[va_lemon]

Originally Posted by va_lemon

I posted the following in the Illuminated Sunglass Tray DIY thread as well. Wanted to see if anyone on here has had the following issue.

Got the sunglass tray installed with the LEDs mounted on the front rather than back. One thing I noticed after the install was that the gear selector light on the auto shifter base plate remains on even after the car has been turned off and all the lights go off. Anyone else have this happen? Mine's a 2008 335 Coupe.

I even disconnected the sunglass tray LEDs from the socket to see if I messed up on connecting the brown wires together. If I disconnect the blue plug on the left side of the auto shifter, the light turns off but without that plug connected you cannot switch to DS mode.

Any ideas? I haven't seen or experienced any other problems. How long might it take for that light staying on to drain the battery?

EDIT: I've read about other BMW models that go into sleep mode after 16 mins and that's when the light goes out. I checked after 16 mins and the light's still on. Does anyone know if the time to sleep for the 07-08 s-series is also 16 mins? Could something be keeping it from going to sleep?

Nevermind. solefald was kind enough to reply to my post in another forum that all BMW autos (at least the 3-series) do that. I guess I just noticed it after I walked back to the car in the dark for the first time since I picked it up Friday. A couple of the other threads confirmed this too.

[TambourineMan]

I have a 2008 335xi coupe with Steptronic. My center console looks like the one in this picture.



The instructions say variously to either pull up on "it" (without defining "it") or to pull up on the "shifter" or to pull up on the "boot"

When they say to pull up on the shifter, is this just to remove the gear shift knob?

When they say to pull up on the "boot" is this to remove the leather boot around the gear shift lever? If so, how do you put it back on? There are no instructions, so is it obvious how to do it once removed?

Or is pulling up on the (leather) boot simply the method to get the black trim surrounding it to lift up from the rest of the center console?

How does the black trim surrounding the leather boot attach to the rest of the console?

[TambourineMan]

Anyone want to sell their old ashtray and housing? PM me.

[kevkaz]

I haven't read through this entire thread so sorry if this a repost.

If you take a rather large flat screwdriver and start in the back side of the tray as shown in an image in this thread and then lift gently and move from one end to the other, you'll get the trim piece off easily with no damage.

Originally Posted by FrankoQ

Let me re-enphasize the importance of the picture below.
I even added an arrow to show the second location where you need to
insert a flat head screw driver to remove the cover from the unit.

Removing the cover IS easy if you know what to do.
I started trying to remove it from the front and later realized that was not
how to do it.

Attachment 39812

[oilcrankinject]

The hardest part for me was getting the ashtray cover trim piece off. You didnt mention how to do it exactly so I ended up taking the whole tray apart. Once I did I saw how to do it. Push a very small flat head screwdriver in the 2 slots that are at the rear of the cover. Push them in until the clip unlatches, you can check this by looking underneath. Once you are done with the first one repeat till it is off.

Its take a good amout of effort to get the center consol trim off too.

[dar2008]

Has anyone done this mod successfully on a DCT equipped M3?

Before I go ahead, I am curious to know whether the centre console lifts up in exactly the same way as described in this DIY and whether there were any other issues encountered along the way.

[dar2008]

Answering my own question,... on Saturday I did this mod on my DCT equipped M3. It really was as straight forward and easy to do as outlined in this DIY. Many thanks for all the contributions above. I didn't remove the centre console completely from the car and there are so many cables attached to it on the M3, plus it's an e93, so even more cables. But it did lift over the DCT stick and I was able to turn it over to remove the ashtray.

I decided to re-use the LED lights as per the 'illuminated thread'. I put them on the front, and have to disagree with the post on here that suggests they won't light the bottom of the tray,... they do, and look fantastic, even better for being on the front of the sunglasses tray as they shine away from your line of vision, rather than directly at you. Unfortunately my camera is currently broken, but when it's fixed, I'll get some pics to show.

Very happy with this mod!

[FrankoQ]

Originally Posted by dar2008

Answering my own question,... on Saturday I did this mod on my DCT equipped M3. It really was as straight forward and easy to do as outlined in this DIY. Many thanks for all the contributions above. I didn't remove the centre console completely from the car and there are so many cables attached to it on the M3, plus it's an e93, so even more cables. But it did lift over the DCT stick and I was able to turn it over to remove the ashtray.

I decided to re-use the LED lights as per the 'illuminated thread'. I put them on the front, and have to disagree with the post on here that suggests they won't light the bottom of the tray,... they do, and look fantastic, even better for being on the front of the sunglasses tray as they shine away from your line of vision, rather than directly at you. Unfortunately my camera is currently broken, but when it's fixed, I'll get some pics to show.

Very happy with this mod!

Post pics! I'd like to see your final setup.

[dar2008]

Originally Posted by FrankoQ

Post pics! I'd like to see your final setup.

Pics, as promised...

[FrankoQ]

^^^ Nice. That looks great!

