BMW cup holder removal repair and replacement E90 E91 E92 E93

How to remove, repair and replace your BMW cup holder.

[@jmoe2060]

For the 1st time my driver's cup holder works! Thanks for the excellent tutorial. I really appreciated the slow pace, clear spoken instructions and good camera work. Well done.

[@rodneybernaldo2994]

Finally a How to Video that is thorough enough that I know exactly what to do. Other videos usually say remove part A, but do not tell you or show in detail how to remove part A so I need to spend another 20 mins figuring out how to remove part A. You demonstrate everything I need to know. I wish you would do other videos. How to fix a refrigerator. How to remove a screw that is stripped. How to install a light switch. How to cook lasagna. As examples. Thank for this excellent & detailed How To. I just repaired my cup holder.

[@mikebazan4651]

Just bought a BMW tand did not check cup holder and made a appointment to BMW to fix it and seen You video. Thank You! You save Me A lot of money! Thanks

[@mofopopo437]

Thanks for posting the video, just fixed my cup holder today in my 328i. Saved me $70.00 dollars!!! In parts and $200.00 dollars from the stealership!!!

[@Whit3ace]

This was absolutely brilliant!! I had been living with it for almost a year and was going to pay someone to replace it. Instead did it myself and just repaired it. Down to the zip tie!! Thank you so much for this great repair video.

[@timmcgonagle3351]

My wife and I just repaired our new to us 355d with the help of your video. This video was excellent, we NEVER thought we would be able to fix it ourselves. Thank you very much for posting this!

[@einEno17]

E92 M3 here - works like a charm, thank you so much! Background: Since I am German, I never use this thingy (rule number one: do not eat or drink in my car, otherwise you sure will have a lot of fun walking home!) - but suddenly out of nowhere the cup holder was ejected 2cm - pushing it in again was the last thing I did, did not come out again. So even if its never used, it shall work! - And "tadaa" you helped me fix it (I used a black zip, and was lucky it worked!) ;) Thanks again!

[@Dovrizzo]

I watched 5 videos on this topic before finding yours. Thank you so much for taking the time to put this together. It worked perfectly for me, especially the part about "gently" removing the tabs that hold the gear in place, and of course the awesome idea of using the zip-tie. Best BMW cup holder fix out there!! Thank you!!

[@MJ-tt3rv]

It's almost like you were reading my mind as you explained each Next Step! I especially appreciate the way you gave your instructions without appearing to insult the intelligence of the person viewing your videos. Add my name to the list of people who are thankful to you,for not having spent $100 repairing a part on my ten-year-old car! Made my day!

[@gixxerman69]

Cheers bud. Fixed mine. Biggest issue was removing the slide. Couldn't get the clips to release. Tried prying with pry tool and knife. In the end, I managed to stack up several guitar picks and it cleared. It worked fine out the car but was initially a bit intermittent in the car and would stop part way out. After a number of cycles, it works fine now. Thanks dude.

[@BHM0219]

thank you! you saved me $160NZD with a simple cable tie from the shed!

[@Gauthierbrad27]

How could anyone give this video a thumbs down? It’s literally one of the best repair videos I’ve ever seen.

[@user-xs5ij7sd2b]

Used this video for my second E90 in 3 years (common issue) and I can't imagine how many times this has saved people from ordering a new part. Great job, dude!

[@CasadoMarques]

I had sound turned off for the entire video. I do not know why the cup holder was shaken a lot half way thru, but assume that it was for emphasis of certain information. The video was so informative and so well done, the sound was completely unnecessary. Each tool needed and each step completely documented. Thank you!

[@stickledrone1565]

I've watched tons of video before but never commented. Absolutely detailed and on point!!! keep making more!!

[@browser289]

Thank you very much. It's 9 Feb 2022 and your video still applies and helped me repair my 2012 335i cupholder!

[@Mark-wr1hz]

It’s crazy that you knew *EXACTLY* what was wrong with my cup holder and you were so detailed and helpful as to how to fix it. Thanks man I’m eternally grateful. It’s almost as if BMW programmed my cup holder to stop working one day. I used cable ties from Walmart for 99 cents. The hardest part was fitting and securing the cable tie around the neck of the spring tab. Went through 6-7 cable ties until I resolved the issue. BMW quoted me $200 for parts and labor for this issue. Saved me some money! Thanks again!

