Console Work

One of the things that's been on the list for a while is to prepare the center console for a new radio (the old one would forget to play CD's once in a while) and for the Link 10 battery monitor. The monitor does a number of things, but most importantly, it acts as a "fuel gauge" telling me how much charge is left on the main battery pack.

As luck would have it, the Link 10 is exactly the same size as the clock that came mounted in the center console in the car. I thought I'd be able to take the clock out by removing the radio, and reaching down into the cavity behind all the HVAC switches and controls, so I gave it a go. Well, there was more stuff in the way than I'd hoped so that plan was out. On to plan B, removing the console.

The manual gives pretty clear step by step directions for removing the console which looked quite straight forward and easy, and which just happen to be wrong. The manual covers every model and every year of the Z3 so some of the info is bound to be wrong for mine. As it turns out, it would be easier to dismantle a nuclear reactor with the broken branch of a tree and a bowl of pudding. As luck would have it, I was able to undo enough screws to get at the parts I needed without disassembling the whole thing.



As you can see from the picture, there are two gaping holes in the car, waiting eagerly for some new electronic bits.