Returning from holiday the early hours of this morning I’ve found that after leaving the Superb to be valeted while I was away it appears something has become stuck behind the phonebox cover meaning I now can’t open the it more than a couple of inches, and to add insult to injury the USB socket doesn’t appear to be working properly.

 

Does anyone have any experience removing the sliding phone box cover? I can feel there’s a soft latch underneath the cover, but can’t tell if it needs to slide fully back (which it can’t do) to be removed, or if I need to get to it round the back of the console instead.

 

All advice appreciated.

Did you sort this out? I've managed to let something I'd placed on the closed cover to the storage/phone compartment to slide up and behind the flap. I can open it but you can feel the cardboard item is an obstruction.

 

I am hoping the unit can be unclipped and the item safely retrieved. Also it shouldn't remain behind the unit in case it causes some damage.

No, likewise it feels it should be removable but currently feels like short of potentially forcing it out I haven't learnt the technique yet.

 

Still hoping someone on here has some experience.

Well I tried my local dealer today and could only speak to the service reception (they did go to speak to the technicians). The technician (without knowing much about what had happened) had said it could just need the side panel off and it would cost an hour's work £106. Or it could need a lot more of the central console dismantling and take up to 3 hours and so more like £300.

 

Thought about it at home and checked with lease company (I guessed right in it would have to be booked in and charged to them and my employer might then be cross-charged). So tried to book it in.... well my nearest Skoda dealer took about 10 minutes to answer the phone, they couldn't book it in this week, they wanted it all day for potentially a 30 minute job,.... so I decided to try another dealer with better service. They were making it difficult to book it in and they had not evaluated the job.

 

So I phoned the local dealer again and they said bring it in now and we'll take a look to see how big a job it might be. Didn't promise they could fix it today and that was fine by me. So off I popped.

 

Service department chap I then met was really helpful. He came to have a look and then went and got a technician for a second opinion. Technician got some screwdrivers and took off the lower part of the console side-trim in the footwell (one screw I think and a few clips holding it in place) and could feel behind the tray/lid but the objects (FiL's blue badge for parking) were very stiff and difficult to just pull out. He eventually got them pushed through above the flap from where they'd come. Total time about 20 minutes but another object might have been easier. Cost... no charge. So I left a nice donation for Children in Need which they were supporting.

 

I did ask if it was easier to take out the ashtray/shelf itself but he said you had to pull off the trim around the gear-stick first and that is prone to easily scratch in the shiny black colour in my car. So he persevered.

 

I didn't expect it fixing for free or at all today to be honest but I also didn't think it should be a £300 job. The customer service at Skoda Manchester on Bury New Road was a lot better than the other dealer. Skoda Manchester has older buildings (not old) and is not the glass palace that is my nearest. I know where the car will be serviced now.

Edited 23 October, 20178 yr by rtj70