Does the lower centre console not have to come out first too?
I'll try to check ELSA to see if it's actually required when I'm near a copy tomorrow; but if the centre console does have to come out:
Remove the centre-armrest if fitted: Remove the rear ashtray, then slacken off the big allen bolt on the upper visible portion of the bracket. You don't need to remove it all the way, it just makes it a bit more fiddly to refit, once you feel it coming to the end of the thread put a couple of turns back on it so it doesn't fall out or stress the thread, then try to jiggle the armrest upwards.
... The next stage is to pop-up and remove the plastic cover in front of and under the handbrake (ie adjacent to your knuckles when you grab the lever to engage the brake) - I think there are a couple of screws/bolts holding the console down in here. Then there are two or three screws either side under little pop-off plastic covers (the first one is sort of level with the upper centre console in each footwell, so whether there's another one or two each side, just pop-off and unscrew any you find along its length - you'll probably have to slide the seats back to get access to one of them); and finally there are a couple of bolts under the rear ashtray to be removed.
Once you've done that ideally you need to unclip the gear gaitor and the OBD port (if it's located under the ashtray in your car); but you don't need to do this if you're only lifting the console a little to get a better look at things - just keep an eye on your OBD port (cover removed of course) if you're not going to unclip everything, if it starts to look like it's bending around on its clips, you've gone as far as you safely can without fully unclipping it from the console - don't want to damage the wiring!
Just watch very carefully as you lift the console; it can easily become marked, and mark the upper (/main) centre console if the two rub together (I found putting a couple of polishing cloths on the obvious places where the two will meet as you lift works well to prevent damage here); and otherwise you just need to keep your eyes on the seat edges and the handbrake area for potential rubbing.
Like I say, I'll try to check tomorrow if there was any variant which requires you to lift the console to remove the handbrake cover; but at least if there is you've already got the info on how to do it...
Regards,
Rob.
