My advice would be to remove the entire console, and then take out the top half when it's off the car. The clips on the silver gaiter surround are very flimsy and easily breakable, and it's much easier to do with it off the car, as there are little access points on the underside to get a small flat blade screwdriver in to release the clips.
Removing the console is straight forward - there are 6 push-clips holding it down, and two prongs at the dash end. With a plastic trim tool, go in from the side, under the console and push rather than pull up. Keep pushing and you'll feel and hear it "pop". Do the same from the other side, and the console will lift up. With a paint scraper or similar, gently prise out the gearshift gaiter and with that out, you can remove the gear indicator (if auto) but gently pulling upwards with a bit of a wiggle. Don't disconnect it, you can just manoeuvre it through the hole and leave it in the car. The gaiter you can orientate so you can raise the console up past it. You'll have two plugs at the back end; one for the handbrake switch and one for the MMI controls. Remove both with a little pick depressing the tab (don't pull on the wires). Raise the back end of the console and slide towards the back of the car; the front has two prongs that slide into holes at the dash.
Once out the car, the upper portion of the console, that houses the MMI controls, handbrake switch and coin holder, is held in by four push-clips. There's also two tab clips at the gear shift end you need to press in. The silver metal gaiter surround trim has half a dozen tab clips that you need to very, very, gently release. I found that popping the four push clips and two tab clips first, so the upper portion is separated from the main console, and then turn it upside down on your lap, and with a thin flat-head screwdriver, you have access to the tabs on the gaiter surround. You need the lightest of pressure on these - too much and you'll bend them, and trying to bend them back, they'll snap. Start at the back edge, release those two, then the ones down each side, and finally the front two. Lift the MMI controls out with the silver metal trim still attached, and you'll see the access to the handbrake switch. Four tabs to release it; you need to do two (on the same side) at the same time. This can be done with two small flat-head screw drivers, just insert and add light pressure - not too much or you'll break the housing. Push down on the switch from the top side while doing it and you'll feel it release partly. Same again on the other two clips and it will come out in your hand. Refitting is simply snapping in the new on.
Refit the upper console to the lower simply by lining it up, and pressing into place. Again, I found it easier to click the metal trim in place first, and then press the push clips in. Back in the car, slide your prongs into the dash first, wiggle the gaiter and gear indicator through the hole; fit the gear indicator first, leave the gaiter up and out the way til last. Connect your MMI and handbrake plugs, and at this point turn on the ignition to check everything works: you'll most likely get a dash error for parking brake: put the car into drive (if auto), hold the foot brake, release the parking break and let it roll forward. You should then be able to re-engage the parking brake and the dash error will clear. Check the MMI controls work, then align the console clips and once happy, press firmly til the console snaps into place. The gaiter simply presses into place to finish.
I did mine the other day and it took no more than half an hour for the whole thing. I found this video (below) is useful to show you how you push that plastic trim tool into to pop the lower console clips, and then also shows you the plugs you need to remove and how to get the console past the gaiter. It doesn't show you how to remove the upper portion of the console or the metal trim, but that's easy to see when you've got it out the car and in front of you.
www.audi-sport.net