[MacDaddy]

Originally Posted by dar2008

Has anyone done this mod successfully on a DCT equipped M3?

Before I go ahead, I am curious to know whether the centre console lifts up in exactly the same way as described in this DIY and whether there were any other issues encountered along the way.

I'm getting ready to try this on my DCT M3 this weekend. I pulled the shift cover boot up last night and experimented with pulling on the center console. I could just barely get my fingers in behind the stick shift holder. Maybe you could help me understand where to place my fingers to get the right lift.

Or I could try the cloth-wrapped pry bar approach, but was certainly hesitant to resort to raw brute force (and aggresion).

PS - I think you may need to take your car back to the dealer for repair. It looks like they put the Power, EDC and DSC buttons on the wrong side of the console

[dar2008]

Originally Posted by MacDaddy

PS - I think you may need to take your car back to the dealer for repair. It looks like they put the Power, EDC and DSC buttons on the wrong side of the console

Ha ha,... if you didn't know I was in the UK, I'd tell you that my wife likes to have all the power in our relationship.

Like you, I removed the shift boot, and initially tried pulling up the centre console, but found absolutely no movement. I then taped over the end of a 1inch wallpaper scraper and then wrapped a cloth over the end for good measure before prising up the centre console from the side. I did this beginning nearest the armrest (don't forget to raise the armrest before you begin), and it came away really easily,... this gave me confidence to move along the centre console, and very quickly it was all off. Using this method did not leave any marks on the leather (phew!)

[MacDaddy]

Thanks for the quick reply. I have just the tool for that job in the garage at home. Left over from working upholstery around the door on my old 330.

As to the relationship power, I certainly understand. For me, I just mount the steering wheel from my old Need 4 Speed game on the passenger side. So far the GF hasn't realized that she isn't actually steering the car.

(man, I hope she isn't logged on the forum this morning....)

[dr004]

Just purchased my '06 330i last week and this was the first mod I did. Thanks for the great DIY, also reused the leds as described in another post.

Thanks for the great information availiable on this board...............

Go Gamecocks

[Mk23]

I am having serious difficulty getting my 09 E92 step shifter knob off, I also can NOT put the car into Neurtral, Drive and turn the car off. I have also tried removing the shifter knob, which (under great force of trying to remove it) does not lift off. There is no way for me to get the center console wood trim lifted over the Shifter knob to access the underside of the trim to acces the screws.

I am almost ready to give up after two hours of searching and triyng different things. If anyone has any idea of how to get the center console trim over the shift knob please let me know as soon as possible...I am still working on it...

[DH2117]

From a DIY trim removal thread on this forum, it sure looks like you have to put the car in step shifter in neutral. http://www.bimmerpost.com/forums/att...9&d=1189354925

[Mk23]

Originally Posted by DH2117

From a DIY trim removal thread on this forum, it sure looks like you have to put the car in step shifter in neutral. http://www.bimmerpost.com/forums/att...9&d=1189354925

I'll go try this and let you know how it went.

[Mk23]

I tried putting the car in shift mode, then into neutral (by tapping paddles). No dice. I even get a message "Car ignition off can only be done in Park"

Any other ideas?

What is the link to that trim removal thread?

[FrankoQ]

I did this mod for the 4th time about 2 weeks ago.
This time it was an E93.
As I recall, the keyfob was not on. I engaged the parking brake
and then proceeded to move the shifter to drive position.

Then you PULL on the knob.
It came off after my 5th attempt. And I must confess I smacked myself on the face. That knob is jammed in there. but there is nothing (screws or tabs)
holding it in place.

wear a helmet and pull pull pull.

Good luck

[Mk23]

Originally Posted by FrankoQ

I did this mod for the 4th time about 2 weeks ago.
This time it was an E93.
As I recall, the keyfob was not on. I engaged the parking brake
and then proceeded to move the shifter to drive position.

Then you PULL on the knob.
It came off after my 5th attempt. And I must confess I smacked myself on the face. That knob is jammed in there. but there is nothing (screws or tabs)
holding it in place.

wear a helmet and pull pull pull.

Good luck

Do I turn the car off or just hold on the brake pedal? I can't get the car to turn off while in Drive...

[FrankoQ]

Originally Posted by Mk335i

Do I turn the car off or just hold on the brake pedal? I can't get the car to turn off while in Drive...

put it in parking.
turn it off.
remove keyfob.
apply hand brake.
put shifter in drive.
Pull with all you got.

NOTE: the reason to put the car in "D" is so you can have the stick in
an angle and pointing away from the center console.
You don't have to do this. It just makes it easier when you are pulling on
the knob.

I repeat, watch out for a smack on the face.

My nose still hurts.

[Mk23]

I'll try this later today (got things to do today), I am positive that you can't move the shifter to drive once the car is off. But I'll try just pulling on the shifter knob again. Almost snapped my arm last time... (calcium deficiency?)

Appreciate the help, I'll let you know later tonight.