Removing the air vents, radio, gear selector gaitor, heater control panel and ultimately, the centre console from my 2009 Alfa 159 TI. Drawings are (c) Alfa Romeo eLearn, the rest is mine.
I bought a Brera and the woman who owned it had a 100 dingle dangle things on her key fob, which has left 10000 small scratches and marks on the metal bits. So now I know how to remove the console, I just have to find a replacement metal or carbon front for it! Really helps me to be inspired instead of just saying "sod it!"
My 159 too. You could take it off, strip it, and very carefully rub the 'grain' back into it. I did a trial on a piece of aluminium, gave it a brushed look with 80 grit paper on a belt sander. Results were 'ok', link below. A better way to do it would be to build a frame exactly the width of your sanding block, and work 1 section at a time across the panel. I may get 'round to doing that someday soon. Plus, costs would be sub €5. c2.staticflickr.com/8/7710/29561353315_9b63d72c25_c.jpg
Very helpful, many thanks I wouldn't have done it without this video. On my car I had two more pins to disconnect from the blue and me unit, a green and white one but they were quite easy to remove at the end.
Just did this job and FYI: #1: Vent removal. don't worry if you can't get to the "end" of the vent, the way they're mounted in the car there is NO lip to hook over. I don't even think the video shows the actual hook over the lip before he cuts to the next shot... But BE GENTLE when you pull the vent out. The vents are only pressed in to fit. #2: The clip on the Push Button Start connector is a bear to get at unless you have fingers like a Gynocologist. #3: There seems to be adhesive randomly placed on the centre console to prevent it rattling, so it feels like you're gonna brake it when you pry it out. I felt like I had a missed fastner but after re watching the video I was sure I just needed to beak the adhesive. I used a spoon handle to ease the console away from the mounting. #4: There is a steel spring clip on the "Point" of the console adjacent the key Socket that you should bear in mind on removal too. it just pops out but because you can't see it you think you're about to bust something...
Someone had been in the console before me, hence the missing screws, so there's a decent chance that if there was an adhesive seal out of the factory, (s)he broke that before I went at it.
+sickaroll Cheers, confused though, it has the blue connector on top and no usb. The furthest I can get it is down by the carpet in the passenger well. What a size and there's nothing in it! Cheers
Such a helpful video... Thanks. looks like I can access the turbo/temp/fuel gauges from here. suspect the connector might be loose as they are all dead with the exception of the three red needles, and rapidly flashing (10 times per sec?) temp & fuel logo. Need to check fuse too when I can work out which one...
Great tutorial budd, do you have any pics of the power harness for the stereo or even better a list of the wire Color’s and what they do as I’m trying to fit a double din but don’t know how to connect it as modern wire colours are diff
This is great. I need to replace the entire upper pannel on mine as previous owner seemed to think it prised out from the side and seems to have used a screw driver or the like. Also while its out I want to route an aux cable into the glove box
Realising this is an old video but were you replacing a failed heater control module? Mine has suddenly stopped..no display..nothing and all fuses are good???
am i able to remove the panel first then remove the radio? i have the nav+ radio and i dameged the tow litte metal handes on the radio side so i can not pull it away anymore , so if i remove the head panel will i be able to remove the radio?
Do you know how to remove the head unit electonics (the one underneath audio unit) without removing whole console ? I'm just trying to run a cable to drivers side but there's no path I can see without removing it
Assuming you're talking about the climate controls, which are the only removable panel under the audio unit, I'm pretty sure you can't. The only part the comes out without removing the whole console is the radio/audio head unit. Depending on what you want the cable to do and where it's going it might be run under the trim. I have a long usb lead going from Blue&Me unit in glove box on passenger side tucked into the trim and into the sliding panel in front of the handbrake. You could cut a small hole in both sides of this and go around/over the 'transmission' tunnel without actually taking it off. You'd want a long cable though, 3--4m.
+sickaroll ah ok. A buzzing noise comes from the climate control panel in my case (switch off radio to hear it). When you enter the car (keep the key in your pocket) the buzz is there and disappears after 2 minutes. I inspected the small temperature fan but is was fine and clean. After reassembling the noise is still there :-(
