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I've done a bunch of searches and can't find it. I've a 2008 A6 needing the pawn cut.
I recall someone saying they raised it up (the boot) from outside the console to cut the pawn,
without taking the console loose.
Does anyone know about this? Any link our information is welcome.
I'm already well aware of all the ways to do it by raising the console,
but would prefer not to if I can.
Thanks for any information or the name of the person that says they did it.
I'd kinda like to see this info or link too and doing it without all the hassle of pulling the console. Might help a lot of us A6 people..
Mines not acting up but if you could pull the boot I'll be ahead of the game before it happens.
I have cut the pawl and it is very tight in there with the console off. I am not positive, but I can't imagine being able to cut that thing with the console attached.
Removing the console takes 15 minutes. Simple job.
I'd kinda like to see this info or link too and doing it without all the hassle of pulling the console. Might help a lot of us A6 people..
Mines not acting up but if you could pull the boot I'll be ahead of the game before it happens.
Originally Posted by HBsurfer
I have cut the pawl and it is very tight in there with the console off. I am not positive, but I can't imagine being able to cut that thing with the console attached.
Removing the console takes 15 minutes. Simple job.
Originally Posted by 1320#me
Mine took a little longer than 15 minutes but I could not have cut the paw without the counsel removed. It was worth the work.
I'm just very concerned I'll have trouble with getting it open and then properly back together, without getting something else screwed up..
As I'm now 79 and with back issues and find things harder to do as of late.
As I recall someone was able to snip it off from above through the top after moving the boot aside.
It was in a thread on "stuck in park" and he came in saying he was able to do it without moving the console.
I'm hoping he see's this post and replies or someone that knows about it or the post.
I figured it's worth a try anyway. Thanks.
Understood. Back issues would make it a tough job. If the guy you are looking for does not show up, you could take your car to a stereo shop. Those guys would pop that console off for you and re-install it easily.
Good luck Mr Jean
I removed my pawl without totally removing the console. Loosening the console and pulling it out of the dash was surprisingly easy, but I couldn’t get all my accessory plugs (for heated seats, selective ride control, emergency flashers etc) to disconnect. There was enough slack in those wires however to lift the console about 8-10”. (Think I had the shifter in neutral) I was then able to carefully pull the boot away from its base and slide it up the gear shift selector enough to get my fingers on that pawl. It was very tight quarters and I couldn’t get a pair of snips in there to cut it off, but I was able to get the end of a small pointed hack saw blade in there to saw it off. Took some patience and I used very short cutting strokes. I also had a pair of forceps attached to the pawl to hold it steady and prevent it from falling down into the assembly once it was cut through. Putting the console back in place was very simple. Basically just involves lining everything back up and a firm push to snap it back in place.
Hope this helps and good luck with the procedure. I know how frustrating it is. That little fricking pawl is a royal PITA! But you’ll be glad once it’s gone.
Mr Jean,
Not sure if there is a way to just remove the boot as you suggest. I had hoped to do the same but never found a way. And after completing my work, I doubt it could be done with just the boot removal. Attached is a picture of the tools I used after lifting the console up as far as I could. Hope it helps. It really wasn’t as complicated or difficult as it may sound. Maybe 15 minutes to get the console out of the way, 10 minutes to saw on the pawl, and 10 minutes to get everything back together.
I removed my pawl without totally removing the console. Loosening the console and pulling it out of the dash was surprisingly easy, but I couldn’t get all my accessory plugs (for heated seats, selective ride control, emergency flashers etc) to disconnect. There was enough slack in those wires however to lift the console about 8-10”. (Think I had the shifter in neutral) I was then able to carefully pull the boot away from its base and slide it up the gear shift selector enough to get my fingers on that pawl. It was very tight quarters and I couldn’t get a pair of snips in there to cut it off, but I was able to get the end of a small pointed hack saw blade in there to saw it off. Took some patience and I used very short cutting strokes. I also had a pair of forceps attached to the pawl to hold it steady and prevent it from falling down into the assembly once it was cut through. Putting the console back in place was very simple. Basically just involves lining everything back up and a firm push to snap it back in place.
Hope this helps and good luck with the procedure. I know how frustrating it is. That little fricking pawl is a royal PITA! But you’ll be glad once it’s gone.
