Armrest Installation Instructions for a Center Console with the Over-Engineered Cupholder
 

CRITICAL: Read these instructions completely before doing anything to your car.

You will need the following tools:

Begin by removing the Over-Engineered Cupholder.  Pull straight up.  If you have a black plastic storage bin in front of the Cupholder, it must also be removed.  To do so, pull straight up and it will come out.  There should be a small bracket underneath the storage bin, and it must also be removed.  The bracket will be held in place with one Philips head screw.  There may be bracket(s) for the cupholder as well.  Those must also be removed at this time.  

2 philips head screws shown circled.  Remove these. The storage bin is shown in place.  Pull straight up to remove it.

After the center console is completely empty, you can begin to install the LeatherZ armrest.

Center console shown completely empty.

After the Cupholder and storage bin have been removed and the center console is completely empty, you can begin to install the LeatherZ armrest.

Start by temporarily installing the LeatherZ armrest.  Note there are 2 plastic tabs on the front edge of the armrest.  These mate with 2 slots in your center console directly behind the hazard light switch.  Install the tabs into the slots (step 1) and then drop the armrest down until it sits flush with the top of the center console (step 2).  If you have an M Roadster or Coupe, the LeatherZ armrest may fit tightly.  This is normal.  The M cars' center console is covered in leather.  Not even Z3s with optional extended leather have this feature.  The leather on the center console varies in thickness and makes the fit very tight on some cars.  If yours fits tightly, apply even constant pressure downwards on the LeatherZ armrest with your hands.  This will train the leather into shape.  The parking brake boot is shown partially removed in the following picture, but it is not necessary to remove yours at this time. 

A properly installed LeatherZ armrest will look like this:

It is critical that the armrest sits flush with the center console, even during this temporary install.  At this point you are ready to mark the position of the bolt hole.  Use an awl or similar sharp object to mark the center of the bolt hole.  The following picture shows the bolt already installed.

Remove the armrest.  Lift from the rear and then pull towards the back of the car to disengage the tabs on the armrest from the slots in the center console.  Drill though the point you marked earlier with a 1/4" drill.  After the hole is drilled, we are ready to permanently install the armrest.  Partially remove the parking brake boot:

Now we need to install the bolt.  This can be a tricky operation because there is not good access to hold the nut in place.  I recommend the following: 

Put a piece of tape on one side of your 7/16" combination wrench.  This will hold the nut in place.  Put the nut into the wrench, and we are ready to proceed.  Re-install the LeatherZ armrest as before.  Insert the combination wrench with the secured nut into the hole in the center console for the parking brake.

Move the wrench around until you can see the center of the nut though the holes in the LeatherZ armrest and your center console.  Once the nut is lined up, drop the hex bolt into the hole and begin to tighten it with a 3/16" Allen/hex wrench.

Once the bolt is tight, remove all tools.  If you happen to drop the nut inside the center console, a Sears pen magnet is the ideal retrieval tool.  Re-install the parking brake.  Reinstallation is the reverse of removal.  Finally, there is a black rubber cap included with every armrest.  This covers the bolt hole.  Simply push it in place.  you're done!

Why these tools are optional and a special note (make sure you read this!!)

I never liked the idea of drilling a hole into a car as special as a Z3.  I would rather avoid it if possible.  Many customers have reported that they did not drill the hole in their car.  They did not use the bolt or nut.   They claim that the armrest is secure enough with simply the plastic tabs mated to the slots in the center console.  Others have reported using Velcro or double-sided tape in the center console recess below the forward cupholder of the LeatherZ armrest.  I recommend that everyone try the LeatherZ armrest unbolted for a few weeks.  If you feel that it is not secure enough, you can always add the bolt later.  Even if you do not use the bolt, you can use the rubber cap to hide the bolt hole.  This way, you may not have to drill in your car or bother with the nut.