Removing and installing cover for centre console — VW
Removing and installing cover for centre console on VW: 11 steps, 4 torque figures. What to remove, what to tighten and to how many Nm, what to check.
Lifting the centre console covers on the cars grouped under platform codes A32 and A33 takes no more than a removal wedge and some patience, but the order matters. The ignition is switched off and the selector lever goes to N, so the selector cover with lever handle, or the boot with gear knob on manual cars, can be released from the cover. The handbrake lever is raised to its top position for clearance. Each cover is then levered off its retaining clips with wedge 3409 and lifted away. Where bolts hold a cover, they are small fasteners with a 1.5 Nm torque. Success comes down to releasing the clips without cracking the trim, and checking every fastener before refitting.
🧭 Before you start
With the ignition off and the selector in N, the selector cover or gear knob boot is released first. The handbrake is raised fully, and the front and rear console covers are levered off their clips with removal wedge 3409 and lifted off. On refitting, the clips are inspected and renewed where damaged, any bolts are tightened to 1.5 Nm and the selector trim is pressed back into place.
Fits: platform codes A32, A33
- Renewed: if necessary
Don't miss
- Put the selector lever in N before releasing the selector cover with the handle.
- Raise the handbrake lever to its uppermost position for clearance.
- Use removal wedge 3409 at the clip points to avoid marking the console.
- Check all fasteners for damage before installing and renew any that are broken.
- Small bolts on the covers take only 1.5 Nm; overtightening strips the plastic.
Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.
🔩 Torque settings
Values can differ between engine variants — check the code stamped on your block.
| Torque | Fastener / step |
|---|---|
| 1.5 Nm (1.1 lb-ft) | Remove bolts (1) and (2 |
| 1.5 Nm (1.1 lb-ft) | Unscrew 2 bolts (1 |
| 1.5 Nm (1.1 lb-ft) | Unscrew 2 bolts (2 |
| 1.5 Nm (1.1 lb-ft) | Unscrew bolts (1) and (2 |
ℹ️ Always cross-check the exact figure against your vehicle's factory manual before final tightening — a wrong torque can damage the engine. These values are extracted from workshop data and may not cover every variant or revision.
📋 Procedure
- Switch off ignition.
- Move selector lever to position "“N”".
- Release selector cover with selector lever handle from cover 37Selector mechanism; Removing and installing selector lever handle.
- Release boot along with gear knob from cover 34Selector mechanism; Removing and installing gear knob.
- Move selector lever to position "“N”".
- Release selector cover with selector lever handle from cover 34Selector mechanism; Removing and installing selector lever handle.
- Position handbrake lever in uppermost position.
- Release centre console cover (1) from retaining clips using removal wedge3409.
- Remove centre console cover (1) from centre console.
- Release centre console cover (2) from retaining clips using removal wedge3409.
- Remove centre console cover (2) from centre console. [Note: Before installing, check all fasteners for damage and renew if necessary.]
Other VW procedures
- Removing engine · 41 torque figures
- Removing and installing camshaft – VW Golf Cabriolet · 47 torque figures
- Adjusting valve timing – VW Passat B5 · 83 torque figures
- Removing and installing camshafts – VW Passat B6 · 39 torque figures
- Removing and installing coolant pump · 53 torque figures
- Removing and installing dash panel fuse holder · 2 torque figures
- Removing and installing amplifier R12 · 1 torque figures
- Removing and installing brake caliper – VW Passat B8
- Removing and installing subframe without steering rack – VW
- Removing guide rail
Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
Seen a figure that does not match your manual? Write to us — we correct it and note when. support@torqfix.com
The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.