Are you removing it beacause you keep blowing the fuze? My '03 does when I hook up anything to it. Does this mean the cigatrette lighter needs to be replaced?

The center counsel comes apart very easy on the 04 model. just a few screws hold it in under rubber pads in each area. I think theres 1 in the front and a couple in the back. Just look carefully at it it's very simple.

Just a note for anyone reinstalling the lighter socket on a 6th gen -- it goes much, much more easily if you position the retaining ring BEFORE you push the new lighter socket through it. The tabs on the sides of the retaining ring have plenty of flex to them, but only if there isn't a cylindrical hunk of metal pushing them outward.

Also, there is a small rectangular notch at the bottom of the hole in the console (at least on my '04). This should match up to the piece on the back of the rubber "gasket" ring that goes between the retaining ring and the console itself, and lines up with a square-ish groove on the retaining ring. My original one had the lighter socket cover, but the replacement I got yesterday did not.

I did all of this with the console still installed (mainly because one of the side tabs on the old retaining ring was broken). I could also probably attribute some of my installation difficulties to the fact it was 20 degrees out and the console plastic didn't want to flex. Friggin' South Dakota. :)

Man hope you guys figure it out i need mine replaced as well