[@robertwilkens8218]

Wow...this repair video was absolutely brilliant and easy to follow...my wife's cup holder is now working and all it cost was a little bit of time and a zip tie...thank you very much for your help...RW 😃

[@sergiohoyosg]

You are a genius, I found your video by accident. I'm so glad I did. I followed your detail description and fix my cupholder in 5 min. I feel like a fool carrying all those years cups between my legs. Thanks a bunch!!!

[@scottr.2074]

thank you ever so much, this video has saved me $75 for a replacement that I now know I didn't need. bonus points for a small zip tie saving the day.

[@mastergoya3000]

This is a proper repair video! Thanks! (there are some videos which are really bad)

[@athomeautorepair7899]

mastergoya3000 thank you! I will be making more videos shortly. I made an investment in better audio and video equipment so the quality of my videos will be improving.

[@athomeautorepair7899]

Jason Dagher does the tensioner spin or is it frozen?

[@trainfart98]

@@athomeautorepair7899 I think im having the same problem as jason, as soon as i put the tensioner in it doesnt come out all the way (around half of the cuphole is visible) and just stops, i took it apart, cleaned it and greased the sides again is there a way to lower the strength of the tensioner?

[@athomeautorepair7899]

trainfart98 the tensioner is optional. If you leave it out the cup holder will function properly it’s just going to come out like gangbusters.

[@sangbumlee4592]

Thank you

[@scottdecker8612]

Thank you, from one DIY guy to another. This is the best, most comprehensive repair video and it doesn’t make a hack job of it like most of the others. Much appreciated!

[@richardmarskell4884]

The cable tie instead of bending the spring what a genius idea wish I had seen that before I snapped my one great video easy to follow keep them coming 👍

[@armengasparyan3457]

THANK YOU! I COULD FIX MY CUP HOLDER AND SAVE $250.00

[@chrisgill4888]

A new cup holder is less than $40, and then all you have to do is unscrew the old one and screw in the new one, no disassembling of plastic required. This method in the video is obviously much cheaper and practical but it's not like this would be a bank breaking repair...

[@pzorro2020]

This video save me komen bmw garage was gonna charge me for no reason.. I did this so easily.. with the hell of this video.. mu cup holder was not working for weeks and I was so worried .. thank you sir this free info💯💯💯

[@Allison-ks6xw]

Wow, thanks very much! The detail was perfect, and I would have been hesitant to do the repair without this video. Thanks again!

[@robertmitchell8256]

Thank you for creating this video, it's brilliant and has helped me fix my driver's cupholder from not popping out. Well done.

[@tommiemitton8036]

Thank you so much for posting this! I've been dealing with a "broken" cup holder for a year. This was such an easy fix!

[@ventsikovachev]

Thank you! I’ve been driving for almost a year with broken cup holder on my e92. Now fixed🎉

[@DennisGentry]

I came here to just skim through so I could fix my cup holder, but this was very satisfying to watch as well. Super clear and complete explanations of all the details that make this a quick repair instead of a lot of head scratching and prying until something breaks. Good enough that I subscribed, which I never do. :)

[@pault2651]

Works like a charm, thank you for posting this. Easy fix vs paying bmw over $100 for a new one

[@marckradolfer3176]

That was awesome . Thanks a million , that was one of the best videos (DIY) I've seen. Only one problem was the volume but if you have speaker connected to your laptop , you can raise the volume accordingly .

[@SergioGarcia-ld2dt]

This is my first DIY on my E90. Thank you very much, I can say it's easy and safe to do it. It took me like 30 minutes because the trims at 6:59 were a bit tricky for me but I managed to remove them and it went easy from there.

[@kodten]

Excellent tutorial. The explanation on the trim removal was really helpful I saw a couple videos where people pulled from the one side Vs popping both end pieces first and then working the center clips. Found some broken plastic inside the assembly so I knew the zip tie solution would work. Thanks for the video.

[@ntntchinasweetwater]

You are absolutely the shit. I was able to fix my cup holder because you. You are inspiration to the do it your selfers. You go on with your badass self!!!!!! 10 thumbs up BUDDY!!!!!!!

[@itztrevey]

Its insane how the same part goes out on like 90 Percent of BMW, Thank for the video I just ordered my replacement part !

