the foam lining from the panel to expose the trim panel attachments. On the front doors there are 4 attachment points and on the back doors there are 3.
The trim and clips look like this:
To remove the trim from the door, locate the attachment points and with your pliers carefully pull off the clips holding the trim to the door. If you're careful enough you'll be able to re-use the clips. Once the clips have been removed, the trim can be easily removed from the door panel.
The procedure for removing the trim on the rear doors is the same, except there are 3 trim attachment points on the back side of the door panel instead of 4.
Dash Trim Removal
In order to remove the dash trim pieces, the entire center console and all of the lower dash must be removed.
You must first remove the rear center console.
The steps to do this are as follows:
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First you must remove the Parking Brake lever trim. On the underside of the parking brake lever there is a tab that holds the cover on. Unhook the tab and the cover slides off the handbrake.
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There are two small screw covers at the bottom of the plastic piece between the shifter and the handbrake. Remove these covers and remove the two screws.
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Remove the rear ashtray.
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You will find a nut below the rear ashtray. Remove this nut.
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Pull up the parking brake lever, lift the rear center console and detach it from the front center console near the shifter.
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Lift console forward and over the hand brake lever to remove.
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Disconnect the Data Link Connector from the center console.
Now you must remove the instrument panel center piece trim.
The steps:
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Remove the radio.
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Behind the radio you will find four bolts securing the trim. Remove these four bolts.
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Carefully unclip the trim and pull from the center console.
Next you must remove the front center console.
The steps:
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There are four bolts holding the center console. Remove these four bolts.
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Down by the accelerator pedal there is a small cover on the center console. Remove this cover and remove the nut you find there.
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Remove the center console by pulling the the console rearward.
Your dash should now look like this:
To remove the passenger side dash/glovebox:
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Remove panel from end of the dash (opposite fuse panel).
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Remove lower bolts.
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Open glove box and reach up behind upper left side of box. Push spring loaded wheel to enable box to drop open fully.
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Unscrew bolts holding left side of dash to center console.
To remove the instrument panel center piece:
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There are two bolts securing the upper part of the center console to the dash. Remove these screws.
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Unhook the upper part of the instrument panel center piece from guides. Pull forward and unhook electrical wiring.
Now you must remove the lower portion of the driver's side dash:
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Remove the fuse panel cover from the end of the dash.
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Unscrew the lower bolt.
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Remove the two long oval covers you find under the dash on either side of the steering wheel.
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Remove the bolts found under these covers.
Lower driver's side dash with cover removed:
Once all of these have been removed, you can reach up behind the dash and pull the clips from behind the aluminum trim. There are two attachment points for the left side dash trim and six attachment points for the longer right side trim piece. Remove the trim in the same way you removed it from the door panels. The dash pieces are a little more difficult to remove than the door panels, but you'll be able to do it.
The complete removed console and dash:
You should now have all the trim peices removed..... Good Job!