Has anyone had a problem with the cup holder door (located in the center console) opening very slooowly or getting stuck half way open? 1999 C280. How do I lubricate it? Is there a weak spring? How do I get this mechanism out of the console?
Any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

Yes, some silicone spray on the hinges inside works very well. I sprayed the hinges or joint points, you will see them. The spring is way down inside, just spray silicone down there and clean off the excess inside the best you can. Be careful with cleaning in there, this part is not the very well made. I had my replaced twice under warranty.

 

OK, I've fully saturated the inside of the cup holder compartment and still no improvement. I think it needs a thorough cleaning. How do I get that assembly out of there? There appear to be some strange looking fastners on both sides of the inside walls. They both turn about 1/16 of a revolution. Are these key to removing the assembly? How do they work? Thanks for your help. This is my wife's car and she has been bugging me to fix this for some time. Doug (I have a '81 380SL with NO cup holders - thank goodness).