[@9145709902]

Even the cup holders are over engineered on BMW'S! Thanks for posting this.

[@JohnPanzavecchia0001]

THANK YOU! I have this problem and I am very handy but I was sure this piece would be over engineered like the rest of the car. Your video saved me at least 20-25 minutes of guessing how to NOT break the trim piece, then figuring out how to release the spring and get it back in place. Thanks again!

[@tobyclarke3728]

This is by far the most informative instructional video for repairing the cup holder on the e90. Many thanks.

[@chan0jono]

This is brilliant. Saved me $200 buying the new part.

[@josemanuelc.figueroa1926]

AWESOME! I had already taken apart the cup holder but I had no idea where the winder was supposed to be attached, followed your exact instructions and it's fixed now... THANK YOU !!!

[@normanabumuhammad2144]

This is the best repair video I have so far seen. very accurate and confident. Downside is the noise but regardless top video. Time well spent viewing 100% star

[@fmbobs99]

Very good video. I like what you wrote about better equipment. The best thing I liked about your video about as much as the quality of it and attention to detail was that there was no background music. I don't know why most people think that the learner wants to listen to distracting music while trying to learn something. Please, stick to no background music. Perhaps some people add background music to make their videos seem more professional. It simply doesn't. What make a video more professional is professional lighting, professional camera support, close-ups and well planned camera angles. Not music. Your video has the beginnings of true quality. You're on the right track. Keep up the good work. I very much appreciate it. Fixed my wife's cup holder. I'm happy and so is she. Thank you!

[@calebprado9635]

Just fixed my drivers side cup holder thanks to you! Your real time fix and great explanations and step-by-step instructions were incredibly helpful! thank you so much!!!

[@zinzeta]

Despite the HORRIBLE AUDIO, this video was very helpful. Thank you. :D (Thumbs up.)

[@johnsabean3170]

Thank you. Your video made this extremely easy. The zip tie worked perfectly.

[@thogan1504]

Worked perfectly. Took sometime to separate the 2 pieces but remained patient and it worked perfectly. Thank you so much.

[@melissagonzalez1925]

How did you do it I can’t figure it out

[@michaelkrupka1870]

Excellent video. The step I had the most trouble with were the two tabs on the case. The shoulder on the non-tab piece was thick on my 2012 wagon. That step took most of my time.

[@johnt.1288]

This was genius. The cup holder on my E90 broke yesterday - I have no idea what the exact problem is but I'm sure I could find my problem and figure out a solution based on your video. Thank you much.

[@athomeautorepair7899]

John T. There are only a few problems these cup holders can experience. 1. Cup holder won’t come out. 2. Cup holder comes out too slowly. 3. Cup holder comes out too quickly. There are only two common problems that make the cup holder stay in. The first being a broken or missing spring. The second being someone spilled coffee or soda or put their gum on the cup holder and closed it. If the cup holder comes out too slowly remove and clean the cup holder. If it’s not dirty remove then tensioner and reinstall the cup holder. If the cup holder comes out too quickly the tensioner probably broke, fell out or was intentionally removed. 99% of the time the problem is that the cup holder is stuck closed and it’s due to a broken tab for the spring. All of the above is covered in the video.

[@johnt.1288]

At home auto repair: thanks for the advice. I finally got a chance to see what the problem was and I’m not sure how to explain it but one of the tabs popped out on the cup holder so it wasn’t sitting flush when it closed. I probably didn’t need to take it all apart to fix it but easy enough. Thanks again for the video.

[@zalezuchiha]

THANK YOU!!! I had my left cup holder in non working order and this video really helped. It cost me absolutely nothing to fix it since I had everything on hand

[@georgeab9939]

Brilliant! Great example of how to properly instruct. Zip tie to retain spring is simply brilliant. Thank you!

[@rosswilson7713]

Amazing. You made this so easy. I purchase a new cup holder from eBay, and had it installed in 10 minutes. Thank you!!

[@terobb0]

Thank you for the detailed instruction. Saved me a lot of time and money. Would have been easier with a trim tool, but putty knife did the job.

[@vchennoju]

Cant thank you enough for the zip tie solution. Excellent tutorial. My wife appreciates it a lot as she had to use a coin to open the cup holder every time 🙂

[@stephengweil]

Without a doubt, absolutely the best repair video I've ever seen! Bravo!

