Center Console Removal ?

waynej · Post by **waynej** » 21 Apr 2007, 12:47

This is my first 850. Removed bolts at rear, can lift up rear and tried moving whole thing for and aft,but front is solid as a rock. How do I release it?

Post by **billofdurham** » 21 Apr 2007, 16:02

Look at the rear edge of the cigarette lighter panel. Remove the 2 screws and lift the panel out, disconnect the wiring to the lighter and remove the panel.
Undo the screws securing the ashtray compartment and withdraw that. Pull out the ashtray light bulbholder and remove the ashtray.
Undo the 2 screws that secure the console at the front.
Apply the handbrake fully and carefully prise up the cover panel below the handbrake lever.
Open the rear storage lid and prise up the cover panel in the compartment base. Undo the 2 screws.
Disconnect the switch and light wiring connectors at the front of the console.
Lift up the rear of the console and push it forward as far as possible until the handbrake lever is clear. Move the console rearwards, disengage it from under the facia at the front and remove it from the car.

Bill.

waynej · Post by **waynej** » 21 Apr 2007, 17:00

Thanks,that works great, now can anyone tell me about the thing behind the handbrake handle? It's a 5 pound metal brick encased in soft silicone and setting in a plastic tray attached to the tunnel with 2 T25 screws. The lettering on the brick is as follows.

REQILL

FORSHEDA

FO 7787
There are no wires or tubes going to it. It's just a solid metal brick! Whatever it is,it's the reason the storage compartment is so small. What happens if I remove it? Maybe someone could start selling a deeper storage tray if the car will run without this thing.

CarVolvo · Post by **CarVolvo** » 21 Apr 2007, 17:50

Yeah they make a great paperweight.

I think it just gives the plastic a better anchor, form and weight.. but not sure why they made it so heavy ..i swear its made out of lead!

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 21 Apr 2007, 21:27

No, it's not a paper weight...I'm trying to remember, but it's a sensor of some type...like a tilt sensor (not for pinball)....it does serve a function.

CarVolvo · Post by **CarVolvo** » 21 Apr 2007, 21:51

ok mr MIJ know it all (and yes i give that as a compliment)... here is the volvo number on the spare i have ..its fits in 91 33 545 part number... lets see if i can find it on vadis before you!

beat ya

.. lol...oscillation damper (says for auto trans..8250238.. but i was right it is a paperweight of sorts to keep the vibration of the car into the base of the console.

I just wanna know ... when did you flip the car to have it warn you that you were upside down..and what were you drinking!!!

(just ribbing you MIJ buddy ole pal as i would not have been able to look it up without you in the first place!)

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 22 Apr 2007, 09:03

A damper huh....funny things come in Volvo's....Hehe.

Oh yeah, and thanks for the ribbing! I do enjoy that too from time to time...like there's not enough excitement in my life...LOL.

waynej · Post by **waynej** » 22 Apr 2007, 09:34

It's hard to believe a 5 pound chunk of lead between the seats could help much in a 3000 pound car. A car body that could be oscillatated by a transmission vibration sounds like a design flaw to me. The right way would have been to design the body to not be resonant at any frequency produced by the trans. They must have discovered the problem close to production time and the weight was a quick fix. Does anyone know when they quit using this thing.

It looks like the tunnel under this thing is empty, so the tunnels only purpose was to hold the weight at the right elevation. We could have had a storage compartment almost a foot deep!

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 22 Apr 2007, 10:25

Here's a thread about it:
http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/lofivers ... 48041.html
An expensive weight that may or may not dampen anything. For those who are trying to lighten the car up (there are some who meticulously try to do this for racing purposes, etc.), it might be worth a try to take it out to see if any real dampening takes place...it would lighten the car by 6Lbs.

Post by **rspi** » 18 Mar 2013, 13:50

I put together this video to show people how to pull the center console of the Volvo 850. I pulled mine to get to the bulb at my shifter.