Greetings. The driver's side cup holder (the one that slides out of the dash curving towards you) is stuck closed. It can be opened if I stick a key into the small space on the right side and fiddle with it. Is there an easy way to adjust or lubricate it? Or, /sarcasm on will I have to take it to the dealer and spend $500 on a new one since it has to be programmed to the car? /sarcasm off Thanks!
Well they may have to retrofit the updated style so you will need both for 1000$. But seriously this is a common issue with the cupholders on the e90's. There is updated version of these that is suppose to help with the issues of broken parts. But I find a lot of the time they stick is because of the things people spill on them causing them stick. I have seen people soak them in soap and water to get them cleaned and moving again as well. Easy to replace as well so no need for the dealer if you don't want to.
Ah, the incongruities of German engineering - they make a car that's rock solid cruising all day long at 155mph on the autobahn, but cupholders are engineered with some fussy design that suffers failures all-too-soon!
Thanks! I'll try the soap and water first. You can get replacement cup holders?? Are they some sort of better design?
Yes they have been updated and can be replaced easily with basic tools. The trim around them pops out with a suitable trim tool and then each holder has two philips screws remove them and pull the cup holder out.
This is interesting. I have found Youtube videos on how to replace them, and I have found them for sale on various websites. It seems the little trim piece on the front of the cupholder now has a piece of chrome on it. I checked realOEM.com and it seems that front piece can also come off. Naturally, having one cup holder with the bling and the other without will bother me. Have you ever replaced that piece of trim? How difficult is it?
Really isn't to bad they pop off easily but I like them when I replaced both my front cup holders. I did both just so I would run into the problem agian.
