W123 -- Console Veneer is held in place by two screws inside the ashtray frame and one plastic stud at the enter of the back portion where it turns down to the parcel tray. Remove the ashtray, then unscrew the ashtray frame. You will need to disconnect the lighter power from the frame. Lift the console up slightly in front to clear the shift quadrant and then slide back until the stud is free. Then lift straight up. The switches can be disconnected, useful to mark them to make reinstalling less tedious. The switches themselves can be removed from the console-they have spring clips front and rear that can be pressed to pull the units out from the front face. Reinstalling is the reverse except note the front of the console has serrations on the underside. These slot over a metal edge at the front of the console frame. The ashtray frame holds the veneer in place.
These seem perhaps complicated instructions -- but a straightforward task. However, often the veneer is forced loose -- this breaks the rear stud off and the veneer never sits down correctly.
