difficulty: 1/5
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If you want to adjust the parking brake handle, replace the armrest, or remove the shifter surround trim you need to remove the center console. To replace the shifter boot, see 1000q: shifter boot replace.
Slide the front seats all the way forward. Open the rear console ashtray, remove the red plastic tray. Pull up and out the plastic ashtray side trim (outlined in red)
You will expose these 2 plastic tabs on each side, 4 in total (outlined in red). Carefully pry them upwards and pull the ashtray away.
You can now simply pull the two halves of the armrest surround plastic away, exposing the armrest bolt (13mm x1 bolt outline in red) Remove the bolt, the armrest, and the two torx screws (outlined in green)
Now slide the seats all the way back. If you want to remove the shifter surround, use a pin to remove the plastic trim cover by the front of the seats. Remove the screws, 2 on each side, 4 in total (outlined in red). If you do not want to remove the shifter surround, you can leave the 2 front screws in.
Pull the parking brake handle all the way up, and remove the center trim. At its front end, spread the plastic so that its pins can be freed. Here is the console trim removed, the pins at the front are outline in red.
To finish removing the shifter surround trim, slide back the ashtray cover and pull out the red tray. Remove the torx screw underneath (outlined in green). There is an electrical plug for the "power outlet" underneath, you should be able to remove the plastic trim a little, then disconnect the plug. And pull back the shifter boot too.
Installation is the reverse of removal.
If you have any questions on how to remove the center console or adjust the parking brake on your VW Jetta TDI, please ask in the myturbodiesel.com forums