A150 Avant Garde - Opening phone compartment

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TheKLF99

New Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
6
Location
Shropshire
Car
A150
I've just bought an A150 Avant Garde 2005, it seems to have Radio 20 with Bluetooth. I have read in a number of places that the Bluetooth module is in the square holder next to the handbrake. I can see the square bit next to the handbrake that I need to open but I can't find out how to open it, I've tried pushing it, pulling it, etc looked at the manual and it just says to push it, but I'm getting nowhere. I presume I'm missing something?
 
It should open, when you push and release it.
If it doesn't, then it's broken, or something (a pound piece quite often) got stuck there, and preventing it from disengaging.
A gentle (or otherwise) thump on the top of the armrest might do the trick.

If not, then you might have to take the lower centre console apart - not a complicated job - I've done it a few times.

This is what it's look like, when open / close - to give you a better idea of what to look for:

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^^ That's my old phone console, before I replaced the head unit, and removed the phone tray to replace it with a storage box.

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Last edited:
It should open, when you push and release it.
If it doesn't, then it's broken, or something (a pound piece quite often) got stuck there, and preventing it from disengaging.
A gentle (or otherwise) thump on the top of the armrest might do the trick.

Ok thanks for the help and the advice, and also loads of pictures that clarify I am certainly pressing the right bit. Yes it does appear that it is jammed in some way. I'll try giving it a thump and seeing if it'll dislodge whatever is stuck in there - this could be interesting because it's a used car I wonder what surprise is lodged in there??
 
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Ok thanks for the help and the advice, and also loads of pictures that clarify I am certainly pressing the right bit. Yes it does appear that it is jammed in some way. I'll try giving it a thump and seeing if it'll dislodge whatever is stuck in there - this could be interesting because it's a used car I wonder what surprise is lodged in there??
Not the same part but when I bought my centre armrest for the A210. It was also sticking halfway open. It turned out to be a 50p piece jammed in the hinge mechanism!
...life is like a box of chocolates.... ;)
 
Ok thanks for the help and the advice, and also loads of pictures that clarify I am certainly pressing the right bit. Yes it does appear that it is jammed in some way. I'll try giving it a thump and seeing if it'll dislodge whatever is stuck in there - this could be interesting because it's a used car I wonder what surprise is lodged in there??
If this doesn't work, push the top of the armrest forward; remove the rubber cover lining from the little storage compartment at the back; unscrew two T20 (from memory) screws; remove the top of the armrest - this will give you a certain degree of access to the sliding tray.
 
Yay!! success - after a bit of hitting it at the bottom it slid open... but... there is no bluetooth module in there or even any type of connector for the bluetooth module. Does that mean someone at some point has changed the box and got rid of the bluetooth module or could it be located somewhere else? The stereo does seem to have bluetooth on it as it has a button labelled tel on the right and on the steering wheel there is phone answer/hang up buttons but pressing this all I get is a message on screen saying "no phone".

I did look at a youtube video and it showed someone just pressing the tel button to get it to pair, but their system looked slightly different to the one I've got as theirs had the tel button on the left (on mine that same button is the fade/balance button).

If I don't have bluetooth on this stereo is there either an auxiliary jack I could plug a Jabra into anywhere - preferably without removing the radio or is there a way of switching it to a single DIN radio (I've got a Philips DAB+ radio which is single DIN)
 
Ah, when you stated initially you have a bluetooth, I assume you knew there was an aftermarket or an OE module, added to the standard telephone pre-wire cradle (fourth picture above).

The Audio 20 NTG2, which is what would be fitted at the factory to the W169 pre-facelift, such as yours (and mine) never had any bluetooth built-in.

The buttons on the unit and the steering wheel are standard across the range, and do not mean the function is there.

Does the inside of your sliding tray look like the last picture, i.e. a storage/coin box, or do you see no side walls and the connector, as pictured in photo 4?

Unless someone fitted a facelift Audio 20 (NTG2.5) to your car previously, there will be no bluetooth anyway.

Two thing we need to do, before we can move any further:
  1. Post a few pictures of: the head unit; sliding tray open; inside the glove box.
  2. Let me know your VIN, and I can send you the exact factory options list (called Datacard) for your car - email me on david.glk @ mail.com
 
oh yeah mines the one with just the coin box no connector. I'll take some pictures later on today. I'm guessing the way forward for bluetooth then is to change the stereo. It's strange they left the buttons there when there is no functionality, as pretty much every car I've ever owned up to now if it didn't have the function they wouldn't bother putting the buttons in just for the fun of it 'cos that's extra money, they normally just put a cheap blanking plate over it (like they've done with the folding door mirror button).
 
Yes, they do that, always - the steering wheel controls and head unit faceplate are exceptions.

If you decide to upgrade your head unit - I've done exactly that, so have some tips :)

Also, depending on the exact type of the Audio 20 you have, you might be able to add AUX input and bluetooth adapter to it.
Again, I had that done, before I upgraded the head unit, so can guide you through this - it's only a couple of pounds for each of the AUX lead and adapter, and it will work for calls and music (OE bluetooth was only calls, no streaming).
 

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