How to remove dash board trim

[Logan_Hunter]

Hello!

I took my car to get the red dashboard inserts and trims wrapped, I'm not a massive fan and anyone who sees my car says "nice car, not keen on the red though" - hmm how about you keep your opinions to yourself? Moving on...

They couldn't do the job because they didn't know how to remove the main dash sections, apparently the OLED trim light is attached to the insert.

I don't suppose anyone knows how to remove the dash trim safely without causing damage? I'm hoping there is a VW engineer lurking out there with some access to guidance.

Thank you in advance

p.s. has anyone tried wrapping a dash? I think I'd like to try it myself, the original quote was £180 which jumped to £300 when they saw how difficult it would be without removing the trim.

[OomStu_ZA]

You not the only one mate, I hate it too.

When my vehicle arrived at the dealer last year it also had the red insert which was NOT part of my spec. To make good the dealer sourced another vehicle with my spec (black insert) but threw in for FREE additional extras such as leather seats, keyless start/stop and inductive charging.

I was deading them wrapping as well but thank goodness they didnt. Good luck there mate.

[monkeyhanger]

Hopefully Dark_cze will be along shortly. I'm sure he's got all the EKTA/workshop diagrams. I'd expect that they are either in on friction pins to the dash behind or each of the 2 pieces slot in on rails from the left and right sides of the dash to meet in the middle of the drivers virtual cockpit screen or dials.

Wasn't there an early thread on this forum where someone had their Polo broken into and trim was removed to get to the infotainment screen? I'm sure there were pics of the bare dash without its inserts.

Either way, if you get them off, the wrap sounds expensive for the areas covered, and I doubt the ambient lighting strip is attached to the pads as it is one piece and the dash pads set is 2 pieces (plus the 2 door opener surrounds in the front) - more likely that the 2 pieces overlap the ambient strip and the single vent without black gloss surround clips from the dash pad at the back of the pad. Why not get them resprayed in the deep iron insert colour. Then it'll look completely OEM and you won't have to revert later.

Or find out how much the deep iron inserts are. The full set might be cheaper than your £180/300 wrap.

[monkeyhanger]

I've been looking on ebay for dash bits sold by car breakers. Oddly, there are a few entries for the left side of the dash (incorporating that chrome surround vent on the left side and the infotainment screen surround), but not the right. Not sure if it's coincidence or if the right side of the dash is harder to get off without breaking, or just more popular among buyers.

Looking at the dashpads, supplied with a black trim underneath that incorporates the left air vent (on a RHD car), it seems that there is some pretty simple friction clipping going on to secure the pads to the dash framework. I can't tell whether the pads can come off completely separately to the black trim underneath, the air vent and the black gloss infotainment surround, without damaging them. The car breakers are supplying all those bits together, VAG may not necessarily do so if you can take all those components to bits and clip them back to new pads without damage. The whole unit seems to be pegged, with spear head shaped pegs that clip into metal spring clips on the dash chassis itself.

It doesn't look a difficult job to remove, but seeing g the EKTA diagrams or having a dash pad in hand would help greatly in figuring out where you need to lever or pull at your existing pads to get them off for painting, wrapping or replacement.

[POLO Clive]

Some good pictures here in this ebay listing > https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Polo-VI-A ... Sw5wJcAQQn

[monkeyhanger]

^ multiple part stickers on that listing do imply that the whole dash trim shown there can be broken down further, and they're being shown as one continuous piece rather than the 2 pieces you can see that come together with a join around the instrument display in our own cars.

Some areas which look to be mating points which are irreversible, like a large solid plastic peg has fitted through a hole and has been deformed by heat, mushrooming the peg around the hole. So maybe you are supposed to buy the whole lump rather than just the pads?

Won't know for sure without a visit to TPS or seeing if dark_cze can have a look at the ekta diagrams.

[PoloBlack]

https://www.drive2.com/l/515104980890288596/

This article also has some interesting photos.

I too wanted to replace the red interior trim of my car, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to remove the inserts with my trim remover tool, I was too worried off breakage...at least with ordering replacement parts if the clips broke it wouldn’t be as bad!

[POLO Clive]

I saw this video and thought of you Logan, it's only the first few seconds but it might help > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywMz2TVe8Dg

[POLO Clive]

Here's another, from about 2 minutes in > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnwwhxHyy4g

[Digonho]

https://www.drive2.com/l/515104980890288596/

This article also has some interesting photos.

I too wanted to replace the red interior trim of my car, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to remove the inserts with my trim remover tool, I was too worried off breakage...at least with ordering replacement parts if the clips broke it wouldn’t be as bad!

I need this!
Part Number lists, someone have/know?

[sc-red]

https://www.drive2.com/l/515104980890288596/

This article also has some interesting photos.

I too wanted to replace the red interior trim of my car, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to remove the inserts with my trim remover tool, I was too worried off breakage...at least with ordering replacement parts if the clips broke it wouldn’t be as bad!

I need this!
Part Number lists, someone have/know?

I’ve included the Dark Iron facia as was a free option, as thought the bright red was more for the young drivers. Very much an acquired taste imho.

[Ima]

Interesting. I’m 49 and love the red inserts. Originally I was set on the grey until I sat in the demonstrator and loved it. It makes the cabin a much brighter more interesting place. I do agree it’s likely to be one of those personal taste issues. In my old GTI people used to say nice car shame about the horrible tartan seats which I also love. Not bothered what anyone thinks as long as you’re happy

[sc-red]

Interesting. I’m 49 and love the red inserts. Originally I was set on the grey until I sat in the demonstrator and loved it. It makes the cabin a much brighter more interesting place. I do agree it’s likely to be one of those personal taste issues. In my old GTI people used to say mice car shame about the horrible tartan seats which I also love. Not bothered what anyone thinks as long as you’re happy

Tartan seats can be a bit like marmite. I too love them though.

Back on the dash topic, maybe if the red was gloss instead of Matt/silk I might of been more in favour. It’s strange as it was sitting in the demonstrator that convinced me the red was too much. Each to their own.

[monkeyhanger]

https://www.drive2.com/l/515104980890288596/

This article also has some interesting photos.

I too wanted to replace the red interior trim of my car, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to remove the inserts with my trim remover tool, I was too worried off breakage...at least with ordering replacement parts if the clips broke it wouldn’t be as bad!

I need this!
Part Number lists, someone have/know?

I’ve included the Dark Iron facia as was a free option, as thought the bright red was more for the young drivers. Very much an acquired taste imho.

We're got 2 GTI+ in the household:

Flash red 2018 model with no GPF and the red inserts.

White 2019 model with GPF and the deep iron inserts.

I have a slight preference for the deep iron ones. It's not so much the colour, but the depth and gloss on the deep iron ones. The red inserts look like a matte red anodized aluminium finish, bordering on looking a little pink - would be better as a high gloss flash red, a gloss red shade that matches the exterior red embellishments of the GTI or bright metallic red finish.

If my preference was stronger and I could swap them out for less than £300, I would. As it is, if you can get the pads off without breaking any clips, wrapping is probably the cheapest option. Has anyone had s quote for supply of the pad sets?

The red does brighten up the interior, it could be a slightly better shade for me though.

[stuartrendall]

I opted for the red inserts because in my opinion they looked better. Do the deep iron inserts cause any unwanted reflections out of curiosity?