[GEOS07335i]

I got sick of looking at my rear console. Touch it with a nail and it scratches. Real big detractor IMO. Anyway I'm not sure if I wanted repaint it or just take the paint off and see how it looked. Regardless it now looks acceptable. From 3 feet away it looks perfect. You have to really get close to see the scratch marks. If your rear console cover looks like mine and you want to fix it here is how to remove the old sticky paint.

Tools needed:
- Torx Bit to remove tray from rear console cover.
- Elbow Grease to remove the tray it self. Just wiggle it around and it will come out.
- Wet sandpaper and 200, 400, 800, 1000,1500 wet sand paper.
- Small sanding block
- Dove liquid detergent. Any liquid detergent or hand soap will do.
- A little bit of plastic bumper restore. ( i used Mothers and it works great)
- Buffing micro fiber cloth

Time Required: about 1.5 hours
Level of Effort: easy
Cost: Cheap if you have all the stuff in your garage. Sandpaper can be expensive so ask a buddy to "borrow" a sheet or two.

Instructions:
1) Pull out the middle fold down section about 1/2 way and lift up. It sits on a roll bar near the bottom and should slide right out. Pull up and towards you.
2) Pull out the Console. (move the tray to the middle and put your hand inside and just wiggle it out back and fourth.) No tools required.
3) Remove the 4 torx screws from back of console and separate cover.
4) Go to the sink and slather a bunch of liquid dish washing soap all over the cover. Start wet sanding you will see the sticky paint roll right off. This part took me about 45 minutes to get all of the sticky goo off. Just keep sanding.
HINT: You may need to dry and and look and do it again. Stick with the 200 for a while untill all the old paint is off.
5) Now progressively work your way up to 1500 grit until all the scratches are minute.
6) Dry it off it will look gray and you should see a bunch of really tiny scratches. Now get the bumper restore Mothers and put about a nickels squirt on a buffing towel and buff it on. Remove any residue.

IMAGE 1) This is what mine looked like before
IMAGE 2) This is what it looks like if you just wet sand with 200 and use the bumper restore.
IMAGE 3) This is what it looks like if you just be patient and go through the various sand papers working your way up as high as you want to go. . I could have spent another 30 or 40 minutes getting it better but it's pretty good for now.
IMAGE 4) Post 2 installed and looking good.

That's it very simple DIY and worth doing if your rear console looks as bad as mine and you dont want to spend $180 to replace it.

[GEOS07335i]

Here is what the finished product looks like. Now does anyone know how to remove the cup holders? I tried looking at this diagram

http://workshop-manuals.com/bmw/3_se...ar_cup_holder/

But I can seem to get the hinges out far enough to slide it forward. Anyone try this is there a trick?

[Rocko123]

Originally Posted by GEOS07335i

Here is what the finished product looks like. Now does anyone know how to remove the cup holders? I tried looking at this diagram

http://workshop-manuals.com/bmw/3_se...ar_cup_holder/

But I can seem to get the hinges out far enough to slide it forward. Anyone try this is there a trick?

Hard to tell from that diagram open it up and take clear pics of the inside, it looks like you might be able to pry them out some how

[GEOS07335i]

Originally Posted by Rocko123

Hard to tell from that diagram open it up and take clear pics of the inside, it looks like you might be able to pry them out some how

You need a small flat head screwdriver. You twist up a little to pop the hinge out slightly then gently pry up on the edge with the small flat head screwdriver until the lip of the hinge is above the bottom console. Then bend the tray slightly down as if your closing it and and pull towards the center. Repeat on the other side. Both sides came out fine.