You know, I've read stories about how easily the cup holders break. Never paid much attention since I never ever use it.

Seems logical, if I never use it, how could I break it? If you're thinking to yourself "sounds like me", keep reading.

I've been battling a defective 3.5mm connector located beneath my center console. It's got to be positioned just right or I seem to lose a part of one of the stereo bluetooth channels. I'm working that issue with Discount Stereo, good helpful people.

I was driving down the road listening to good old Chet Atkins when I realized the left channel was only partially there. So with a partially clenched fist I gave the top of the center console a rap figuring it would jostle the connection/connector and all would be good.

Well the signal came back, but I heard a strange noise and looked down. The cup holder was disconnected, launched itself 1/2 way out of the unit and now protruded out above to the cruise control!

It is now like a rubics cube on a bad acid trip :-). Should be fun to put back together. Ttytt I really didn't smack it that hard at all. Total surprise, never would have thought it would harm anything.

Frankly, even a mild tempered guy might hit the center console way harder in frustration if some jerk cut him off or something. Looks like it doesn't take much to mess up this cup holder! Wanted to let you know - be careful.

I'm sure I'll get it back together, just wanted to give you a heads up. This bloody thing is way more fragile than it looks.

John

 

It is delicate. Years ago mine acted up a bit without abuse but I think we've found a mutually acceptable lifestyle. I treat it like it's made of glass and it doesn't give me any problems, at least for now.

 

Yeah, that's a good word for it, delicate. Oh well you live and learn...thinking back, this never would have happened if I realized it was delicate. I'm sure this post will get others better attuned to it.

John

 

Mine actually worked when I got the car. After my son drove it once, that honeymoon was over.

 

 

Glandaniel, thanks, I needed a laugh.

John

 

So far, shockingly, mine are still holding up. I rarely use them but my wife does virtually every time she is in the car. I'm sure she will eventually break them as she likes to jam over sized metal Yeti insulated cups that barely fit into them in the first place and then proceed to bang them about.
They really are rather useless cup holders. I've ejected a strawberry Margarita she put in to it directly all over the back seat when goosing the throttle a bit pulling out of the restaurant parking lot! Lots of quick cleaning trying to get all the pink and red mess off of the dove interior!

 

 

I believe these all come under the heading of "the best laid plans of mice and men........."
Too bad for such a great marque.

 

If the cup holders are a poor design, you try to work on the cigarette lighter/ashtray combi just underneath it. The opening/closing mechanism is an adventure in old plastic held in with holding micro screws threaded into cast plastic. That's never a good idea Don't get me started on why this unit would even have plastic gears slowing a spring!

 

..or why Jaguar thought it was A Good Idea to use brass ferrules moulded into the cam covers as 'nuts' for the coil cover bolts.

@John - sorry for the hijack. It's one of the 'features' that, together with the engine oil cooler, I''m glad I don't have.


With apologies to the good politicians, lawyers, accountants, and marketeers everywhere:
" Never attribute to engineers that into which politicians, lawyers, accountants, and marketeers have poked their fingers"

 

 

That's why they tell us not to drink and drive....you might spill your drink.

 

don't have ANY openings into your garage where an unwanted guest might squeeze thru.

Between the wall and the roof I had small gaps that a bird or similar sized creature might get thru. Never thought a raccoon could get in. But that did't stop this family of 2 yearlings and a mother from taking up residence under my metal shelving, just 4 inches between the concrete floor and the lowest shelf. But somehow a raccoon can flatten out and live under there.

They were undiscovered until one day I notices a cat carrier was not on the shelf above the parking spot where the XKR sits every night.. It was on the floor in front of the car, where it had landed after it BOUNCED off of the hood. Fortunately (??) the hood only suffered 2 small divot impact marks, each the depth of a B-B.

After I evicted the Rascal family, I had to come to grips with the 1st "injury" the car had suffered under my ownership. Boo-Hoo.

Z

 

What? People actually use those cup holders???