Redd

No really. I tried prying all around it. I tried lifting the leather boot around the shift and poking in from that side. But the damned thing seems to be built to remain in place under high-g loads, pretty much like the coffee pot on a B1 bomber.

I'd like to pop it out, intact, to mount something else in that place. Can someone clue me in, as to how to get it out of the console without breaking something?

Or do I need to use the VAG COM and issue a special "release coin holder" command? (G)

Dalancroft

It might be molded into the entire assembly. In that case, not removable (without a Dremel or some such, that is).

USAVAGEU

I'm curious....can you tell me how much space is there from the console down to the tunnel? If you do find a way to get that ridiculous coin holder out, it would be a good location for my subwoofer remote, whichbis about two inches long.

Redd

Offhand...maybe 30mm? Remember that coin holder would be swapped with the parking brake switch on rh drive models, so there should be that much room available. If you lift the shift boot (which is easy) you can stick a finger in to check it out.

Dalan-
No, it isn't a one-piece molding. It is really what Detroit calls a "zero panel", a piece of nothing that is snapped into the left or right hand side, to fill the "extra" hole for the other-handed parking brake switch. Clever of Audi to find some use for it. But since the zero panels never "need" to be removed, it may very well just have a plastic "hook" in a couple of places, that latches in and can't easily be removed. If I knew exactly where the latches were, I'd have a better chance.

Redd

Today I was initiated into the secrets of the coin holder. Using a credit card cut in half the long way, to make two ling shims, I shoved one shim down each of the long sides of the coin holder. Between the face plate and the console. Both "click" when shoved down about two inches, a little to the rear of the midpoint.

At that point things look pretty tight, but a third prying tool, inserted at the bottom/rear side, can wedge/lift the coin holder up and forward. It pivots up and out, and the entire assembly comes up.

It turns out that there are three plastic clips holding the coin holder in. One on each side (that the credit card shims released) and one on the forward edge, which is why it pivots up and forward as it comes out.

The hole is DEEP, probably 3" deep for most of it. Not a clean "hole" but mainly empty, with a matchbox sized block of foam rubber under the coin slots, to make sure nothing can really fall down in there.

Because the "hole" is not really uniform, It would be hard to cleanly install anything in there, so I may just order a second coin holder assembly and use that to mount whatever is going in. (Possibly a phone holder stalk and/or a couple of power points.)

Once the coin holder assembly is locked down in there, it really is LOCKED IN by those three clips.

USAVAGEU

Good Job Redd! Your perseverance is commendable. Thank you! If you dig up the partnumber for the coin holder, please share it. Seems like that would be the best way to mount my subwoofer remote into the console

spijun

S/N: 8K1858323 V10 black

nathanjbrown

I don't have a background in manufacturing, but I would love to see a custom part developed that includes a pair of USB ports for power and a 3.5mm input for the audio system. Any ideas on how challenging such a project would be? I imagine the dash would need to be pulled apart, the AMI cabling rerouted to the area of the coin holder, and power piped in for the USB ports. Then there's the replicating of the coin holder part but with a new facade. And, of course, it would need to look flawless.

USAVAGEU

Thank you Spijun....you always seem to come through with help!

Redd

Nathan- The challenge to the product would be mounting a Kickstarter campaign or something like that to see if you can get any BUYERS committed. Offhand it can run $50,000 to tool up for plastic production parts, although I'm sure someone in Shenzhen can give you price quotes (Alibaba will find you suppliers) for lots of a thousand. And then, undercut you if they sell well.(G)

I'd just take a Dremel to fit the USB ports, run a 7805 or 7905 three-pin regulator quick & dirty behind them, and take a wire over to one of the fuse panels for that. Unless it was awfully simple to tap the 12V from the existing lighter, and you didn't mind having the power shutting down with the ignition.

Anyone have a rough idea what the US MSRP on that part is?