Stevey629

I can't seem to get the center console to stay down. Its been pissing me off for quite a while now, every time I shift, the front end of it just pops its ugly end up. The leather/vinyl sided paneling underneath the center shifter panel (nearest the driver side right thigh) comes outward. Amazingly enough, the center console comes out easy, however, this very fact is what makes it so difficult to secure it properly. There are 5 metal clips that affix themselves to plastic prongs that come off the bottom of the center panel, and consequently 2 of the five are missing. However, these three that have survived don't even do their job, as they pop right out of the rectangular shaped slot in the lower portion of the console, if they're not popping off the plastic prongs to begin with. This lower portion that protrudes is also broken, and the phillips screw that is supposed to hold it in place is just hangin out under the mess. Super glue was the first thing that came to mind to fix this lower portion. Is there a better method in fixing the upper shifter panel? Newer, simpler clips? getting new clips and reworking the old ones somehow? Im a bit confused as to how they hold in strongly, just because I've always had this problem, and dont know what or how its supposed to attach properly. I am slowly finding that some things on this car in many respects were overengineered; weird, clip type braided **** poor grounding cable for the motor, incredibly obnoxious bose anaconda, battery terminal bracket/fuse case to name a few. The little things that create more headaches and pains. Relief comes through triumph I suppose. If you disagree, then Im sorry, I guess Im in favor of a simpler design in sacrifice of a possible ergonomic or aesthetic appeal. Enough complaints. This solves nothing for the panel. Suggestions? And, just this panel is peeling, all of my other panels are in perfect shape. Should I sand and paint? or should I just get a new center piece? Oh, and while Im on interior creakiness, the driver side door INTERIOR door handle is slowly being affected by that thing called entropy. The mirror adjustment is popping out on the right side as well. Grr.

ROTORhead93

One word. Punctuation. That was really hard to read. I'm not trying to be mean or anything, just stating a helpful hint for future posts.

Unfortunetly, i dont have an answer for your problem. Sorry to be of no help. Just thought i'd jump in and tell you to break up big paragraph posts like the one above.

Good luck with your problem.

mazdaspeed00

iTrader: (6)

wrap the ends of your clips with 3m double sided tape. make sure that the kind of tape u get has a little thickness to it. once you apply the tape to the ends force the clips back into their holding points. of this dosent work u might need to just get another center counsel

tobecontinued

iTrader: (4)

Someone really needs to make a replacement center console/ shifter panel with a different mounting arrangement. No, I am not talking about the a/c relocation mod!

Of course this could incorporate a single din radio opening, locations for extra gauge(s), turbo timer, boost controller or pfc commander to name a few.

For the alternate mounting something along the lines of hood pins or little "c" clips with the post portion being secured under the shifter panel comes to mind.


I'll just keep telling myself, "someday, someday it will happen"

Bill

Stevey629

so electrical tape would work? new clips? and no one seemed to get to my mirror adjustment thing. In addition to this however, the actual side mirror itself moves around a lot, and seems like it would just wanna pop off at around 80 mph. Its movin around, hatin life being attached to the door.

Hyperite

Who said that? I read it as double-sided tape.

Nobody read that far.

Stevey629

thx for the "update" hyperite, I know no one did. "no one seemed to get to my mirror adjustment," meaning, I was asking people to read the end of the post.

Stevey629

wrote this post a long time ago, sorry for writing like wasn't breathing. I decided to try to fix the center panel once again today, and had some more problems.

1. I fixed the main center console using a fiberglass fix, so now the main section of the center console itself stays attached to the front area under the A/C controls and stuff....good thing.

2. Unfortunately, I still haven't found a solution to the brackets that hold the shifter panel down. They're horribly designed, as they just attach with a little rectangular shaped hole in the main center console. I've tried electrical tape, but it doesn't seem to have enough grabbing capacity to keep it from just popping right back up.


Anyhow, solutions to this problem would be greatly appreciated, as I'm sure some of you out there have devised ways of getting the damn thing to stay down.