End of the road

Removing dual controls when the car moves on

Fitting gets all the attention, but every set of dual controls eventually comes out again. The lease ends, the car gets sold, or you are changing to something newer. Judging by how often removal questions show up in search, a lot of people reach that point without knowing what is involved or who to ask.

Here is the practical version: what removal actually is, what "making good" means, and the one thing worth deciding before you book it.

Removal is routine, and it is not a DIY job

Taking a set out is a normal part of this trade and we do it regularly. It is also the job people most often think about doing themselves, and the one we would most strongly suggest they do not. The pedals are connected to the car's braking system. Getting them out cleanly, and leaving the car's own controls behaving exactly as they should, is the entire job.

A forum post we came across while researching this put it perfectly: "I was tempted to do it myself but haven't got an absolute clue what I'm doing." That is the right instinct.

What "making good" actually means

This is the part customers care about and almost nobody explains. Fitting a set involves mounting hardware, and removing it leaves those mounting points behind. Making good means dealing with them properly so the footwell is returned to a presentable, sound condition rather than left with visible fixings.

If you are handing a leased car back, this is not cosmetic. It is the difference between a clean return and a conversation about damage charges. Ask any fitter, us included, exactly what they will do about the mounting points, and get the answer before the work is booked rather than after.

Free removal is not always free

You will find fitters advertising free removal. It is worth understanding the trade: in most cases the removal is free because they keep the controls. If your set is a genuine He-Man system in good order, that has real value, and giving it away may not be your best move, particularly if you are simply changing cars rather than leaving the trade.

Moving the controls to your next car instead

For a lot of instructors this is the better option, and it is what many of our long-standing customers do. One of our reviewers put it plainly: "I've been using Howes for my last 4 cars." The controls do not necessarily have to be scrapped just because the car is.

Two things to know. Compatibility is model-specific, so a set from your old car is not automatically right for the new one, and it needs checking against the new vehicle before you plan around it. And He-Man's extended guarantee is tied to the original fitting, so it does not simply carry across to a second vehicle. Ask us before you sell the old car, because timing the removal and the refit together usually saves a visit.

Plan it before the return date

The single most common problem is timing. Lease returns have a date, sales have a buyer waiting, and removal ends up as a panic booking. Two or three weeks of notice removes all of that.

If you are changing cars rather than getting out altogether, our He-Man Dual Controls page covers what is available for the new vehicle. The fitting side, including the testing we do before handing a car back, is on Dual Control Installations. And because a removal and a refit are easier done at your address than across two workshop visits, most customers use Mobile Dual Control Fitting for the changeover.

Not sure which applies to you? Ring us with the car and the date it needs to be ready, and we will tell you plainly what is worth doing.