[@119Agent]

Thank you for the video, my local Wawa thanks you as well as I am now able to continue getting coffee in the mornings on the way to work. The step at 7:00 took an incredible amount of force on mine and I ended up breaking one of the "teeth" that holds the tab in straight. Other than that, piece of cake. This was a perfect opportunity to clean the cup holder as well. Lot's of spilt coffee in there.

[@athomeautorepair7899]

119Agent I am sorry that that step was difficult for you. I understand how that can be tricky. The “teeth” them self are fixed. They do not move and can not be depressed. In the step I am actually prying the case upwards to make room for the teeth to slide out. Rather then pushing down on the teeth and trying to pull out.

[@karaoke888]

Great video. You just help me save a lot of money and I did the repair myself rather than allowing the shop to overcharge for it. Thank you!

[@athomeautorepair7899]

Glad to hear that this video was helpful. If you have as Ashtray lid that won’t close I have another video showing you how to repair that with no parts, limited tools, and limited mechanical expertise.

[@austinnafziger4159]

Thanks for the repair method! I used a twist tie instead of a zip and it worked all the same!

[@irieite100]

Thanks! Very detailed! I was able to fix mine using this video. Separating the slide out cup holder from the body was the hardest part.

[@gonglapoolsap6073]

Brilliant !!!! now I know how to remove it out to have a look and fix the problem. Thank you so much!

[@156tempra]

Thanks so much, you are guiding the details so clear from the beginning till the last process. 1-5. you've got 5. Because your video, I had my job done.

[@sharamrock2580]

That’s exactly what I am having problem with. Thank you for your clear provided instructions.

[@ysls7457]

That was so easy. I fixed it in less than 30 minutes - thank you!

[@phoneuser2043]

Awesome video, used it to fix the same issue on my car today.. was initially thinking of getting a new cup holder but the repair video was spot on. Thanks again!!

[@therealwonkydog]

Fixed! been broken since I bought the car 2 years ago. Why didn't I see this vid before? Thanks!!!

[@alchapman5987]

Great job of presentation. Saved at least $300 that dealer wanted. Works great.

[@karaoke888]

$300 part and labor??? Total robbery! 😡

[@joshmclamb3360]

Thank you so much !!!! What a wonderful video and fantastic explanation ! You saved me $40 !

[@rdwalker7635]

You are the MASTER!!! You saved me so much $! I would have had to order a whole new replacement and have it color matched to my tan interior. Thank You Thank You Thank You!! Well detailed instruction and it works perfectly A+

[@inyourfaceeddie]

Excellent video. Mine works again. Simple and very instructive. Hope there was more videos like this.

[@user-xs5ij7sd2b]

Saved me from buying a new part. Excellent video and walk through! Thank you very much

[@donkelley1723]

Thank you very much I repaired mine today and it works! Hasn’t worked since I bought my 328i 2 years ago lol

[@HighIntentions-]

Wow very well explained, a lot of people can learn from you very well detailed!!👍🏼👍🏼

[@poisonsnake9965]

SUPER AND HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL !! THANK YOU FROM MELBOURNE !!! MR.GASPARYAN(two lines below) IS RIGHT,YOU SAVED US 250 $ !!!

[@Corland]

Thank you! my spring and come totally out of the spot and the cup holder would not close as the spring was stuck behind it, but your steps and the zip-tie worked to fix that problem as well!

[@tubecyr1]

An old post that did the trick in 2021 on my 2009 BMW 328i. Thx.

[@markt9438]

Nice ,i just purchased a 335i 2011 and went to D doughnuts this morning ,yup drivers side cup holder stuck ! Thx for the Fix !!!

[@Swedog412]

Mate. Your video was spot on. No probs encountered as you covered all possible pitfalls.. keep up good work.

[@Diysid]

Thanks buddy! I wanted to get a clue how doing that silly cup holders. Your video gives complete idea how it's done properly. Even mine not E90 I'm going try on my E60. Wish me luck. Thanks

[@athomeautorepair7899]

Please let me know how this worked for your e60.

[@emilsoder8233]

Very very good video! First video that actually help me fix something that know one else could

[@rgtv1579]

Great video. Just had this happen on my 2011 328i. Everything worked perfect. It took a little longer than it took you, due to the fact I had a hard time getting something under the tabs to tear it completely apart. But once that was done, everything worked great. Thank you very much. Same me some $$$!

