Cupholder fell through console! Weird!!!

[Meeker]

Reposting here from the other thread - in regards to removing the connector on the gear shift selector.

"OK, I found a video that will help you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQDQBVJOdwc

It's a similar connector - I don't have access to my Expy at the moment, but it should be a similar mechanism. I remember it was a lighter gray lever that you had to rotate to release the connector."

 

[rob4092xx]

Excellent video! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

 

[FlyBry]

Should this failure continue, should this thread be a sticky?

 

[wakeboarder]

Just fixed mine as well. I never ended up unplugging the shift selector and 2wd-4wd selector. I just unscrewed the 6 torx-head screws to pull the cup holder out similar to MondayTX (thanks for the tip).

We drilled new holes over the existing plastic welds and bolted the the flanges together with a little thread-glue to help it hold. The solution is better than the original design and will last forever. Thanks to my father in law for the idea

Do you know what size of bolts you used?

 

[kylenobbe]

Not sure at the moment. Quite small, though! Went to the local hardware store and hand picked them by eyeballing it. Had to use a jewelers screwdriver to fasten them, so must have been fairly small!

 

[whiteannblack]

Fixed mine a week ago I was too nervous to unplug the gear shifter but with a extra hand to hold and a little cursing me and my husband were able to fix it. Drilled a few small holes in the plastic and secured it together with fishing wire aswell as adding a second large string rubber band now it won’t fall again. I fixed it myself twice and without the extra reinforcement it just fell again and again.

 

[5280tunage]

What a completely stupid design. A rubber band? Crap, ever noticed how quickly rubber bands fall apart after they freeze and thaw a few times? I bet that never happens in cars?

But seriously, there are so many other ways to design tabs that are normally outward, and spring bag. Oh yeah, springs? Makes me wonder what kind of nuts are designing some of these now days.

 

[Meeker]

What a completely stupid design. A rubber band? Crap, ever noticed how quickly rubber bands fall apart after they freeze and thaw a few times? I bet that never happens in cars?

But seriously, there are so many other ways to design tabs that are normally outward, and spring bag. Oh yeah, springs? Makes me wonder what kind of nuts are designing some of these now days.

To be fair, the "rubber" band (it's more like some kind of silicon if you ask me) doesn't appear to be the issue. It's main purpose is to spring the cup holder tabs to accomodate different size cups.
The issue is a) instead of a single molded piece, they appear to have bowed down to the marketing "need" to have funky lighting in the bottom of the cupholders, and then designed it in multiple pieces to allow that, and/or b) really crappy fastening of the bottom to the rest of the cupholder.

 

[aggiegrad05]

Does anyone have any idea if this is limited to the XLT? It seems from the pics folks have posted here that the design of the cup holders on the higher trims (definitely the Platinum) is different. I put a big yeti cup in and out of my cupholder multiple times a day and I wonder if I need to be worried.

 

[wakeboarder]

I used @kylenobbe’s solution as I figured gluing may break again in the future.
Supplies
1. 9x M4x16 truss head machine screws
2. 9x M4 nylon locking nut
3. Punch that is about 4mm in diameter
4. Drill bit that is just over 4mm in diameter
5. Super glue

First I disconnected the battery. The image below shows how to disconnect the gear shift connector.

After removing the cupholder, I superglued the light ring back together. The next step was to knock out all 9 of the plastic welds with a hammer and punch. Line the pieces back up and drill a hole in each of the plastic weld locations. Ensure the key fob reader is toward the front and install all 9 machine screws.