75ZT Community

As per title

I want to dismantle the cigar lighter in the centre console. What I'm after is to utilise the funky sliding tray / door mechanism but mount something in place of the lighter. Now, preferably I want to do this without destroying anything. I especially don't want to destroy the mechanism or the rest of the ashtray assembly as this will have to go back in the car

Luckily I do have spare I can practice on but I would still like this to remain serviceable at the end of the "disassembly".

from memory, the small centre front piece that folds down is held in 3 places, it is hinged left and right in the bottom corners with small springs, you can get a small flat bladed screwdriver and gently prize it out on either side, once you have done this it is held by an arm at the top end which opens and closes it and which goes back into the rest of the assembly and fits into a channel,it should slide out once you have the bottom corners free.

The trick on reassembly is to get the arm in place before putting the bottom back in on either side which is not easy and might take a few attempts, it is best done off the car as the whole assembly is easy to get out as you no doubt already know.

It is a pig off a job considering it is such a tiny part but good luck and may the force be with you !

I guess you will want to take the lighter itself out too, from what you say.

Once you have the slidy bit out as Rob describes, you have to get the metal part out of the orange plastic light guide. There are some clips in the orange bit that you have to gently ease, so the metal tube wil slide out. Once this is done, the orange bit comes out.

This should make a lot more sense when you have it in front of you.

Thanks for the help guys!

I had a play with the spare unit I have before I read your above posts and couldn't figure out how to remove the slider but I could see, at least in theory, how the actual lighter comes out. I'll have a play over the weekend now I know I was on the right tracks and see if I can get it apart without breaking it!

I put a push button start in mine with help from Duncan