Greetings, folks!

Well, yesterday was the day to install the new Anthracite armrest retrofit kit. For the most part, it went relatively smoothly, though there were a couple of hiccups along the way. The installation instructions were fairly good, though some more detail would certainly have been helpful. In other words, standard BMW instruction sheets!

I've put some photographic notes in my gallery, for anyone who might be interested.

Enjoy!
DW

 

Great description and images in your gallery. Thanks!

Question...How far does the armrest raise? Does your photo show it at maximum? Also, was there any harnessing involved with phone charger cradle, as I read in someone's scanned instructions, or is that n/a in the USA?

Additionally, can a tall cup stay in the cupholder while the arm rest is raised? How is access to the rear cupholder in either position?

 

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed them. :smile:

Excellent questions there, Tarzan.

All of my photos with the armrest raised do show it at maximum. However, since scale in photos is a tricky thing to portray, I have updated my gallery with a few more pictures, containing specific measurements and visual cues. I hope they will help clarify the areas involved.

And of course, I should have addressed the cupholder question! Thanks for reminding me. Also just added to the gallery is a set of pictures with a 7" tall insulated mug (sporting a fine logo, I might add!). It sat quite easily in the cupholder, with a couple of inches of clearance above the rear edge of the mug.

As for the phone question, I'm afraid I don't use a Bluetooth phone, or have that option in my MINI, so I'm sorry to say I can't answer that one conclusively. From what I recall from the instructions, it seemed that a Bluetooth-enabled kit had a different tray insert that went into the body of the armrest, with a built-in wiring harness that was to be routed underneath the console to connect. If it is a Euro option, I expect the MINI2.com forums might be a good place to look for more information on that, as it's heavily populated by Euro Motorers, many of whom just love to tinker with things.

Hope that helps!

Best,
DW

 

Can you post some pictures of the base?
DOes the armrest attach directly to the center console?
Is it possible to put a drink into the cup holder from the back seat without having to go around those posts?

 

Certainly! They're up now. :smile:

As you'll see from the pics, the armrest assembly actually attaches to the Console Holder Bracket. That bracket is what is secured with four 10mm nuts to bolts coming from the body of the car. The outer console you see from the interior of the car is, in fact, primarily cosmetic, and has no structural function beyond supporting a drink, or some spare change.

As with anything, there's always a tradeoff, and this may be it. The rear cupholder is most easily used if the armrest is raised. To use it with the armrest down, it woud need to be a rather short cup. To use it from the back seat, it would need to be a rather thin cup to fit between the supports of the armrest. Depending on how often you have people with large drinks in the back seat, that may be something to think about.

Hope that helps!
DW

 

Cool, the anthracite color looks awesome! I just installed the same armrest in silver. You're lucky, I didn't even get instructions with my kit. I was able to figure it out easily enough though. Looks Good!

 

Thanks Nitro22! Glad you got it together OK. It's not that difficult, but having guidelines certainly does help.

A note for folks ordering the kit, or thinking about it: The installation instructions aren't in the box per se, but your MINI parts people have access to them, and should print them up for you. If they don't do it as a matter of course, ask for them! For the price of the kit, you've certainly got six or seven pages of paper coming to you to help get it installed correctly!

Best,
DW

 

Thanks for the very detailed pics!!

 

You're most welcome! :smile:

 

How tall is the armrest in the down position? I am 6'2" and find most armrests that are not height adjustable are too short. Also, can the armrest be extended forward?
Thanks for all your help on this install. Also that anthracite and beige leather combo looks great!

 

In the down position, the topmost surface of the armrest is approx. 6.5" from the top of the E-brake handle in its lowered postion (forgive me my late-in-the-day laziness in not posting a picture). And no, I'm afraid it isn't adjustable fore and aft. It's either flipped-up, or flipped-down.

For what it's worth, at 5' 10.5", I do find that the armrest comes just high enough to be comfortable for me in a relaxed driving posture. That is, in heavy traffic, at a stop light, a long cruise on open stretches, etc. when I don't necessarily have to have my right hand on the wheel. If I am engaged in more "active" driving, I find it better to put the armrest all the way up and out of the way to keep the path of my arms clear, and lest I need the E-brake on short notice.

I'm not sure how it would be for someone of your height, but what I'd recommend is a trip to your dealer to try one out in a factory-new car. When I was doing my "reading up" on this armrest, I stopped in to my dealer, and found that there were already plenty of new cars on their lot with this same armrest as a factory option. So by all means, go have a "test rest!" :smile:

You're very welcome, and thank you for the kind words on my color choices.

