Center Console DEAR God!

[egdeaile]

So... anyone else with an 850 every try to remove their center console? Yeah, it's not fun. I just got it up and man was it the biggest pain in the askimo I have ever had with a car and dash pieces. I guess I should go into why I would ever want to remove my console, and then I'll explain how to do it, because it is NOT the same as the V70/S70 description on Volvospeed.

First things first, clear out your little compartment under the arm rest.
Next, there is a little plate in their that will pop out. Look carefully, it is very easy to miss (this is the same as the one shone on volvospeed), and remove those two screws.
NOW remove your ash tray. Do this by popping it out and then removing the two torx (20) screws. Pull it out. I had to move my shifter to do this.
Now, remove the torx screws (20) holding down the plate that contains the lighter and remove that plate. OBDII slides out sideways easily. Disconnect lighter. (NOTE Ground is the one that goes to the outside and is a black wire, yellow wire (positive) connects to center contact).
Now, undo the screws directly under the lighter (two of them t20).
Remove the pop-out plate directly beneath the parking brake.
Lift the back of the console carefully, and pull back at the same time. It should come out slowly but easily. The wires for the window swtich tend to catch on the parking brake handle, so be careful with that.

Good luck for anyone else trying to get in there. My lightbulb went out in the shifter. I pulled the bulb and will take it to the dealer, in the meantime, this is what I've been up to with my 850 today:

1.) put all the wires I've added to the car into a split conduit. Est Cost: 2.50. As an electrician, I highly reccomend this to anyone who has run aftermarket wires anywhere in their car. Not only does it make the engine compartment look better, it makes it easier to control the wires and keep them from entering bad places (such as rotating things or things that melt plastic wire insulation).
2.) Performed the Horn fix described elsewhere in this forum. Used vulcanizing rubber to replace the red connectors. I have tested it and it looks to be a permanent fix. If you don't already own the rubber, Est Cost 3.00.
3.) Swapped the positive wires leading to the cigarette lighter and my foglights. Est cost 5.00 for some connectors if you don't already have them. This has the effect of making my cigarette socket powered from the battery which means I can charge my cell phone or whatever when the car is off. The other side means that my foglights are connected to the ignition accessory position, so that I can't leave my fog lights on accidentallly.
4.) Replaced the bulb in my headlight switch. Est Cost 4.00 for bulb and plastic housing. Note: My dealer tried to charge me separately for the bulb and the plastic housing... five something each. I got them from an independent supplier for 4.00 total per bulb. Also used the set screw on the headlight switch so that in the parking lights position my headlights are off.
5.) Used some epoxy and glued a broken piece of plastic back into my center console. It is the piece right above the parking brake. It is possible to pull so hard on the brake that it busts the black plastic above it. No biggie except for the fact that that is where my armrest latches. At least someone was kind enough to invent epoxy. Est Cost 3.00 for fast setting epoxy.
6.) Now going back to work on placing the remote for my CD changer. I am going to put it in the overhead because I love the dash too much to screw it up.

[egdeaile]

Oh my, how did this become a sticky?
Oh yeah, and not to mention my SRS light is now on. I guess I'll have to figure out how to make it go away.