Car Maintenance | DontKnowCars.com

The majority of modern cars have replaced front bench seats with bucket-style seats with a console between them. The console has become: necessity, housing everything from automatic transmission controls to the parking brake mechanism to a CD holder.

Because most consoles are made of plastic, sometimes covered with vinyl or cloth fabric, they typically aren’t repaired. They are replaced. More often, they are removed to access heating or ventilation ducts, the parking brake, a wiring harness that runs to the back of the car, or other important stuff. Many folks need to move the console to wire in new audio speakers or a CD changer in the trunk. Here’s how:

1. Open the armrest or otherwise gain access to the rear of the console. Look for screws, clips, and fastener covers that indicate what will need to be removed.

2. Unfasten the console from the floor by loosening bolts screws, or other fasteners. If there is a parking brake, lift the handle to get it out of the way. If there is an automatic transmission shifter, you may need to remove the T-handle at the top (usually held in place by a set screw).

3. Carefully lift the console, looking for wire harnesses (groups) and plugs. Mark and unplug harnesses as needed to remove the console.

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Make careful notes indicating which bolts and screws went where, especially if you won’t be reinstalling the console for a while. You’ll be thankful you did.