Mark Ochenduszko

I have some specific notes to add to the discussion on removing/replacing the center dashboard cupholder in a Porsche 996. (Mine is a 2002 911 Cab.) 1. Remove the horseshoe trim piece. The “horseshoe” (center cover trim piece) is held in place by 4 plastic tabs, 2 on each side. I used a plastic putty knife to gently pry underneath the horseshoe to remove it. Be gentle to ensure you don’t break the plastic tabs. The plug-in electronics attached to the horseshoe do not need to be disconnected. 2. Loosen the plastic frame that holds the center dashboard components in place. The frame is held in place by four T- 20 screws. Remove the screws to loosen up the frame from its mount to the dash. It does not need to be totally removed, just loosened. 3. Remove the two center AC vents. The vents are part of a single assembly. The assembly is held in place by two metal clips between the top of the vents and the dash. The metal clips are deep in this slot and difficult to see. The clips rise upward toward the passenger section, so they need to be depressed to remove the vents. Both need to be depressed at the same time. I used two butter knives to depress the clips, but a couple of 1”wide putty knives would also work. Once the clips are pressed down, slide the vents toward you. 4. Remove the cupholder cartridge. On either side of the top of the cartridge are two metal clips. The clips rise upward toward the front of the car. Depress both clips, and slide the cupholder forward toward the front of the car (away from yourself) to remove it. 5. Reverse the process to reassemble the dashboard components.