Centre console cup holder - installation question

[bakes]

Hi all,

I've recently purchased a used centre console cup holder as I hate using the dashboard one as the odd spill cascades down the face of the radio and temp controls and makes a mess. Has anyone installed one into your centre console and if you have do you know if you have to remove the entire centre console to install it? How difficult is the console removal to those who may have done it?

Is this cup holder worth installing? I know purists say no drink should be consumed while in the car but it is what it is and I do need the functionality of holding a cup of coffee while on the go.

Feedback comment welcome.

If I do embark on this task I'll try to take some pics along the way.

Thanks,
Greg

[Other_Erik]

Hi all,

I've recently purchased a used centre console cup holder as I hate using the dashboard one as the odd spill cascades down the face of the radio and temp controls and makes a mess. Has anyone installed one into your centre console and if you have do you know if you have to remove the entire centre console to install it? How difficult is the console removal to those who may have done it?

Is this cup holder worth installing? I know purists say no drink should be consumed while in the car but it is what it is and I do need the functionality of holding a cup of coffee while on the go.

Feedback comment welcome.

If I do embark on this task I'll try to take some pics along the way.

Thanks,
Greg

If you're asking what I think you're asking, removing the armrest portion of the center console is easy-peasy. Pull the cover around the rear air vent (between the backs of the front seats, on top of the driveshaft/exhaust tunnel), and there are 3 nuts holding the armrest to the floor. Undo those nuts and the whole armrest will slot right out. If you've got a black leather covered armrest lid that doesn't have the breakage issue at the plastic hinge, I call dibs if you're looking to sell it!

If you're asking about the entire plastics around the armrest, parking brake, shifter, etc... There's a whole lot of trim to pull before you can unbolt that bad boy. Refer to ETKA and/or Bentley manual for illustration that includes something like 20 attachment points - some are nuts secured to bolts that stick up from the floor, others are simply slot and tab plastic connections, but that thing would be a bitch to remove. I'm almost positive if memory serves, that you'll need to have both front seats out to pull the entire center console as one big piece...

O_E

Follow-on: I've never had a drink spill from the cupholder, but then I usually have a tall can of energy drink that I'll take more than a couple sips before I put it in there. If worse comes to worst, you could always get one of those ones that slots in between the door card and the window. I definitely agree that the front cupholder is in a very inconvenient location, but from what I've seen of Euro performance-spec vehicles, we're pretty lucky that there's one in the front, much less another 2 in the rear...

[JSRS6]

No need to pull out the center console.

[lswing]

The center cup holder bugs me since I need the armrest. The dash cup holder is almost useless. Hey, if you're going to screw something up on a car might as well be the cup holders!

[Brav]

Its not hard, but its a bit of work. I did it to my A6 when I pulled the dashboard, so I am not sure what *wasn't* necessary to remove from the front of the car. Start with removing arm rest as mentioned, there is a bolt behind rear air vent. Then you need to remove the trim from the e-brake, slide out. Then shifter/cover/ashtray, then I am not too sure. :D

[Other_Erik]

Its not hard, but its a bit of work. I did it to my A6 when I pulled the dashboard, so I am not sure what *wasn't* necessary to remove from the front of the car. Start with removing arm rest as mentioned, there is a bolt behind rear air vent. Then you need to remove the trim from the e-brake, slide out. Then shifter/cover/ashtray, then I am not too sure. :D

Thanks for the confirmation Brav.

bakes - you'd do yourself a favor going to harbor freight or someplace like that and getting a cheap set of trim spudgers. They look like small crowbars, but they're made of plastic. Makes trim removal quick and painless :)

Good luck!

O_E