[LemurMort]

Hello all!

Did anyone tried to add a compartment that's on the centre console just above the radio?
At the moment I have a plastic cover and I'd like to know if it is held by clips or screws.
If there are screws, what are the steps to neatly reach them and not damage anything?

I'm talking about this compartment:


Thanks!

[LemurMort]

First; shoot me for making this mistake: "Did anyone tried to add.."

Secondly, to answer to my own question (after a bit of looking around YT), the console seems to be held in place by click locks so it should pop right out.

Also, looks like there are 5 screws that hold the cover.
I found this picture:

[tw2005]

To my knowledge the top compartment has four screws and you remove that first to reveal the others underneath if there are any, can't remember  now. For the version with no compartment it'd have to be just clips I would think

[tw2005]

yeah, looks that the blank is screwed on and the main body is clipped, once removed exposes the screws for the blank.

we only have the version with that compartment

[eye30]

From memory going back some 9/10 years i'm sure a member removed the tray unit to replace with satnav.

Try using the search facility to see if anything is flagged up.

[Dazzler]

From memory going back some 9/10 years i'm sure a member removed the tray unit to replace with satnav.

Try using the search facility to see if anything is flagged up.

@The Gonz put his Satnav in the compartment but he always had the flip top and still does.

Someone did enquire about this many years ago though so I will do a search. Hopefully if I find it the pictures are not lost.

[Dazzler]

Well this one wasn't very helpful... 

Top centre compartment.

This one looked promising.. but Petered out (I think Lorian's name was really Peter..)

dash cobbie hole

Third time lucky although pictures are of no use..

Top centre compartment Disassembling

and post 46 here...

i30 Radio removal ?

Hope that helps!

[LemurMort]

Correct!
 I think I saw a video where you have to remove the top compartment, which is held in place by 4 screws, and than you can remove the fascia which is held in place by clips.

[LemurMort]

Well this one wasn't very helpful... 

Top centre compartment.

This one looked promising.. but Petered out (I think Lorian's name was really Peter..)

dash cobbie hole

Third time lucky although pictures are of no use..

Top centre compartment Disassembling

and post 46 here...

i30 Radio removal ?

Hope that helps!

I found these post to be quite helpful, each one with useful informations which confirmed my doubts. Thank you very much for your help!
BTW I never knew the Czech i30s never had one installed.

Now I only have to get my hands on the bloody compartment.
I called a couple of the scrapyards and the response was uniform: "Yeah, we probably have it. Let me check and I'll get back to you in a minute. The number you're calling from is yours?" They never call me back even after I call to remind them 

[The Gonz]

@The Gonz put his Satnav in the compartment but he always had the flip top and still does.

Yes, and still very happy with it the way it is. The 5" satnav gets very good sun protection and its volume is enhanced by the lid fixed over it. If I had just the blanking panel, I would fit the lid just to do this all again. The purpose built shroud that I've seen online to replace the panel and house up to 7" displays is just downright ugly.

[LemurMort]

Here's a video which shows some details regarding the cover.
Pause it on 1:14 and you'll clearly see the screws holding it in place.
Radio blende Hyundai I30 entfernen (Manuelle Klima) bis 2011 - YouTube

[Dazzler]

Thanks for the video link, glad we could help. 

[LemurMort]

Thanks for the video link, glad we could help. 

I'm starting to like this forum more and more

[golftoeye30]

    Is there a conclusion to this ??  I am looking at replacing the top blank with a storage unit, I guess it's just a straight swap ??

[mickd]

   Is there a conclusion to this ??  I am looking at replacing the top blank with a storage unit, I guess it's just a straight swap ??

@LemurMort

[LemurMort]

Guys, you won't believe but just yesterday I found a compartment in a local add for 26$ and bought it. In 3 weeks I'll put my hands on it and see for once and for all can I fit it into a Czech model.

Stay tuned! 🙂

EDIT: I'll even post pictures

[Dazzler]

 

[LemurMort]

Little bugger is finally here! Looks OK.

In the following days/weeks it's gonna be installed no matter what!

[Lorian]

I didn't read all the above and It's a long time since I did it but if it's Mk1 Czech built car dated after about 08/2009 you have to take the big front facia from around the radio FIRST to expose the screws that screw from the inside up in to the blanking plate. I recall perhaps there was screw behind the ashtray but the rest is all lost to me.

