dreaded "lost coins in center console" question
 

Hello,

probably a couple of quarters and a small raccoon carcass within my center console. I have read here that removal of the cup-holders is very involved, requires removal of the whole console or special knowledge...i cant get to anything after removing only the shifter plate.

I was thinking of cutting a 1-inch hole in the bottom of a cup holder, i cant see from the exploded parts view if there would be access underneath that would allow me to remove these offensive, maddening poltergeists. Help. Please. Thanks.

Removal of the center console is not difficult, if anything it's more tedious but it's straight forward. There is a good DIY on youtube - i'll be replacing my cup holders soon as well because they are simply broken. They don't hold any beverages in place.

Do you hear the coins rolling back and forth? If you do, you don't need to remove the cup holders. Just remove everything around and the iDrive stuff and you can reach the coins from there.

That YouTube video is great...if you simply want to take off that trim piece. (What a great trick for getting it back on!)

It doesn't show how to remove them cupholders though, and I am afraid to tinker around too much...on the bottom of the left cup holder there is a square fitting that says "release" and an arrow showing which way to turn. That square fitting is bigger than a 3/8" and smaller than a 1/2" drive...and I didn't know what it "released"...

Those coins do roll, and I have taken the lower center console around shifter and iDrive out...and removed shifter mech. If I roll up that lower roll-top desk thingy, I can see where you can access the inner sanctum in certain areas, but I can't visualize any coins, and my magnet/light tool is too wide to access these areas effectively. I am getting really good at taking this trim off, because I always get a dash of inspiration and think I can DO IT THIS TIME...

Any more dissection info would be much appreciated. I can't afford to break something expensive/inaccessable for a few rolling coins bugging the $***out of me!

You need to read your owners manual. That release is for releasing the transmission from park in the event of a failure of the electromechanical shifter.

Hey thanks for the help! Glad I didn't do that!!! I have read my owner's manual, I missed the part to look for the functionality of that release in the "transmission release" section!!!!

So how about helping me get the previous owner' coins out? Thanks!

I only carry plastic.

The good news about $100 bills is they don't rattle under the console.

But you can't open a door with one.