Originally Posted by Squeaky Wheel
Mr Jean,
Not sure if there is a way to just remove the boot as you suggest. I had hoped to do the same but never found a way. And after completing my work, I doubt it could be done with just the boot removal. Attached is a picture of the tools I used after lifting the console up as far as I could. Hope it helps. It really wasn’t as complicated or difficult as it may sound. Maybe 15 minutes to get the console out of the way, 10 minutes to saw on the pawl, and 10 minutes to get everything back together.
I do remember your post being amoung the many many others in the search feature.
I appreciate you posting it again here, in more detail than I remember. Thanks.
Maybe I can find someone to help or try a stereo place as suggested above by HBsurfer. Thanks HBsurfer.
If not I'll just have to do it over a longer period of time, with my current back issues.
Probably take me a few hours on a one hour job, old age sucks.
Thanks guys.
If anyone has a 2008 model video on doing this pawn cutting or tie back, I'd love a link or please share it here.
As I've heard/seen that some years are different and want to have the correct information.
With my age and back issues, I want to spend as little time on this as possible
and not be chasing things that don't apply to an 2008 base model. Thanks.
If anyone has a 2008 model video on doing this pawn cutting or tie back, I'd love a link or please share it here.
As I've heard/seen that some years are different and want to have the correct information.
With my age and back issues, I want to spend as little time on this as possible
and not be chasing things that don't apply to an 2008 base model. Thanks.
Mine was an 08 model with 3LT trim, including selective ride control. Watched several uTube videos on pulling the console out of the dash. Some of those plastic trim panel removal tools come in handy for that sort of work. Got a basic set from Harbor Freight for under $10 if I recall. Getting the console away from the dash was pretty easy. Getting the power cords to all the accessory buttons disconnected was a whole different ballgame! I finally gave up on that. If there hadn’t been that little bit of slack in the wiring to lift the console up and out of the way I don’t know what I would’ve done. Probably would of gone to a stereo installer as suggested.
One thing I remember you need to be careful with is a little red plastic pin that fits inside the pointer to indicate which position the gear shift selector is in. Park, reverse, neutral etc. Have to use some care not to break it off. One of the videos point that out. That never came into play using the procedure I’ve outlined.
Mine was an 08 model with 3LT trim, including selective ride control. Watched several uTube videos on pulling the console out of the dash. Some of those plastic trim panel removal tools come in handy for that sort of work. Got a basic set from Harbor Freight for under $10 if I recall. Getting the console away from the dash was pretty easy. Getting the power cords to all the accessory buttons disconnected was a whole different ballgame! I finally gave up on that. If there hadn’t been that little bit of slack in the wiring to lift the console up and out of the way I don’t know what I would’ve done. Probably would of gone to a stereo installer as suggested.
One thing I remember you need to be careful with is a little red plastic pin that fits inside the pointer to indicate which position the gear shift selector is in. Park, reverse, neutral etc. Have to use some care not to break it off. One of the videos point that out. That never came into play using the procedure I’ve outlined.
Mine is 3LT trim, including selective ride control too.
When you say you "gave up on that", are you saying you got it done WITHOUT disconnecting things?
Because I'm concerned about the connections myself. That's how I seem to break stuff, I'm not good with little stuff.
Mine is 3LT trim, including selective ride control too.
When you say you "gave up on that", are you saying you got it done WITHOUT disconnecting things?
Because I'm concerned about the connections myself. That's how I seem to break stuff, I'm not good with little stuff.
Ha Ha. I hear ya! I’m in the same boat.
Yes, I left everything connected. I was being super careful about not pulling to hard or putting to much strain on those connections. Didn’t want to create a whole new set of problems. I thought once the console was pulled away from the dash I would be on easy street. Boy was I wrong. I wrestled with those wires for probably 45 minutes before giving up. Most of the videos make it look like disconnecting those accessories is a piece of cake. Must’ve been some sort of trick to it that I just didn’t master. 🤷🏼♂️ Wish I was closer to you. I’d try to offer you some help. I’m 72, and not real flexible. And believe me, I’m not very savvy on mechanical stuff. But if I can do this, I suspect you can as well.
