Driver side storage tray - Faulty

[uluwatu06]

Dear friends,

The latch for my storage tray is faulty. It is not able to hold the tray in the closed position. Hence, i have been driving with the tray open for quite a while. I know the latch is using a metal strip which holds the latch in locked position.

Anyone knows how to remove the entire tray so that i can work on it at home? Alternatively, any sites where i can purchase it?

Stealership here is asking me for $112 USD for the tray alone.

[cruisingdownthestreet]

wait......there's a driver side storage?!?!

BRB

[paris1]

Originally Posted by cruisingdownthestreet

wait......there's a driver side storage?!?!

BRB

Not on the SoCal version.

[uluwatu06]

Originally Posted by cruisingdownthestreet

wait......there's a driver side storage?!?!

BRB

Dear Sir,

Yes, there is one. Enclosed is a picture which illustrates this better.

[cruisingdownthestreet]

Originally Posted by paris1

Not on the SoCal version.

argh....

[C.D.335xi]

Originally Posted by uluwatu06

The latch for my storage tray is faulty.

The exact same thing recently happened to me. I would also welcome any advice/suggestions for how to i) remove this tray and ii) repair it.

[airmarc]

I dont think this option is on the US models..... jealous!

[uluwatu06]

Originally Posted by C.D.335xi

The exact same thing recently happened to me. I would also welcome any advice/suggestions for how to i) remove this tray and ii) repair it.

How have you live with it? Driving around with the tray open? Or you tape it close temporarily?

[C.D.335xi]

Originally Posted by uluwatu06

How have you live with it? Driving around with the tray open? Or you tape it close temporarily?

I am able to close mine by pressing on the bottom of the part that is circled in red in your OP, which then causes the "button" on the outside of the door that is used to open the tray to re-appear (because the mechanism is broken, when you push on the button to open the tray, it "disappears" inside the tray door). I then use my index figure to apply a slight downward (i.e. towards the floor) pressure on the button to hold it in the closed position while closing the tray door at the same time. In my case, after doing this the door will stay closed. However, if I go over a large bump at high speed, for example, the door will sometimes open on its own.

I hope that you can understand my explanation and that you can get your door to close. It's much harder to explain the process in writing than it would be to demonstrate it in person (it wouldn't even be easy to film it as the space is so tight and the movements are literally fractions of an inch).

[uluwatu06]

Dear C.D.335xi,

No worries, your explanation is very clear and I totally understand what you mean. Thank you.

It has been almost 2 weeks driving with the tray open and it is such a 'nuisance'. If i am not able to find a good solution to this, i may just decide to purchase a new piece.

[Bleen]

Huh has anyone done a retrofit? Sounds like an interesting thing to do to the US cars that don't have this

[C.D.335xi]

uluwatu06 if my method doesn't work for you, you may want to try putting some velcro tape, which you can buy for a few dollars, along the inside top edge of the door before spending more than $100 on a replacement from the dealer. That's what I'm going to try if my current method stops working.

[uluwatu06]

Originally Posted by C.D.335xi

uluwatu06 if my method doesn't work for you, you may want to try putting some velcro tape, which you can buy for a few dollars, along the inside top edge of the door before spending more than $100 on a replacement from the dealer. That's what I'm going to try if my current method stops working.

Brilliant idea. Velcro shall be an option for now.

An old car anyway.

On a side note, are you MacGuyver?

[C.D.335xi]

Originally Posted by Bleen

Huh has anyone done a retrofit?

Based on the diagrams on realoem, it should be possible to do a retrofit. The only problem is that you would have to replace the whole bottom part of the dash. Although this little cubby is very useful (when the door works ), if BMW is asking more than $100 just for the door to this little cubby, I'm guessing this would be a really expensive project.

[C.D.335xi]

Originally Posted by uluwatu06

On a side note, are you MacGuyver?

No, but on rare occasions I can come up with useful ideas .

[distinctperson]

Has anyone retrofitted this to U.S cars ? This is a useful retrofit, it seems to me.

[NoQuarter]

What's up with the quilted cover on the shifter?

Does it get too hot to touch where you are?

[uluwatu06]

Originally Posted by NoQuarter

What's up with the quilted cover on the shifter?

Does it get too hot to touch where you are?

Dear NQ,

Yes, it does get very hot if i were to park it without a shade during the summer months. At the peak last year, the temperature reading in the car did show 53 degrees Celsius. I believe that equates to 127.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

[NoQuarter]

Originally Posted by uluwatu06

Dear NQ,

Yes, it does get very hot if i were to park it without a shade during the summer months. At the peak last year, the temperature reading in the car did show 53 degrees Celsius. I believe that equates to 127.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Yikes! Bet you have to watch out for those seats too!

Cheers!

[uluwatu06]

Hi,

Just an update.



I have pasted a thin velcro strap on the inside of the storage space but it wont close snugly. I guess i will just proceed with the order of a new storage cover.

Thank you for all the advices and recommendations.

[C.D.335xi]

Thanks for the update. Sorry to hear that the velcro trick didn't provide the solution that you were looking for.

[Mick70]

My Z4's hatch between the seats (http://bit.ly/2oNDHBt) once was stuck and my stealer needed 2 months to get a new one (the complete back panel had to be replaced, what a design flaw!). I then broke the door open with a screwdriver, removed the damaged latch with a Dremel and used a small but strong neodymium ring magnet to hold the hatch in place until the new hatch came in. This was a very good solution, maybe even better than the factory solution.

Maybe this is also a solution for the small sorage tray door? I don't know if it's possible to hide the magnet and its metal counterpart so that you can still close the door completely.