57 Passat Estate - Can I remove the drawers above the stereo?

**jonokimber** · 06-12-2007,08:10 PM

Hello all, just picked up a new 57 plate Passat estate SE Diesel. (Company car). Elected for a tomtom one xl so i can add speed cam POI's and want to make a home made style powered mount.

My plan is to use one of the drawers above the stereo and to put a 'block', probably wooden, inside with an embedded and epoxied power plug facing upwards. The Tomtom device will sit across the top of the drawer and the power connection will stop it sliding left and right. I also plan to remove a little section of each side of the drawer so as to support the device while 'plugged in' and so that the drawer will close when not in use. By cutting sections in the side and lowering the fit height of the device i will lower the overall height of the power plug and this means that the power plug won't foul on the dashboard whilst trying to close the drawer.

As a final effort to support the device i plan to use a hinged back support. This will hinge forward when closing the drawer but will only hinge upwards as far as vertical when the drawer is open and i want to attach the device. I may also have a small front 'lip' on the main wooden block that will sit in the drawer as another way of restraining the device. If possible i may actually cannibalise my slot mount and use this as a sure fire way of supporting the device but i'll have to see how it goes during construction.

Anyway, THIS BRINGS ME TO MY MAIN QUESTION:

Can I remove the two drawers from above the stereo so that I can carry out this work in the relative comfort of my shed?!

I am comfortable with removing the drawer fronts and also the trim around the stereo. Maybe this can help me with the drawers? Maybe i just need to be bold but i'd hate to break what could be my answer to a concealed powered mount.

btw, the power lead will be run out the back of the drawer, into the dash somewhere.

Thanks

Jono

**jonokimber** · 06-12-2007,10:36 PM

I'll answer my own question!

After a bit of further analysis it appears that a bit of wiggling and pulling and twisting gets the drawers out.

The mechanism of how they work is then exposed. On one side of each drawer a rack and 'sticky' pinion provide the resistance to the coiled roll spring which always wants to push the drawer out and two slotted guideways that small spiggots on the drawers ride along to guide it through the curved path it takes when opening.

Anyway, its all back together so when i get the chance at the weekend i'll remove them again and try my magic with the tomtom holder.

Jono

**Quatrelle** · 07-12-2007,05:45 PM

Nice one! Pictures?

**james_tiger_woo** · 10-12-2007,10:26 AM

Concur - how does this look??

**jonokimber** · 10-12-2007,11:49 PM

Well i can safely say the TomTom 'mount' is pretty damn cool. It's a tiny bit wobbly due to the play in the hinge but when driving it doesn't wobble at all and pressing the screen is childs play. The slightly angled towards the driver stance is perfect for me and the top of the unit doesn't impede my view through the windscreen at all.

I had my Parrot hands free professionally fitted at work today and the bloke that did it was nice enough to advise me about the fitting of an 'in dash' power supply from the fuse box to the area behind the radio, through the back of the drawer and into the tomtom.

The only thing I probably won't do is permanently epoxy the socket in a vertical position as i am worried about the repeatability of the main mount but opening the drawer, pulling out a cable that has been stashed there and plugging it in isn't going to worry me at all.

I got burgled at home the other week and my digital camera was stolen (amongst a lot of other things) so i don't have the ability to take photos at the mo, but when the insurance pays up maybe i'll test out the replacement and show you guys my handiwork. WHo knows, by then i may also have the ipod link into the back of the neighboring drawer and another 'stashed in the dash' cable to charge my phone, protruding in to the unused ashtray area.

This would then make my car complete as far as i am concerned. No annoying cables and gubbins when not in use but fully equipped when necessary.

Watch this space...

Jono

**james_tiger_woo** · 11-12-2007,09:23 AM

Now you're just showing off with the iPod :-)

I'm impressed though - perhaps you could drop round my way and fit my satnav, ipod and phone too Lol

I look forward to seeing your handiwork...

How easy is it going to be to undo all this work when the car's got to go back?

JTW

**Quatrelle** · 11-12-2007,04:51 PM

Originally Posted by jonokimber

.....I got burgled at home the other week and my digital camera was stolen (amongst a lot of other things) so i don't have the ability to take photos at the mo.....
Jono

That is a bummer

- we were done a couple of years ago (crime-free France, ha, ha) fortunately not much was taken - there sure are some pond scum about. Hope you get it sorted to your satisfaction.

Your 'installation' sounds good - look forward to the pictures.

**RIDGMONT61** · 13-06-2008,01:52 PM

HELP!

I have removed one of the draws as suggested by a bit of wiggling and pulling. No great force was required and no nasty noises.

Unfortunately on removing the drawer a quite large coil spring was left in the empty space. I can't seem to find out where this comes from - I don't want top remove the other drawer to find out - in case it happens again!

Without it the draw does not spring open when pushed.

Can someone please explain where the coil spring should be attached to so that the draw will open.

I am concerned at the moment as I have a large gaping whole in the dash!

Help would be greatly appreciated.

**Trapper** · 13-06-2008,04:14 PM

Well Jono it looks like you've just done what I've been toying with for a while, I opted not to go for the SatNav options list as I was sure it was possible to use a draw and save myself a couple of thousand quid

. After all how many updates and units can you buy for that money!!

I would like to know how and where you routed your power feeds, and look forward to some detail shots of how you did it, I too have the SatNav, phone and portable Bluetooth (£30 instead of VW's £575) that all need power, and I hate leads draped all over the dash plugged into adaptors that are plugged into the one 12v socket. I suppose I could plug one in the front, one in the rear passenger compartment and the third in the load area but that's is a bit messy!!

I had thought of gluing a small vanity mirror to a piece of wood that would be screwed through the base of the draw from the underside so as not to damage the draw too much, the Mirror would be for the suction mounting.

I was wondering how much flexing you would get on an open draw with the weight of the SatNav sitting on top but this does not appear to be too bad?

Having another mount location removes the tell tale circle from the middle of your screen so the scum will not hurl a brick through in the hope the unit is stashed in the glove box.

There was a post on here some months ago that may have given a good idea of the draw removal without problems, I'm sure James will remember it

This is the one I think:

https://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/s...ht=coin+drawer

There are further links within the thread so you should find what you need here.

**RIDGMONT61** · 13-06-2008,09:01 PM

Drawer now back in place and working - phew relief. That will teach me to fiddle! I was hoping to put a small DAB radio in there - but have settled for the glove compartment.

Sound from the DAB radio via a Connects2 unit to an RCD500 is excellent - and can now listen to more football and cricket on 5Live Sports Extra.