Centre console oddments tray - how does it come out?

[X5Sport]

As some of you may have spotted, my Dealer messed up about option 6NF (USB MP3 in phone connection) and I knew nothing about it so never asked. The result was that it was never fitted. I have jumped all over the Dealer and to be fair to them they have talked to BMW GB to see what can be done, although the answer is 'nothing' and tough! If the option appears as a retrofit then te Dealer has offered to sort it out.

In the meantime I came across a guy who hails from Poland and who seems to know a lot about modding several BMW vehicles allowing the CIC Idrive to be retrofitted with all its options, plus the latest Combox can be added too. I mailed him last night about my issue and he seems to think it shold be very straightforward. He needed to know how my Combox is wired up (and in case you have never seen one, they look like this ( mounted behind the left boot side trim for the X6 )):



But he needs to see how the phone support in the centre console is wired. I have looked all over the place for tips, but I cannot see how to get at the back of the oddments bin under the armrest. Realoem shows part of the info but not how it fits in. I have got the trim off at the back (it comes up vertically with use of an old credit card) and removed the two screws at the back edge hidden by the trim, but the bin will not lift. Anyone know how it comes out? All I need to be able to see us the cabling into the phone support onto which the eject box and phone adapter clip onto.

[Jalf]

Watching with interest

[X5Sport]

OK, here's the answer as far as I can tell. To remove the centre oddments tray is a bit of a mare as there are four screws mounted down below and you need the seats out of the way and the console side trims removed.

Getting at the phone support turns out to be a lot easier.
1. Remove the phone adapter and eject box.
2. Release the front catch and fully raise the arm
3. Undo the two filister head screwsjust below the arm itself that hold the assembly into the oddments tray.
4. Carefully pull the arm forwards a couple of inches.

If you want to go further then remove two little rubber feet under the amr to expose two small filister head screws. Unod them and then you can slide the bottom of the plate forwards. Beware it is holding a spring end in place at the hinge end!! On the E70, there may be a screw in this area too, but it's not installed on my E71. Now you can see the wiring connections on the back of the baseplate. Re-installation is the reverse of the process - but watch how the wiring tails fit around the back of the hinge spring!!