interior trim/radio stalk question

[no2lurch]

not sure which section to put this in so please move if needed.

i installed an after market stereo yesterday and after drving to work happy with my work, i wonder if its possible to remove the stalk controls as they are now redundant.

i think i would just need the replacement cowling and to remove the stalk mountings, but is it this simple?

can i get the cowling without the hole? is the stalk control just a simple plug and 2 screw afair?

[DiscoPol]

the stalk is just a 2 screw jobbie I have removed mine as Im the same as you in the fact that i no longer need it as it does cock all,
it plugs in down by the fuse box and is a simple click to unplug type thing,

as for the cowling round the steering column im not so sure, but the hole it leaves could easily be plugged with a suitable grommet as it is just a squared of circular affair,

i reckon a 20mm blind grommet or similar might just do it or a trip to the scrappies for one off a trim level that didnt get the column control for the stereo, but wait..........didnt every level of trim have the stalk???

either way its a doddle to remove the stalk, Im running about with it removed but just left the standard grommet in there so i have a 12mm ish hole in the side of the trim but in my defence it is out of sight of everybody but the shortest dwarf like driver, and im 6 2" so i never see it

[no2lurch]

nice one thanks. are the just cross head screws? (for both the cowling and the stalk)

[DiscoPol]

cowling is a t-?? i think torx thing and the stalk is just a small phillips from what i can remember,

just drop the steering wheel height adjuster down to the bottom as it holds the trim in place if its still in the "locked" position and undo the 3 or 4 torx screws on the trim and it just pulls apart,

the stalk is held into the lower one with a couple of small screws, undo these and follow the cable down to the socket at the right hand side of the steering shaft by the fuse box and unplug, it wasnt any part of a loom on mine it is a single black 2 core cable that just heads down that way on its own,sorry about the crap explanation

but when you get the trim apart it will all become very clear

[no2lurch]

thanks very much.

[steve_earwig]

It's plugged into the com2000 on mine, It unplugs quite easily though.

Hmm, until June 2001 (com2000 I guess) 4131P6, same as D8 without electronic anti-theft key (wassat then?)

Later cars there's 4 versions:
With radio remote & cruise
With radio remote
With cruise
Nada.

Service Box also shows some sort of blanking plate (grommet?), it's square and costs 4 quid. I'd suffer the hole for that price

Edit: I didn't have a torx fine enough to get all the way up inside the cowl so I used a small, flat-bladed screwdriver.

[sirwiggum]

The Com2000 radio control just more or less slot in.

You should be able to get a cover off a knackered Com2000 without cruise control, and swap the cover sides.

I just binned one a while back too