Do you have to remove the center console in order to change the leather boot around the handbrake, or does it simply just pop off? It looms like it attaches up and around the plastic lip of the console itself. Mine is cracking a little with age and is driving me nutty!

 

harryc,

No you do not have to replace or even undo the center console in any manner.

I'm a newbie (sorry for lack of an intro guys - I will be doing a proper greeting tonight!) but I just bought an '02 X-type that needs a few things done to it, one of which was the e-brake boot leather.

The plastic e-brake handle pulls straight off. Just slide the leather off the bottom of the handle first. (it's elastic) The bottom of the leather boot is stapled to a plastic trim mounting piece. The front and back of that trim piece clip under the console edge. The sides tend to rest in side-hole "locators" with centering pegs. I believe the sides also have clips under the console too. I don't suggest pressing down hard, as the leather boot trim piece sits on top of a ledge protrusion from the console, which could break if you used excessive force.

The new leather boot will have a solid trim piece on it for replacement. If you look at it you will see where the clips are to pry sideways away from the console to remove the old one. (mine came with a broken trim piece originally and it was nothing to put a new one in because of it)

On a side greeting note: I love this forum!! It is actually because of this site that I bought my X-type, knowing I had a resource to use for the repairs it might need prior to my even buying one. THANK YOU!!

Mark