Rear Ashtray

Hi

I'm new to the forum but it looks like there's a lot of knowledge floating about, so I'm hopeful.

The ashtray and 12v power socket in the rear of my 53-plate Passat have been ravaged by my 4 year old nephew. They seem a bit vulnerable to kiddie-clobbers when entry and egress are clumsily negotiated.

I managed to extract the entire unit for the power socket, reassemble and refit successfully (if a somewhat fiddly task) but I can't work out what I need to do to get the ashtray to stay closed.

The components I have are:

*A hinged-housing
*A removable ashtray and
*A small-ish, thin, separate plastic piece which I found lying in the post-nephew debris.

I'm guessing that the answer lies in the small-ish separate plastic piece, which I assume somehow performs the required catching action.

I can get the housing and ashtray into the recess and even secure the spring component at the bottom of the unit, but I don't see an obvious way of fitting the smallest component to the ashtray housing and it is difficult to get a good view of the internals of the recess into which the unit fits.:confused:

Has anyone already encountered this problem and got some advice and guidance? Can anyone suggest a good place to get an exploded view, drawing or photograph of the unit, so I can at least see if I've got all the parts and how they should fit together?

I'd appreciate the help as the car's about to be handed back to the finance company and they're keen to add a sizeable penalty my way. I'm skint.

Thanks
:biglaugh:
D

your nephew has the same respect for cars as my kids:zx11: the small bit of plastic you talk about has 2 grooves in it in a y shape if memory serves?these have a pin which runs in them,located in the housing.the spring holds the pressure to keep tray pressed out n so locked in(if you get my meaning)but if as you say its being returned...superglue?

Youch! You are undoubtedly right; superglue is what I should do, however, I'm a man of a nervous disposition and haunted by bad luck (mostly of my own making). I will be found out.:(

I think you're on the money with the description of the small piece, so I'll have another bash at cobbling it together... If it doesn't work, it's getting the permanent closure option.

Hope I don't see a post in here in a few months from a disgruntled TDi owner whose passengers can't safely stub their fags out in the back of his/her car. Actually... thinking about it... who smokes (or allows smoking) in their car these days?

Cheers
:biglaugh:
D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dunk73

Youch! You are undoubtedly right; superglue is what I should do, however, I'm a man of a nervous disposition and haunted by bad luck (mostly of my own making). I will be found out.:(

I think you're on the money with the description of the small piece, so I'll have another bash at cobbling it together... If it doesn't work, it's getting the permanent closure option.

Hope I don't see a post in here in a few months from a disgruntled TDi owner whose passengers can't safely stub their fags out in the back of his/her car. Actually... thinking about it... who smokes (or allows smoking) in their car these days?

Cheers
:biglaugh:
D

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Hi, did you ever fix this OK? I'm suffering the same problem, not sure where the bit of plastic goes...

Ive got the same problem do you think it could be a design flaw, I only bought my car last week, thought one of the kids had broken it but infact it was already broken.... Should I be really pedantic and tell the garafe to fix it or just use super glue?
There wont be any smoking in the back of my car anyway but I'm sure theres more than 1 use for an ashtray!