Removing the MMI Shroud

[ManCityFC]

Hi Chaps (and esses),

First time poster here!

Just upgraded from a 320d to a A4 150SE. Very impressed so far!

I have a cradle mount for my E61 Nokia that needs to be screwed into the dashboard behind the vents (I think you take one screw out of the vent and screw it back in with the vent too:

http://shop.dashmount.co.uk/Dec07/711180.htm (This shows you the end result)

Can one of you good chaps explain how I unclip the upper fascia housing and unclip the vent assembly to get at the screws?

[bluestar_ale]

Just had my car kit fitted yesterday using exactly the same mounting bracket. I was sat in the car when the installer removed parts of the dash to install the kit and was amazed how quickly the dash came apart. He was removing the radio in about 2 minutes..........

The installer had a blunt plastic tool that he inserted between the top of the air vents and the bottom of the MMI surround that forced the MMI surround up, and the thing just popped out, there are no screws to remove the air vent's were then just pulled out.

the radio is secured by 4 bolts / screw's the top left one has to be removed and re-secured once the bracket has been fitted.

I did not watch the whole job being completed but it was about an hour to fit the full kit.

I would have liked the cradle fo the kit mounted a little lower down nearer the centre console but there was not enough space for the phone cradle as it hangs down lower than the mounting bracket

[ManCityFC]

You my friend are a star. I have been trying to get that off for a week now and the way you describe is spot on. I just needed the confidence to pull harder than I was.

I used a baby's plastic spoon and went in between the vent and the MMI panel, (sort of up and behind the MMI panel) and pulled/prised the plastic MMI shroud forward. With an unnerving amount of force applied, it popped off no problem and is held in place with those metal male/female springy clips.(That's the technical term you know!)

The vent is a little more difficult, as it wasn't immediately obvious how it comes off. But you stick a screwdriver in between the plastic sound proofing and the vent and again prise it out forwards. Be careful not to prise off the chrome trim instead. As you said, once the vent is then out, it exposes the screws that hold the radio in, you can then remove the left one and screw the mounting bracket in, then replace everything with a firm push back into place. I now have my E61 Nokia sitting proud as punch and with the charger cable around the bottom of the dashboard trim, (next to the passenger's right leg side) have plugged it in - in the arm rest. All out of sight, neat and tidy.

In case anyone is wondering why I wanted the E61 on the dashboard and not charging in the armrest, it's because I find the the on-board Blue Tooth pretty good, but the voice activation almost unusable, and I have so many numbers on my phone, it is easier to use the phone to select one and dial rather than the steering wheel selector. I really hope Audi release a software update that will allow you the use the voice recognition built in to the Nokia E Series phones because it is almost perfect and you don't have to go through all your numbers and program the command, it just figures it out from the name in the address book.

Other than the Blue Tooth, the car is great. I wish I had gone for the 170bhp one now as it is a little lacking in power compared to the BMW I had, and the handling is not as good too. Front wheel drive is taking a bit of getting used to and the build quality is not quiet as good as the 3 Series, but other than that, it makes up for it with it's much much higher specification, overall size and much better looks. I read somewhere on this forum of someone saying the 3 series is the worst car he had ever driven.....well trust me, that's absolute rubbish. If you want to drive a horrid car, I took a C220 Mercedes out the other day, and I have had more fun in my wife's 1600cc 1 series! Mercedes are truly horrible continental taxi's!

Anyway, enough waffling, thanks again bluestar_ale.....I owe you an ale!

Perhaps this should be moved to the "How to" section - Mr Mod?

[Jop]

You my friend are a star. I have been trying to get that off for a week now and the way you describe is spot on. I just needed the confidence to pull harder than I was.

I used a baby's plastic spoon and went in between the vent and the MMI panel, (sort of up and behind the MMI panel) and pulled/prised the plastic MMI shroud forward. With an unnerving amount of force applied, it popped off no problem and is held in place with those metal male/female springy clips.(That's the technical term you know!)

The vent is a little more difficult, as it wasn't immediately obvious how it comes off. But you stick a screwdriver in between the plastic sound proofing and the vent and again prise it out forwards. Be careful not to prise off the chrome trim instead. As you said, once the vent is then out, it exposes the screws that hold the radio in, you can then remove the left one and screw the mounting bracket in, then replace everything with a firm push back into place. I now have my E61 Nokia sitting proud as punch and with the charger cable around the bottom of the dashboard trim, (next to the passenger's right leg side) have plugged it in - in the arm rest. All out of sight, neat and tidy.

In case anyone is wondering why I wanted the E61 on the dashboard and not charging in the armrest, it's because I find the the on-board Blue Tooth pretty good, but the voice activation almost unusable, and I have so many numbers on my phone, it is easier to use the phone to select one and dial rather than the steering wheel selector. I really hope Audi release a software update that will allow you the use the voice recognition built in to the Nokia E Series phones because it is almost perfect and you don't have to go through all your numbers and program the command, it just figures it out from the name in the address book.

Other than the Blue Tooth, the car is great. I wish I had gone for the 170bhp one now as it is a little lacking in power compared to the BMW I had, and the handling is not as good too. Front wheel drive is taking a bit of getting used to and the build quality is not quiet as good as the 3 Series, but other than that, it makes up for it with it's much much higher specification, overall size and much better looks. I read somewhere on this forum of someone saying the 3 series is the worst car he had ever driven.....well trust me, that's absolute rubbish. If you want to drive a horrid car, I took a C220 Mercedes out the other day, and I have had more fun in my wife's 1600cc 1 series! Mercedes are truly horrible continental taxi's!

Anyway, enough waffling, thanks again bluestar_ale.....I owe you an ale!

Perhaps this should be moved to the "How to" section - Mr Mod?


How did you get on here? did it all end in disaster or are the the happy owner correctly fitted mount?

[jon_iz]

If anyone needs to know how to get mmi surround / vents / stereo /climate panel out, i posted a how to here...
http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=295765