Mark2 Armrest Installation Instructions for an Empty Center Console

Mark2 Armrest Installation Instructions for a Center Console with Cupholder-Armrest

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

You may need the following tools:

7/16" combination wrench
3/16" Allen/hex wrench
T20 Torx wrench
Philips head screwdriver

BMW and/or your dealership used one of three methods to secure the Cupholder-Armrest to your center console. Your car could be secured in any one of three ways. These instructions will explain each of the possibilities.

Figure 1. Trim cap shown in place. Pry out with a small flat head screw driver or an awl.

Insert a T20 Torx wrench into the Torx screw and remove it. Now you can remove your Cupholder-Armrest. Pull up on the rear of the unit first, and then pull backwards towards the rear of the car. There are 2 tabs on the front of the armrest which mate to 2 slots in the center console. Once the tabs are clear of the slots, the armrest can be easily removed. You will see the rivet installed in your center console:

Now you can install your Mark2. The front edge of the coinholder-cupholder has a plastic tab. This tab mates with a slot that is in your center console behind the hazard light button. Drop the front edge of the coinholder-cupholder in before the back edge. Make sure the tab on the coinholder-cupholder goes into the slot on your center console. After the tab is mated, drop the back edge of the coinholder-cupholder down into the recess in your center console. The unit will sit flush.

It is critical that the armrest sits flush with the center console. Open the Mark2 Armrest and expose the storage area. If the storage area of your coinholder-cupholder has a carpeted floor, remove the carpeting. There is one philips head screw that fits into a hole on the floor of the storage area. Install the screw. You're done!

NOTE: You will be left with a hole in your center console where the fastener was. We are working on a plug that will give the hole a finished appearance. If you upgrade from a Mark1 Armrest or from a standard cupholder-armrest to a Mark2, we will mail you a plug as soon as they are available.

Use a Philips head screwdriver into remove the screw. Now you can remove your Cupholder-Armrest. Pull up on the rear of the unit first, and then pull backwards towards the rear of the car. There are 2 tabs on the front of the armrest which mate to 2 slots in the center console. Once the tabs are clear of the slots, the armrest can be removed.

There is a 7/16" nut underneath the armrest on the other side of the Hex Bolt. You need to put your combination wrench onto that nut to stop it from turning while you turn the Hex Bolt. The trick is, in the process you have to stop the nut from falling into your center console. If you drop it, it will rattle around for the next 10 years every time you go around a corner. In the event you do drop it, the best retrieval tool is a Sears magnetic telescoping pen. They sell for about $5 and are worth every penny. In order to keep the nut from falling, I put a piece of tap on one side of my combination wrench:

The nut is shown in the picture, but you get the idea. Once your wrench is ready with tape, insert the combination wrench with the secured nut into the hole in the center console for the parking brake.

You will have to move the wrench around until you get it onto the nut. It may help to feel with your fingers before trying to use the wrench, just so you get an idea of where the nut is exactly. Once you have the wrench on the nut, insert your 3/16" Allen/hex wrench into the hex bolt. Turn the bolt until the armrest is free to move.

Carefully withdrawal the combination wrench. Now you can remove your Cupholder-Armrest. Pull up on the rear of the unit first, and then pull backwards towards the rear of the car. There are 2 tabs on the front of the armrest which mate to 2 slots in the center console. Once the tabs are clear of the slots, the armrest can be removed.