Someone thoughtfully posted links to the shop manual for the X350 a few years back.I have gone through every page in the body and paint section. FYI: This is not the typical cup holder hiding below a sliding console cover. This is the mechanism buried inside the front of the hinged console cover on cars that have a special rear seat heat/AC unit buried in the back of the console.

As best I can tell the section on removing the center console cover on the climate control unit makes no reference to how to extract the cup holder mechanism out of the hinged console cover to attempt to effect a repair. the hinge pins on mine have sheared and I can’t find anything anywhere that give me guidance on

1: how to remove the the mechanism from the console lid, let alone how to remove the lid itself.

2: how to repair, or replace the cup holder machinery if I were lucky enough to find a NOS unit, or even a console cover that I could have recovered in the mocha color at a local auto upholstery shop.

If I can’t find a way to fix the sheared off, hinged cover/front part of the cup assembly, I’ll need to find some way to build up the height of the front of the indentations that exist for two drink containers so that there’s some resistance to drinks being pitched forward by inertia on braking.

Any guidance/help appreciated. I’ll post pics of the existing situation as soon as I can take them.

Eliot Brenner
Annandale, VA

 

There is a seller selling OEM replacement units on ebay.

Look here on the forum.

Very hard to take the console cup holder apart. I did - I had to buy a used console assembly just to get the cup holder unit and ripped both apart to make one working unit.

It's all plastic inside...

 

Thanks for the prompt response. I spent time going through every ebay listing until I started getting down to the "universal" cup holder stuff from China. I found one very used console for $260 ... and the latch on the cover that swings forward to provide the front of the cup holder was broken! Having that rear AC/heater unit in the console really makes this a PITA. Had I paid attention to that when I bought this thing ... I probably still would have bought it without understanding what I was letting myself in for!

I'll keep an eye out for a better replacement, and in the mean time I may just resort to seeing if I can find some sturdy but pliable plastic at a hobby shop that I could use to build up a little front support for cups.

There are days when I seriously consider recommending that Jag engineers be sent to engineering re-education camps.

Eliot

 

Eliot,

I think you will find the thread below very helpful. A new arm rest including the cup holder for around $90 . I think you have to pry off the face of the rear temperature controls and you can access the hinge for the arm rest in there. Haven't confirmed in the manual yet.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...limate-228082/

Jeff

 

Exactly what I was referring to. I purchased one, even though my current Frankenstein built cup holder unit is working...

Awesome deal for sure and they are OEM...

 

Thanks to you both -- JCalhoun and abonano. Now I get what abonano was trying to explain to me. My fingers are crossed that this vendor is still in business and has something identical or close to my color (mocha). If they're still doing business and don't have my color, I'll buy one anyway and have an auto upholstery shop I know, which handles some work for a dealer, recover it. Again, thanks ... and on to the search.

Eliot

 

Gents: I found the company on line. They're still in business and their website still shows the product. I've sent them a quick question on the color, and I think I'm in business for $39 for the item plus $58.50 for shipping. At fractionally under $100 for a new-old-stock OEM unit, it's a bargain. Thanks to you both for the help. The Jag community is great.

The shop manual I saw on line had some instructions both for removing the console and for removing the climate control switch plate on the back of the unit, so I can take a stab at replacing the thing. if not, as I mentioned, there's an upholstery shop I can turn to. Thanks again.

Eliot