The front ashtray on my 2000 A4 1.8T auto will not open unless pried. It then closes easily. Can someone give me the basics of removing the ashtray so I can see if something is stuck behind it or if a gear is broken?

 

do you store change in it?

 

just out of curiousity, is it bad to store change in it?

I sometimes drop change in mine.

 

Yeah, #1 Cause of jammed ashtray.

ZinC4, have you tried prying it out with a screwdriver carefully?

 

yeah mine does the same thing, I havnt had a chance to get mine out yet and check but i know storing change in them is not the best idea beacuse mine has a penny stuck behind it making it even harder to close.

 

I do store change in it. But, I can pry it open with a screwdriver. It then closes gently, but will not open with a push, as before. I assume that once I remove the ashtray, I will be able to remove whatever is blocking it.

 

If it is anything like the older style ash tray, there should be two holes you can stick a screw driver down into. There are little metal prongs you have to push on. the ash tray should wiggle out as soon as you get them both pressed down.

 

also, if you've taken it out before.... or you do now cuz it's jammed, don't forget to wind the little gears up a bit before you put the ashtray in again... or else it won't have enough strength to push the ashtray back out. fixed mine yesterday

 

I know there is change stuck behind by ashtray (I assume it slid behind down from the top of the little door when it was opened). So I pulled up the plastic trim around the gear selector and took out the two screws holding the ashtray. After trying for an hour to take the ashtray out completly to un-jam the coins, I gave up and tried to put it back in. But I can't quite get it to be flush the way it used to be. Any suggestions? I don't want to remove the A/C head unit unless I have to.

 

I had the same problem with replacing the ashtray. I just figured this out. I pulled out the bottom of the AC unit about an inch. Then I slid the ashtray underneath the AC unit and then pushed/tilted up the back of the ashtray. It was like fitting the ashtray underneath the AC unit. The ashtray sat in place, flush. Once flush I could push the AC unit back into place.