So on top of all the issues with the steering rack and the alignment (I won't give a full list of the other stuff that has gone wrong with the car as it's too long) I noticed today my handbrake was really stiff to operate. Turns out the gaiter is all messed up where it goes into the guides at the side and it would appear to need a console removal to sort it. It's also got a fold in it below the handbrake lever.

Judging by the posts on here removing it is a pig due to all the funky screw locations but there are no proper guides that I can find thus the dealer might have to sort it on Monday whilst it's in for the steering to be looked at for the 3rd time.

I am this close to chopping it in right now. Stupid poxy thing. For a 3.5 year old car with 40k on the clock it's crazy how much stuff has failed/ fallen off/ rotted.

I've had French cars have less go wrong. Peugeot 405 come back, all is forgiven. :(

I have a 7 week old French car, it has no handrake lever or brake gaitor to fail as it is an elecronic handrake via a button on the dash. It has already failed........................I do love the car though

Centre console is easy to remove once you know where the screws are, do a couple a week for this fault, pretty common.

Centre console is easy to remove once you know where the screws are, do a couple a week for this fault, pretty common.

Does this mean the stealer will be gentle with me on Monday? I think the part is only about £12 and if they know how to remove/ replace a console quickly I'm hoping it'll not be too dear.

Either that or I spend a while trying to figure it out myself but I'm not currently friends with the car so that would not be wise. Doubt you need a hammer and mole grips to remove the console....

I have a 7 week old French car, it has no handrake lever or brake gaitor to fail as it is an elecronic handrake via a button on the dash. It has already failed........................I do love the car though

Ha ha ha ha.. I stand corrected. But having said that within weeks of getting the car and with only 3k on the clock it was in for the heater flaps going mad, the rear windows whistling and the stereo going POP really loud.

Thanks Mike. Studying it now.

Does this mean the stealer will be gentle with me on Monday? I think the part is only about £12 and if they know how to remove/ replace a console quickly I'm hoping it'll not be too dear.

Either that or I spend a while trying to figure it out myself but I'm not currently friends with the car so that would not be wise. Doubt you need a hammer and mole grips to remove the console....

How long it takes to do is irrelevant. Every job has a labour operation time on our system so you get charged what Skoda say.

Aha I see. Ok I'll ask whilst it's in. Thanks for the info (again )

Hmm, ok I might just do that. Once I've figured out how to get the jumbo box off.

Hate taking trim parts off. Always silly clips and screws to deal with. External mechanics are much easier. Like brakes.....we like like brakes. Nice and easy.

Oooh, so I don't have to fully remove the console? As in take the side carpets off, front ash tray - all that stuff? If so, how do you remove the gaiter from around the hand brake lever?

EDIT - and do you have to take the gear knob off to get the console off if the whole lot does need to come off?

Edited 20 July, 201213 yr by Chrispy

I know how you feel wish I kept my BMW I regret trading it in everyday I think about that car.

I know how you feel wish I kept my BMW I regret trading it in everyday I think about that car.

Believe me, I do often think of going back to BMW's. A 330d would do nicely. Heard the 320d's eat their own intake manifolds. Back to failed ball joints, prop centre bearings, fogged up head lamps, leaking rear clusters, diff shunt, plastic impellers on water pumps, etc etc. Ahh, memories.

Remove the 2 screws at the front of the console on the side, open and remove front ashtray to reveal 2 screws. Remove these and lift gaiter from around gear lever. You don't have to touch the gear lever knob, as the loose gaiter turned and goes through the hole left in the console when it is removed.

Remove all other screws after armrest is out,and the console is removed by lifting the back end up,and moving the whole unit forward, clear of the handbrake, and up to clear the gearlever. Chances are you won't need to lift it that far, as once the console is clear of the handbrake you can reach underneath and remove the slide from the channels to trim and clean as I've already mentioned.

Mike

Mike, you are a star. Thank you. I'll be having a crack at this tomorrow.

Will do mate. Might even take some photos. Sure that would benefit some folks on here.

Thanks again for your help.

The jumbo box retrofit guide in my sig should give you a good idea of where you'll need to be looking to find all the screws etc to remove.

I have noticed recently my handbrake stiff to release, didn't think of this and have only just read this.., as I have just booked in for a service and reported this, or was going too.... I mentioned I had a few faults to report and started saying 'handbrake' and the guy on the phone finished off for me.. 'stiff in operation'.. is this a common fault, he did say he was telepathic today but... going by some of his other comments.. there is more choice words!

Right, it's done. Photo's and write up on the way. Once you know where the screws are and which bits are screwed and on which bits need to just be pulled off (hard) then you're ok.

Yeah, not hard to remove a jumbo box if you work through it slowly even without a picture. Did it for the first time a fortnight ago to take the carpets out and when I re-fitted them, it only took about 10 minutes to get out again.

Only thing i'd advise which isn't shown in a picture is when you come to refitting and lining it up, once it's back in place generally, only tighten the two big silver screws on the side at the bottom rear near the rear seat footwells very loosely. That way you can very easily slide the unit back & forth to make sure there's a nice tight fit with the two lugs at the very front and the upper part of the centre console near the climatronic. Once you're sorted there, you can tighten the rest of it up and there's no gaps anywhere. Also means the very flimsy bit of plastic strip where the two screws go in just at the top behind the armrest won't get bent (like what I done did!) as you slide it forward into place.

How long it takes to do is irrelevant. Every job has a labour operation time on our system so you get charged what Skoda say.

Yeah, watch out. If my stealer is to be believed. Skoda quote 3 hours for this job. I'm having a real hard time believing this figure. Maybe contact skoda uk for verification.

Just got this fault on my 11 plate not 3 years old till june so my question is will they replace this under warranty or will they try to use normal wear and tear as a get out.

cheers

If its the rubber strap that slides up and down with the handbrake, spray some silicon spray inbetween the rubber strap and the console housing.

Mine started to stick and handbrake was difficult to move. Applied the silicon spray (Back to Black etc) and immediately better. Next day it was better than new. That was early last year and its still fine.

Have tried that and only slightly better, have actually got a crease in the guide below the handbrake.

I am replacing the handbrake cable on my octavia 2 does anybody know the size of the handbrake tightning bolt. the bolt that is by the splitter by where it splits from inside the car.