Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

9

Time Required

                          30 - 55 minutes

Sections

1

  • Repairing Cup Holder for 2008 328i BMW
  • 9 steps

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  • Back2004-2013 BMW 3 Series

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Repairing Cup Holder for 2008 328i BMW
  • Apply putty knife to edge of cover until it pops open
  • Remove screws off of broken cup holder
  • Take cup holder out

Apply putty knife to edge of cover until it pops open

Remove screws off of broken cup holder

Take cup holder out

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Step 2

  • Remove plastic cover on cup holder by pulling apart where the lips meet
  • Locate spring in device

Remove plastic cover on cup holder by pulling apart where the lips meet

Locate spring in device

Step 3

  • Fully take apart the cup holder to get to the inside of the cup holder
  • Locate where spring is placed

Fully take apart the cup holder to get to the inside of the cup holder

Locate where spring is placed

Step 4

  • Locate where the spring connects
  • If hole is not broken then just apply spring into hole
  • If the hole broke, like in this case here, then drill a hole the size of the spring around the same spot of the other hole
  • Caution: Be careful drilling the hole, the plastic is slippery when in contact with drill bit

Locate where the spring connects

If hole is not broken then just apply spring into hole

If the hole broke, like in this case here, then drill a hole the size of the spring around the same spot of the other hole

Caution: Be careful drilling the hole, the plastic is slippery when in contact with drill bit

Step 5

  • Test to make sure spring is properly working
  • Reassemble the cup holder

Test to make sure spring is properly working

Reassemble the cup holder

Step 6

  • Put cup holder back in place
  • Screw in screws

Put cup holder back in place

Screw in screws

Step 7

  • Check to make sure cup holder works
  • Start to put on cover by lining up holes

Check to make sure cup holder works

Start to put on cover by lining up holes

Step 8

  • Press firmly on cover all around until it is fully on

Press firmly on cover all around until it is fully on

Step 9

  • Enjoy your fixed cup holder!

Enjoy your fixed cup holder!

Follow these steps step by step to get your broken cup holder fixed.

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                                                                                      16 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 3 other contributors 


                    Michael Tapia

Member since: 09/29/2015

445 Reputation

                                      1 Guide authored                  



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Team

                       Cal Poly, Team 15-5, Green Fall 2015                        

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                                            13 Guides authored

Keith La Plain - Jan 22, 2017

Reply

Easy fix that saved over $60 if I had to purchase a new part and much much more if the the dealer were to have fixed this. Thank you

Nicholas McKoy - Apr 26, 2017

Reply

clever idea when plastic holding the spring hook is broken. nice hack of a fix.

Ryan Cornell - Oct 18, 2017

Reply

Is there any way to purchase just the spring? In my case the plastic is fine, it’s the shaped metal tip of the spring that sheared off somehow!? I also need the tentioner.

Benjamin Castellon - Oct 23, 2020

This happened to me as well. I broke off the end of the coil/spring while bending to make a “hook” shape.

I looked for purchasing just the spring, but could not find it. Next up was the entire cupholder apparatus, either used ($~26), URO ($~39), or OEM/genuine BMW ($60-75+). This isn’t cheap and is not actually necessary to buy anything ,though.

Much easier is what I did instead, which was taking advantage of the coil material’s rigid/”easily-snap-off-able” property to make a new (wider) hook. I pulled the snapped end of the coil out a little, then put in a thin screwdriver to kind of hold the coil out extended. Next I used flat nose pliers to hold the end flat, while using long nose pliers to break off a new gap on both sides, effectively making a new “t” end. Then of course I VERY GENTLY bent it around to make a “hook”. I gently clipped the new spring hook into the preexisting plastic hole. It works for new after reinstalling. We’ll see how it holds up!

Larry Pockras - Nov 20, 2017

Reply

Dealer wanted $180. Flat spring has T on end and locks into corresponding T in plastic. My plastic was broken out on one side. I merely took a bit in my dremel, and made the old T deeper in order to catch the metal end.