[@scorpiososixtynine]

My car is booked in for tuesday for his and some other stuff, but I think I will give this a go right now, excellent video!

[@petepennington5623]

Thank you so much; this was the exact scenario on my daughter's car, which is now fixed thanks to you. Great video and instruction. Best regards, PP

[@wernernaude930]

Thank you very very much. This helped me a lot as ended with saving me a lot of money. In South Africa a replacement part is around R1775-00. THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN.

[@dbokser]

This was perfect. Had a broken cup holder for a year and now it's fixed. Thanks!

[@ahmadharb]

This is amazing thank you !! In my case apparently someone had disassembled the spring and it was inversed (the nipple you talked about was to the inside, like the coil was removed and the reinserted in the opposite direction) so I had to fix the spring and everything followed naturally. Thanks again !

[@jeffrey322]

Thank you! I took my broken cup holder out just the other day but was not able to figure it out. Now I will fix it!

[@LancePhillip212]

Thanks very much- step-by-step instructions even an idiot like me could follow.BMW Sovereign (dealership in Bloemfontein, South Africa) wanted R2100 for the part alone! Your video cost me a few cents (one cable tie) & 20 minutes to finish.

[@drewp9905]

Great video 👍👍 I was about to purchase a replacement unit then I came across this diy. This got me subscribing to your channel.

[@jese5025]

Audio a bit off but it made me listen more and i fixed my cup holder! thanks!

[@kazza3281]

Thanks heaps, I fixed my wifes car and she is very happy.

[@richardpeccia5198]

Super video, took me about an hour and stop & started video about a dozen times but fixed the problem. Only issue is it opens very slowly but that’s prob the spring and prob why I broke the opening hole by forcing too hard. Thanks again, excellent tutorial!!

[@athomeautorepair7899]

If it opens too slowly you should remove the resistor which I call a tensioner in this video. It’s an easier process then repairing the spring.

[@richardpeccia5198]

@@athomeautorepair7899 thanks! Makes sense, in fact before I put it back in place it opened nicely. I guess it’s set for a brand new spring…

[@athomeautorepair7899]

@@richardpeccia5198 the spring is the part you attached the zip tie to. The resistor/tensioner is a small plastic wheel… the only purpose of the tensioner is to slow the opening motion down. You can remove it and not replace it. See this other video I made for an explanation kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2XYqHtrhLOqr7s

[@beckboy2]

Thank you for the video, you helped me save much needed cash!!!

[@stevethomas2337]

Awesome tutorial!!! I found out i didn’t have a small enough zip tie so i used a piece of mechanics wire! Made a loop, pulled it tight enough to hold it and flush cut it with the top and bottom of the plastic for the cup holder. Seems to be working well. Just a little slow on coming out when pushed. But other wise much better than no spring.

[@athomeautorepair7899]

If you want a quick and easy way to make the cup holder come out faster you can remove the resister which I believe I refer to as a tensioner in this video. It’s shown at in the video at 6:25.

[@athomeautorepair7899]

Ps. Test it in your hand before you reinstall the cup holder in case you are not satisfied with how fast it ejects itself (it’s usually very fast and not everyone prefers that. Some people would rather the cup holder come out too slowly opposed to coming out too quickly.).

[@Whattonamemychannel]

literally amazing, you're a genius for the ziptie idea, all other vids drill holes. Thank you!!!!!!!!

[@user-xs5ij7sd2b]

Also, Valspar sells a spray paint at Lowe's that matches that interior trim color almost exactly. I have the same interior and removed the cupholder + plastic trim and repainted them. Take the trim piece with you to the store and compare it to the spray caps. Cheers!

[@ba1dwin]

You da'man! Thanks for taking the time to make and post this for others. cheers.

[@stubones]

This is about one of easiest DIY jobs you can do in an E90 gen. I replaced the driver's 's cup holder in my E91 Touring earlier this year. I couldn't find a used one so I had to fork out £50 to BMW for a new one. Now I don't even use it :D

[@timmo491]

Really useful. From this fixed mine its been broken for years! Thanks mate.

[@jodyandash]

Awesome video bud. Saved me 100 bucks for a new one.

[@MaximeSourbeer]

Thanks! This was a great explanation and gave me the last bit of information needed