Cup-holder repair (with pictures)

[klaxhu 12]

Hello all,

 

Background

Do you have stuck cup-holders in your BMW? This guide might help: show you how to repair your cup-holders(="ch") in your E6x, saving potential £100+ on ebay for "new" ones.

Reason I decided to open up mine and try and repair them was mainly the fact that mine were completely stuck and there is nothing on the web on how to repair your ch

(Except some clunky vids on youtube for a E90 which are quite different anyway)

 

Tools: The fix is simple, really - you only need a cutter, couple of flat screw-drivers, pliers, a good pair of scissors and some tape + two hands or more.

Problem: E6x cup-holder not popping out on button press?; button stuck completely ? internal spring snapped ? (common issue)

 

Solution

Step1:

Loosen screws that hold the ch into the trim a bit - this helps in some cases immediately and fixes the issue.

Step2:

If that doesn't help take the ch out completely and spray a bit of WD40 where you see moving parts.

Put it back again without tightening the screws at all. The ch should work now. If not, see step 3/4

Step3: if the two above steps didn't work, you need to take the cup-holder apart and give it a tweak

Let's start:

Basically, over time all internal metal parts which are really only a strip-type spring band and two other general springs are either now broken, snapped or just loose.

So they don't work as new anymore so the small latch that you actuate with the button catches in the tray-housing, making the tray to get stuck on exit.

There are detailed repair pics below for your strip-type spring in Step4 if you need that.

 

Here is how you open up and repair your ch:

a) Sand off the ends of these clips in order to be able to open the ch.

NOTE: on some models - I assume LCI if someone can please confirm?  your ch might not actually be sealed like mine and you can just open them up easily - they click in place.

Help it pop open like this:

And voila:

 

Now you have to figure out how to take the tray out of the casing -so completely apart -without breaking.

Make sure you know how to put it back, but don't worry about applying pressure, this plastic is quite good and can take a lot!

Once the casing is "naked" sand off a few mm from the inside of the tray for the driver side.

For the passenger side ch you don't need to do this as the design is different.

Just follow the pics below and sand off a tiny bit of the latch and surrounding creases that might create friction.

Driver side ch:

Passenger side ch:

 

c) Optional: take out this nut in order to have super-fast pop-out; if the spring is weak removing this also helps (I have done on mine!)

 

d) Put everything back together and lightly spray WD40 on moving parts and clean up debris.

Use a bit of tape to hold housing in place and re-install into the car.

You should have something like this: 

 

Step4: I will now show you how to fix your strip-type spring!

This happens to many BMW's apparently and many people end up buying completely new cup-holders because of them or getting BMW main dealer to replace for £$! 

 

I managed to snap mine off when I was trying to give it an additional bend, so I had to repair mine

There is plenty of metal-stripe left in the role, so don't despair if you don't succeed first time (I cut 3 before I got a good one ready!! ...I have a bit of OCD )

 

a) Cut a straight line, then draw with a Sharpie using the old T shaped head another one to cut around.

Use scissors to cut in a perpendicular way and then just snap off residue. You should end up with something like the below 

 

After this, take your long pliers and do a bend like below in order for the spring not to get caught in the tray when going in/out.

Bend a bit where the red line is (you might not see the bend it in the pic below, sorry but I hope you get the idea):

 

 

Install the spring back into the passenger-side ch is a bit harder, but don't despair and maybe get a friend’s help to hold the stripe-spring while you juggle it back into its place with the help of two flat screwdrivers – one to pop it up and one to put it in place back (the passenger-side ch one is very easy as it sits on the side not in the middle open like this one)

 

To end:

I know this guide might look very detailed, but I haven't found anything even close to this and I bet other people have tackled this already but just didn't post the steps.

I am not going to kid you, this is not easy - but at the same time it's not hard either for the average DIY-er and should only take for both ch about 1 hour, maximum 2 if you are slow. I had a lot of trial and error so it took me more, but I am sharing now this so you won't have to go through the same

 

Hope it makes sense and this will help some of you; apologies for my English, not my first language and I might have used some words incorrectly so please feel free to correct me, I am happy to re-edit.

(May I ask an admin to rename the thread and also maybe add E6x to the title if possible? whatever would make it more visible on google)

 

Good luck all!

Edited March 17, 2014 by klaxhu

[chr15gb 79]

Good write up, I got one from Ebay to replace my "keep slapping it until it comes out" cupholder.

The Ebay one was only marginally better than the original.

 

I will have to take apart the spare I have in the garage and follow your guide.

 

VMT

[klaxhu 12]

"keep slapping it until it comes out" - exactly !!!

 

that was my fear as well, that I will spend 100£+ on two ch only to find they have the same problem

what you will find is that some once removed work better as when they are hold in place with screws hence the step1+2 in the guide and probably why people sell them on ebay as working but once you install them they still don't work properly.

 

good luck, let us know how it goes! mine work great now ...

Edited March 18, 2014 by klaxhu

[klaxhu 12]

few weeks on and they still work great!

[diesel2000 2]

Great guide, thanks.  Fixed mine in under ten minutes today with the help of a dremmel.

[Shaz H 697]

nice guide dude! il have to show my freind this.

[klaxhu 12]

Glad it will help some of you!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[parxuk 1]

Great write up, well done for sharing. I had what I imagine was the same/similar issue, however I fixed mine by just spraying some silicone spray in to the button. Now works a charm every time and has done for 3 weeks. Until then I was just hitting the button numerous times and eventually it might pop out.

[klaxhu 12]

 thanks parx, glad it worked for you as well

[David10 0]

Morning,
I had a similar problem with my drivers side cup holder in my M5, I don't think it was as serious as Klaxhu's problem. If your holder does operate every ten 'SLAPS' or so then there is a really quick solution. Follow Klaxhu's method to remove the cup holder, then follow the instructions on the attachment I have created. It is a good idea when you have it out to give the button mechanism a good clean and re-grease with white grease. I hope this helps some one.

[problemchild 435]

i find a spray of "wood silk" furniture polish works quite well too

 

JJ

[Sandzak 0]

Hello guys,

 

i have a question about my cup holder, my english is not so good but i will give my best. How can I fix the (scroll) spring in the bottom of a cupholder??

Can somebody tell me if something have been broken inside the ch?!

 

Thanks

[klaxhu 12]

Hello guys,

i have a question about my cup holder, my english is not so good but i will give my best. How can I fix the (scroll) spring in the bottom of a cupholder??

Can somebody tell me if something have been broken inside the ch?!

Thanks

I think your spring looks fine, it just popped out so you have to put it back in. Look at my pictures and maybe you will figure out how to put it back...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Doug Fix 0]

Sandzak, et al

Having to do this repair just now, I discovered the hole for the T-shaped part of the spring can be found on the side of the unit just behind the faceplate on the right side of your photo.  I had to remove the insert from the holder before I could get the spring into that hole

 

I also discovered that hole was partially broken so the tab would not stay in.  Wrapping a small zip tie around the tab kept it in.

[mpgscott 22]

Just done mine today, goodness the passenger one was a real ball ache!

 

Had to take loads off then kind of leave the lid loose for it to work, removing that nut piece really makes it fly out mind you..  A lot better that it was before thats for sure. 

 

Thanks for the write up.

[David10 0]

I'm glad this helped you bud, it's a minor repair but saves some money and works. Now time to change my clutch, stealership here I come. 

David