How to remove trim panel under steering wheel?

[Lovegroover]

My car has no brake lights! (narrowed it down to brake light switch).
Sourced a new brake light switch at the local VW dealer. But need to remove the large panel that forms the underneath to the steering wheel and holds the headlight switch etc.

Think i've found all the retaining torx screws, but seems to be stuck?
How do you remove the headlight switch from the panel itself? (Do i need to)
Any hidden clips etc?
Help Please!! Before I brake something.

 

[jojo]

Don't know how to remove the lower trim, but to remove the headlight switch, push the lightswitch knob inwards(it's spring loaded), and rotate to the left and pull out. HTH

 

[nervus]

There are two hidden clips either side of the steering column but if you've removed all the torx screws pull the bottom forward and you'll see it slide out of some tongue guides. You'll then see it hang from the hidden clips and it just pulls off but not very far as the switch wiring is still connected.

I didn't remove the headlight switch so dont know about removing it but it should be fairly obvious when its off.

 

[Lovegroover]

Aaha, thought there must be some clips up by the steering column! I noticed the tongue guides but was concerned about braking whatever was retaining the panel near the steering wheel. Hopefully it should be obvious once i've got the panel hanging there. Cheers guys!!

 

[hacky]

Have you removed the screws located in the fuse box? If you pull off the fuse cover panel there are 3(?) screws if i remember correctly. It then just pulls off, but be careful with the light switch, i was replacing the brake switch and broke this and it cost me 25 bucks to replace the lightswitch!

 

[Lovegroover]

Yeah i did find those, like you say i'm worried about braking something like the light switch or the panel itself, and making it a more costly job than need be.
Correct me if i'm wrong i think there's 3 in the fuse box (horizontal screws), and 2 underneath (vertical screws).

 

[nervus]

Four underneath I thought, cant remember, but if the bottoms loose and kinda swinging on the upper clips then they are probably all out.

 

[col6821]

If it's still really stuck, check underneath, to the left of the column, I missed a torx screw there and nearly broke everything.
I just disconnected the headlamp switch wires from the back of the switch when the panel had dropped.

 

[Lovegroover]

Jobs a gooden, think there where 3 underneath, and 3 in the fusebox. Like you say once all the torx are released it swings off the spring clips near the steering wheel. I disconnected my light switch before just to be safe. As a note i had to push the dial in and rotate clockwise about 5 degrees. It then just pulls out.
Fitted new brake light switch in about 40 seconds with this removed after pi**ing about for hours in the dark on monday night. Thank god for the forum...

 

[jansa3turbo]

Speaking of "Kwik fit" They managed to brake my light switch and my fecking trim by changing this brake light switch!!!
They got me the new parts in, but I told them that I'd fit them myself!!!

I havent got round to it yet, now I have a few tips on doing it....cheers guys!

Jan