Hey guys,

I know that to remove the radio door on the AP1s, you just have to remove the radio door. However, I've read around the forum that on the AP2s, you MUST remove the center console in order to remove the radio door. How valid is this? I am looking at my S2k service manual and for both AP1 and AP2 models, it does not indicate that i must remove the center console. I just wanted to get some advice from people with first hand experience on this. Thanks in advance.

Tim

 

No. Same as AP1.

 

Wrong.

You dont have to remove it to take the door off. However you will need to pull it to put the door back on.

 

The door is attached to the entire frame surrounding the face of the stock HU. While it is not mandatory that you remove it, it does help to prevent breaking any of the tabs that hold it in place. It also makes it easier to put back in place. I have done it without removing anything twice, so it can safely be done. Its just tricky....

 

You don't really need to remove it. You just need to pop up the center console and move it out of the way slightly to take the radio door out. It is 100 times easier imho to pop the center console up to get it out.

The reason is that the center console now has an extra "lip" that comes up and gets in the way of removing the radio door that the AP1 doesn't have. It gives you a non-slip surface to put a cell phone down or something like that ...

Its pretty easy to pop the center console though, just pull up on that piece and it should pop up, then keep pulling until you get to the leather arm rest area, then you should be able to angle it so it isn't blocking the radio door.

You can kind of see the difference in these two images:

AP1:

AP2:

 

I'm on my third AP2 and have had this problem in them all. There is not enough clearance to get the three bottom tabs in line with their slots.
Though I've found if you bend them down you can get it in with out removing the console.
Bending them doesn't seem to cause a problem.
Frustrating as you only need ~10mm of clearance and it would go in just like and AP1 one would.

 

Best answer, voted by me - you can get the door back on without removing the center console (just lifting it, actually, but its a real pain and will hurt. Its better for you and the car just to pop it up when inserting the door - you don't need to even remove the shift knob.

 

I just cut off the three bottom tabs and put it back in, makes life alot easier.
It stay intack pretty well, no problem with it poping out. Just way easier to pull it out and to put it back.