I just bought a 2000 A6 2.8. The cup holder in the console located between the front seats was completely gone.I purchased a new sping loaded retractable cup holder mechanism only to find that the bracket it slides into was missing. So my question is how do I install the bracket for the cup holder to mount into? It looks to me as though the wood trim beside the emergency brake lever must be removed from the center console to gain access. I was able to pop the wood trim up on the front edge toward the front of the car but can't figure out how to pop off the back edge that seems to go under the retractable armrest base. Anyone know how this is done? Thanks for any help.

 

the sping is probably bad

 

You need to pull the entire center console out and flip it over to replace the cupholder bracket. There are two bolts that hold the bracket in and they bolt straight upwards so its pretty hard to do without pulling the entire console.

 

auditech79 are you sure about the bracket bolting on. I found the bracket in the trunk left from the previous owner. Here is a picture of it. It has two solid tabs sticking out the front and two spring tabs on the back. It doesn't appear to have any holes for bolts. When I look though the opening in the center console I can see the holes the tabs would mount into but it is impossible to put the bracket through the console opening since the braket is larger than the opening in the console. It appears the only way to attach it is from underneath and to push it up to snap in the tabs. Do you know where I can get info for removing the wood gaintrim from the center console beside the emergency brake lever?

Thanks

 

Im sure it bolts in, the one in the trunk you have is probably the wrong one which is why he never installed it....... The only wood trim that can be removed is the trim around the shifter assembly by the ash tray. You NEED to remove the entire center console! To remove the center console check out the pic i attached.

 

I tackled this just this past weekend to remove my broken cupholder (and when I get my replacement I will repeat the process all over again). However I never saw any bolts or screws holding the actual sleeve/cupholder into the console...at least in my case.

If you already have the e-brake trim removed, the next step would be to pop out the bottom of the storage area below the armrest (item 2 in the image). That should expose asmall bolt and possibly a nut that need to be removed. Then you need to remove the rear vents and cig lighter console in the rear of the console to gain access to the nuts that hold the console in. Also remove the trim around the shifter and that will expose two small bolts which must be removed.

Once you get to the underside of the console you can clip in the sleeve that holds the cupholder. In my case the previous owner broke the tabs that help hold the cupholder in place, so I will have to improvise but I think I can make it work. It sounds like a big hassle to remove the console but in reality it is pretty easy and should only take you about 15 minutes.

While we are on the subject, does anyone have any alternatives rather than replacing the essentially useless cupholder? I know some models had the nav controls there, but since I don't have nav adding the controls would be pointless. Truth be told I would much rather use that space for a cell phone pocket etc since I don't see myself ever using the cupholder, but at the same time I want it to look professional so I'm reluctant to just hack something together to make it a storage cubby.

Are there other options?

 

Thanks Auditech and Costner, going to remove it today. I too was wondering if ayone had ideas as to an alternative to a cup holder in that space. In any case thanks for coming through with the info I needed! BTW, Auditech79 is there an online resource I can gain access to diagrams such as the one you posted?

 

The pic i posted is from the factory repair manual on elsa web, you can't get that information unless your a certified technician by audi. However i can PM you any information that you need if you provide me with your VIN number.