I posted
this a while ago, wanting to put a 2016+ center console on a 2012 (better cup holders, the Sync3 USB port part actually clicks in, it's prettier...). I researched the heck out of it, comparing everything, and I just couldn't find any difference in them. In the end I decided to throw money on it and I got one from a wreck on Ebay (has a few scratches, but so did the old).
First, I took out the old console. There's an
that helps where the guy rips apart the whole center console, but it's pretty easy getting just the top part off. The "hard" part is the 2 screws holding the shifter (hard because of limited working space).
Here's a comparison of the consoles, at first glance there's really nothing different about them apart from cupholders (ignore that I've already taken the back off the right one). On the right is the old (2012), on the left is the new (2016+)
On closer inspection, I did find something different, which would normally be a big deal (gray one is old 2012 one, green is new 2016+ one, this is the harness connector that connects down to the car)...
However, the entire harness is actually exactly the same in every way, except for that connector. So I took the old harness off and moved it to the new console.
To move the shifter over to the new console, you unclip it from the console as so:
.. on all sides, then click it in on the new console. The dial for drive modes is the same concept, it has 4 things that you push in and push it out, then click it in on the other.
After about 10 more minutes..
Final result. Sure, "M" is now "S" but that doesn't matter to me. In retrospect I probably would've bought a scratchless one (brand new one), but I didn't know if it would fit at all so I didn't want to throw a lot of money on it in case it didn't.
Things I like on the new model:
- Grippy cup holders and that center bit in the cup holders (that I honestly don't know what it's for, but more space is always good).
- Sync Cover has a nook in it for a cable to come out so that it can still close, old one didn't.
- Sync3 USB port holder in the back just "clicks in" (it doesn't need the big plate, only the actual USB port part, the 2016+ model no longer has a big part that comes out)
- My old 12V cover was broken, this one isn't.
- It's blacker (old sides were silver colored just like the sides on the radio/screen console) and it's a little shinier
- Doesn't say "Microsoft" on the sync logo.
(My car doesn't have the ambient lighting package nor did the new console, so I can't say what the process would be there, I assume pretty much the same though as all components minus the connector are identical.)
If anyone is contemplating the same switch and wants more info on anything, let me know.
Total time: ~1h
22x9.5 DUB S109 with 285/35/22 tires.