[LemurMort]

I didn't read all the above and It's a long time since I did it but if it's Mk1 Czech built car dated after about 08/2009 you have to take the big front facia from around the radio FIRST to expose the screws that screw from the inside up in to the blanking plate. I recall perhaps there was screw behind the ashtray but the rest is all lost to me.

Yes, 5 or 6 screws hold the blanking plate from underneath.
Since the compartment is finally in my possession, the only thing for me to do is to find time, remove fascia, remove blanking plate, see if some fascia parts are in the way of new compartment, be prepared for grinding and drilling and remember to take pictures because if I don't, I'm a dirty liar 😀

[The Gonz]

remember to take pictures because if I don't, I'm a dirty liar 😀

[LemurMort]

I had a few minutes today so I tried to remove the fascia.
I don't have plastic tools but I tried with a metal one.
The fascia holds like it's life depends on it! I was afraid of breaking something.
I managed to hook the bottom and tried to pull out but with no success.

Am I missing something here?

[Shambles]

Am I missing something here?

A few ounces of spinach!

Give it a firm yank.

[LemurMort]

Am I missing something here?

A few ounces of spinach!

Give it a firm yank.

If I only knew this before I had pizza!

Are you certain there are no hidden screws from underneath?

[The Gonz]

I've just done a broad review of half a dozen videos using "fascia removal i30 fd" and they ALL show that the fascia is popped out with no screws involved. Do the same to convince yourself.

[Lorian]

its a decade since I did it but I am almost certain there was at least one screw in or behind the little storage box at the bottom. if you look at the top picture you can see the big white lugs that need to come out of the sockets (3 or more) as you pull the facia away.

[LemurMort]

Now, dare to call me a liar!

As promised, here are pictures along with comments.


I also watched some fascia removal from YT and thought to myself "I'll remove this and have access to a white click thing that holds the fascia so I could remove it more easily."


Original HY screwdriver is too short to do this:


So I went with this:


Pull it out with a bit of force just to find out it was all useless.
I could barely feel the middle white click out of them three.
But here how it looks like. If I ever want to install seat heaters, this is the way to get the buttons in.


What the hell, I took a flat HY screwdriver, put it under the bottom of fascia and pulled with less fear than during the previous attempt.
The result (who would've thought I'll be finished by 21:45):


You can see the metal hooks with holes for screws are missing but you can see where they should be installed:
3 in the back and 2 in the front:


It's 7 screws that hold the blanking plate, not 5 as I thought:


Test fit looks promising:


But there's some work to be done on fascia...
Some brackets on fascia that used to hold the blanking plate are in the way of compartment.
I used a scalpel to mark the line where I wanted plastic to break than used thin pliers to break it.
It was late and I didn't want to make noise. It took me longer but what can you do.
First I went about 1.5mm from the edge of the compartment hole but later found out the hole should be 'clean'.
Better remove less material each time than to make a mistake and take too much I always say.

Working on it:


Not much detailing as it won't be visible after the compartment sits in.
"Function over looks" is what drove me during this stage:


Came back to car, tried to fit the compartment in, but the side brackets were on the way.
Removed them also and made quite a mess with plastic debris:


After all of the plastic breaking is done:



I forgot to take pic, but you'll need to remove 2-3mm of the holes that the blanking plate was screwed in on the front side of fascia (there's 3 screw holes total, the middle one you can leave as is).

EDIT: I did take a picture:



Put the fascia back in two times.  First time I noticed that the edges around the radio were not aligned correctly so I pulled it all out
and put back again while pressing the edges to sit nicely along the radio edges.
Then, I put the compartment in:


Watch this!


When I test fitted it while fascia was out, something was scraping and it wasn't opening nicely.
But after I mounted it all back it opens smoothly.

I put back the compartment with ashtray (which removal was useful just like the invention of mother-in-law) and I'm done!

Now I only have to make metal hooks with holes for screws and screw it down. I have 7 screws that were holding the blanking plate so no problem there.

There you have it!
Hopefully someone will find this useful.

[Dazzler]

Well done! Thanks for the photo guide. Appreciate you doing that. 

[LemurMort]

No problem!

[The Gonz]

Cool, now you're ready for the next phase!