Yes, I left everything connected. I was being super careful about not pulling to hard or putting to much strain on those connections. Didn’t want to create a whole new set of problems. I thought once the console was pulled away from the dash I would be on easy street. Boy was I wrong. I wrestled with those wires for probably 45 minutes before giving up. Most of the videos make it look like disconnecting those accessories is a piece of cake. Must’ve been some sort of trick to it that I just didn’t master. 🤷🏼♂️ Wish I was closer to you. I’d try to offer you some help. I’m 72, and not real flexible. And believe me, I’m not very savvy on mechanical stuff. But if I can do this, I suspect you can as well.
That's good to hear. I guess I'll get some plastic trim panel removal tools and give it a try.
If I can't get it done, I'll try the stereo installer route.
I'll just go slow an easy and hope for the best. Thanks for all the assistance.
Last edited by Mr. Jean; Aug 12, 2022 at 11:10 AM.
That's good to hear. I guess I'll get some plastic trim panel removal tools and give it a try.
If I can't get it done, I'll try the stereo installer route.
I'll just go so an easy and hope for the best. Thanks for all the assistance.
If you can get those accessory plugs apart, it’ll probably be a lot easier. Maybe yours will be easier than mine. But if not, just put the car in neutral (being sure the car doesn’t roll) and you should be able to get the console up about 8-10”. Tilt the console a bit forward and toward the passenger side, and slide the boot up the shifter. If like mine, the boot should just have a bit of elastic around it’s bottom securing it to it’s base. You’ll be able to feel the pawl with your finger and move it back and forth. Put the forceps on it then start to slowly saw at its base. Short little strokes using the tip of the saw. Almost like using a little file. Good luck and be sure to report back, hopefully with a successful outcome. 🙂
Some of those accessory plugs are a bear. If I recall correctly, Some just pull apart. Some require a tab to be moved. Some require a tab to be pushed. Since you can't really see under there, knowing how each plug connects would be a huge help. I think there are some YouTube videos that explain exactly which is which. Look under C6 shifter replacement for those videos. I am pretty sure MGW shifters is the place I found that showed a detailed console removal that included exactly how each plug came apart.
With that info, you can do this from the passenger seat without too much bending or twisting.
If you can get those accessory plugs apart, it’ll probably be a lot easier. Maybe yours will be easier than mine. But if not, just put the car in neutral (being sure the car doesn’t roll) and you should be able to get the console up about 8-10”. Tilt the console a bit forward and toward the passenger side, and slide the boot up the shifter. If like mine, the boot should just have a bit of elastic around it’s bottom securing it to it’s base. You’ll be able to feel the pawl with your finger and move it back and forth. Put the forceps on it then start to slowly saw at its base. Short little strokes using the tip of the saw. Almost like using a little file. Good luck and be sure to report back, hopefully with a successful outcome. 🙂
Yup, I'm still looking at posts on this and came across this other option from BNB08.
I'm posting it below on here for those that may not have seen it.
"Hi everyone, I went through the normal process of removing the radio bezel and shift boot to access the shifter assembly. My initial plan was to do like member EvRose and tie off the shift locking mechanism to keep it from re-engaging. Now keep in mind my shift locking solenoid was functioning correctly but on occasion it would intermittently fail, so I really didn't want to get stuck somewhere and it never unlock. So after the bezel and shift boot was removed, I studied the movement of the locking solenoid and its connection to the plastic locking pawl and noticed that there is a small metal rod that attaches the pawl to the electric locking solenoid (see thread #116 bottom photo for a pic of the small rod) and I thought If I just place something around that rod when the solenoid is in the unlock position it will keep it in the same position when it tries to lock. I ended up using a small diameter nylon tube that I split down the side and slide it over the small attaching rod. You will need some needle nose pliers to reach the rod but it isn't that hard to get it over the rod. The main thing is that you make the length of the nylon tube the correct length. This length will be the distance when the rod has fully unlocked the pawl. I cut the nylon tube a little long and kept trimming until it would completely keep the pawl from locking. I think this is a really simple way and less aggravation than breaking off the pawl or drilling holes in it to wire it off. It also keeps everything as it came from the factory. Once again sorry for not having pics as it probably would have been easier to understand than my rambling lol. Hope this helps someone as I just wanted to contribute to this great forum and all of those that have helped our Corvette community grow stronger.
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2008 A6 boot removal only
