DIY - 2014 Porsche 991 911 Center Console Trim Removal

(originally posted on 6speedonline.com 02/06/2014)

I am pulling the control button panel from the center console on my '14 991 C4S as I am considering some hacks errr... I mean modifications.  

The first stage of the effort is to get a feeling for the complexity of the disassembly job by removing the trim and getting the button-box out. Never did this on a 991 (or any 911 for that matter!) and have no idea how difficult they make it for us. 

I don't have time now to go much further with the project, so I'll post this as -is for now. Anyone wanting to get into the center tunnel might find this useful. In a separate project I will crack-open the box and take a look at the guts....

Let's get started....  For this project, you should have a good set of plastic interior trim tools handy.  I had a set that I bought from Harbor Freight for like $10, plus some other tools that I've accumulated over time.

1. My 991 has full leather. The trim pieces are all covered in a black "leather" or material of some sort. Don't think it is leather, but it is a soft black covering matching the interior black leather.

2. Just below where the coin-tray or ashtray is located, you can work a soft tool under the edge and pry-up. Be very careful. The fabric pieces can be dimpled or marked as you apply leverage. I don't have a set of trim tools, so I improvised and used a plastic squeege tool I have from applying films.

3. Prying the end up a bit further to get the sides started....

4. And then working the tool around the length of the trim... The trim is fragile, and I was taking great care not to mark it or "dent". Later you'll see the long prongs that you need to work free to release the trim. Just work up each side to the top above the shift lever.

And

And

5. Gently pull the trim piece off and over the shifter.

6. Here is the trim piece fully removed. Note the long tension prongs around the sides. Don't want to break those off....  Put the piece somewhere safe.

7. Not the best pic, but note the gap around the button and shifter modules. There is a rubber gasket down in the space.

8. Gently pull the rubber gasket out -- in my case I simply pulled it up and back over the shifter but didn't fully remove.

9. With the gasket removed, you now have the sides of the button and shifter modules exposed a bit. These are just held in place by tension -- no screws or other tricks.

10. I started with the button module. It is in there very tight, so you need to be careful but pull on it enough to free the tension tabs -- there are 4 tabs, two on each side. I put a fiber cloth over the unit and pulled up on one side first to get it free. Then it popped-out suddenly!

And...

11. Pull the center unit out of the way, and you have now exposed all of the great space hidden underneath. The unit is a single "box" set for all of the buttons.

12. I pulled the small black "coin-tray" out (just held in place by a couple of tabs) of the way and you can see some of the great stuff inside. Like the white and chrome cylinder thingy -- a linkage to the PDK shifter. Bunch of other wires, but a lot less cluttered than I thought it would be!

13. Flipping the button-box over, you will find that there is a single, thin gang of 5 or so wires attaching the box to the car via a small white plastic connector. Easy enough to pull out! But also note on the underside is a sticker with several part numbers. I am guessing the part numbers correspond to the optional buttons that I have included in my build -- I do not have PSE, so I am thinking the numbers must be Sport Chrono, but not sure what else. I did a quick Google of the part number, but got nuthin'! Anyone have a part manual around??? Anyone know what the "DML" designation stands-for after each number?  (UPDATE:  My friends on 6SpeedOnline have informed me that the DML code is for the "Black interior" on my particular car.

The numbers at the bottom of the sticker may be the Software (SW) and Hardware (HW) rev numbers for the unit. There is also a date, 05/27/2013 which I am assuming is the date the unit came of the bench or configured for my install. My 991 build date was 06/2013, so that sounds right.

Anyways -- that is it for now. I don't have the time to pull the rest apart. I've posted another DIY project (PCM 3.1 removal) where the center console trim must be removed, and soon I will post a project where I take apart the actual console switch box assembly!

Hope this helps someone!