It was kind of funny... When I was selecting my options, the Cordoba Beige leather had just been made available for the Cooper. Thus, not many people (if any at all) had ever selected the Cordoba to go with Indi Blue and Anthracite. My MA seemed a little concerned about whether or not I'd be happy with an "unseen" combination, but I was dead certain. When it arrived, and I took delievery, I received several compliments all around on the combination, and how nice it looked. Then, in the folowing weeks, several more Indi Blue MINIs in "my" combination started showing up on the floor! When I asked my MA if I had sparked a minor trend, she smiled, and said "I think you might have."

But I've been extremely pleased with it, to be sure. I think it's beautiful.

Best,
DW

 

to the good Dr.!

Your pics in the gallery are Great! i have just purchased and received mine thru ups but my question is, do you have the instructions in the form of a pdf or faxable? If not what is your hourly rate on helping. LOL

Thanks,

Tommy

 

Thanks Tommy! :smile:

Haha! My hourly rate is truly outlandish. Besides, depending on how far you are from Atlanta, I'd also have to factor in travel expenses!

I'm afraid I don't have a PDF. But the MINI dealer should be able just to print out the new BMW/MINI instructions. If your dealer isn't too far away, I'd start there. Even if they are far away, they should still be able to print them, then fax them to you.

Like I said above, you paid for the kit, you certainly deserve to have the instructions. Don't take "no" for an answer!

If, for some weird reason, that fails, let me know. I'd be really surprised if a parts desk wouldn't help you out. Those guys are usually the coolest ones in the dealership.

Good luck,
DW

 

Here's a PDF of the official MINI instructions:

http://members.***.net/psbales/armrest.pdf

A note about them, my scanner and instruction sheet has seen better days! And for some inexplicable reason, the program I have to make PDFs put the pages out of order. There's page numbers on the bottom though, so after printing, just re-shuffle them!

(And thanks to the doc for the excellent support! I wish that he posted before I did my install, things would have gone a bit smoother!! )

-Paul!

 

Ah, thanks Paul! I thought someone around here had them in that format.

Thanks for the kind words! Glad to know the info is useful.

Best,
DW

 

Hey all,

Thanks for all the help on this. Wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I thought, heck if i mess it up, just buy a new MINI S! LOL

take care, happy motoring.

Tommy

 

Aloha from Hawaii.

I've had a devil of a time with removal of the console surrounding the hand brake.

The Mini dealer here, believe it or not, doesn't want to help, or can't.

I removed the screw at the botton of the rear cupholder and and "pulled out" the perimter tabs, but I still can't get it "free".

What am I missing?

Pat

 

Hi there,

I trust you've taken the handbrake boot out of its opening in the console. But...

Have you disconnected the wire harness from the flat tire monitor button (up front, under the console)? That's easy to miss. Don't tug on it too hard until you're sure that's taken loose. Don't want to hurt the wires.

Good luck, and let me know how it goes!

Best,
DW

EDIT / PS - I just noticed you're talking about an '05 MINI... Check also up on the front end of the console for A) a screw near the lip of the foremost tray (nearest the shifter, underneath the rubber tray insert), and B) A couple of tabs that may be connected to and/or tucked underneath the trim around the shifter. I recall seeing something along those lines on the stock '05 console (non-retrofit) in the BMW TIS. You may need to take up a bit of trim from around the shifter to disconnect them.

Good luck!
DW

 

nice pict. and write up how much it is?Are all of them come together?
nice motoring
ugur

 

Thanks for the kind words!

There are two part numbers that make up the complete kit. You can find them in Paul!'s PDF file above. The cost in US$ was (I think) somewhere around $275.

Glad you enjoyed the pics.



I have to admit something here though, folks...


I'm having second thoughts on this one.



I've been riding around with it for a couple of weeks now, and am seriously considering taking it back out. I'm a fairly long-limbed fellow, and be it flipped up or down, I just can't seem to enter the car as I always have without banging an elbow on the armrest. It seems to be in the way of the seat belt latches and e-brake when down. And when flipped up, it's in the way of my elbow when engaging the e-brake. If I could flip it about 10 degrees further back, it might be okay... but I don't know.

I hate to say it, but this may wind up being "the mod that wasn't."

I'll advise as the deliberations continue.

Best,
DW

 

Well, after a few more bangs in the elbow (some right in the funny bone), I decided this mod just wasn't for me after all. So today, out it came.

I'll leave the "How To" pics in my gallery for anyone else who may yet be interested, but to all of that advice, I'll add this: Hang on to your old parts, in case you find out it doesn't suit you! ( I had to rummage through our metal recycling bin for my old DSC sensor bracket! )

All's well that ends well, though. Happily, I knew someone who was all too eager to take the kit off my hands.

Best,
DW