First mod to my new 135i complete :)

[feeshta]

So this afternoon I made my first mod to the new car. It made the car lighter, quieter, roomier, and altogether entirely better, and all of that for only $16.

What is this miracle mod you might ask? Well, in my opinion it's the single best thing you can do for your 1er. It's removing that goddamn abomination of a center armrest LOL!! So glad I did it.

[PopsnBurbles]

What did you replace it with? By "it", the hinge thing whatever is left over from the armrest or the holes left. IDK what would be left, if there are any to be frank.

[feeshta]

Originally Posted by PopsnBurbles

What did you replace it with? By "it", the hinge thing whatever is left over from the armrest or the holes left. IDK what would be left, if there are any to be frank.

I removed the whole armrest assembly and installed a cover that covers up the hole left behind. It's part #15 in the image below. I may need to find actually purchase part #14 as well, because while the cover does go right into playc, it does not seem to fit all that tight. I saw some people say you need both, and others say you just need the cover. I figured I would try just the cover first, then order the other part if I really need it.

[mr.fabulous]

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220299

[feeshta]

Yep, that is the one. Here is a picture I just took as well. It's getting a dark here, so not the best quality pic ever, but you get the idea.

[Cavpilot2k]

Hm. I use my armrest all the time when I drive. I would be lost without it.
To each his own.

[feeshta]

Originally Posted by Cavpilot2k

Hm. I use my armrest all the time when I drive. I would be lost without it.
To each his own.

For me, it was the bane of my existence in the car. With it down, it is all kinds of in the way of my elbow when shifting, and it squeaks like hell which is a major pet peeve of mine. It also was burning a hole through the leather e-brake boot, because it does not clear the e-brake handle when it is engaged. When it's in the upward position it is still in the way slightly, still squeaks, makes it a pain to put something in the back seat or grab something from there, and it looks idiotic.

There is also the fact that it is useless for containing items due to the bizarre interior shape. I'm not sure what is supposed to fit in that weird quizi pentagonal shape. It looks like it was custom molded for some sort of bomb fuse or the like LOL!

Quite honestly, the thing made zero sense in any way to me.

[jaximointhecut]

I couldn't do without the armrest. it's really comfortable.

[mike@x-ph.com]

I use the armrest all the time

[Cavpilot2k]

Originally Posted by feeshta

There is also the fact that it is useless for containing items due to the bizarre interior shape. I'm not sure what is supposed to fit in that weird quizi pentagonal shape. It looks like it was custom molded for some sort of bomb fuse or the like LOL!

My old 135 had the standard armrest, which had a single compartment about 6x9 inches. It was tremendously useful. My new 135 has the compartments set up for the smartphone cradle, which I don't use, so I have two small, useless compartments. Solution: found a guy on here parting out a wrecked car with the arm rest I wanted. $50 shipped, and I have my old-style arm rest back again.

[cammula]

Sometimes I put my arm there...

[feeshta]

Originally Posted by Cavpilot2k

My old 135 had the standard armrest, which had a single compartment about 6x9 inches. It was tremendously useful. My new 135 has the compartments set up for the smartphone cradle, which I don't use, so I have two small, useless compartments. Solution: found a guy on here parting out a wrecked car with the arm rest I wanted. $50 shipped, and I have my old-style arm rest back again.

I thought the old one was different. I had a 2008 135i for about a year, and I hated the arm rest in that one too, but at least you could put something larger than a golf ball in it. The biggest thing is it is simply in the way of my arm when it's down. I hate that.

[MuNkY6913]

Originally Posted by feeshta

It also was burning a hole through the leather e-brake boot, because it does not clear the e-brake handle when it is engaged.

You should adjust your ebrake. Should only take 3-4 clicks to engage. I have an extra oem ebrake boot if you need one. Has a little rough spot towards the front. Not real noticeable. The only thing I can fit in the is a pack of gum.

[e36addict]

I took the useless compartment out of my armrest, cut it up to make it useful, and lined it with felt tape. Now I can put things in there at least.. Not pretty, but it works.

[inFamousKicks]

Originally Posted by Cavpilot2k

Hm. I use my armrest all the time when I drive. I would be lost without it.
To each his own.

lol +1

[MZWIE]

Title of post seemed worthwhile. Content not so much.

[mr.fabulous]

Originally Posted by e34m5

Title of post seemed worthwhile. Content not so much.

Don't be a hater.

There's a thread someplace in this forum where the OP replaces his small compartment arm rest (with the cell cradle) with a factory arm rest that is entirely hollow (sort of what you'd get if you cut yours with all the compartments up). Apparently that's available.

Love your red interior! I had my eye on a 135i, AW/red, but lost it. Very happy with my black and I love my car (not intending to spit in the eye of the Gods)... but the red really is *sharp*.

[blinded]

FWIW, I saw this thread and ordered the armrest delete piece from getbmwparts. So thanks OP.

[feeshta]

Originally Posted by e34m5

Title of post seemed worthwhile. Content not so much.

Quite honestly, this is the single most satisfying modification I have ever done to a vehicle. It is absolutely without downsides from my perspective, and modifications almost always come with a trade-off.

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

Don't be a hater.

There's a thread someplace in this forum where the OP replaces his small compartment arm rest (with the cell cradle) with a factory arm rest that is entirely hollow (sort of what you'd get if you cut yours with all the compartments up). Apparently that's available.

Love your red interior! I had my eye on a 135i, AW/red, but lost it. Very happy with my black and I love my car (not intending to spit in the eye of the Gods)... but the red really is *sharp*.

My car is almost exactly as you just described. Alpine White with the coral interior and all options except Nav and DCT, which is exactly as I wanted it. I really like the color combo, and I was happy to find one. I did have to pay a slight premium though, as the seller knew how desirable the car was.

Originally Posted by blinded

FWIW, I saw this thread and ordered the armrest delete piece from getbmwparts. So thanks OP.

No problem sir Just so you are aware, I do think I am going to have to order part #14 in the diagram above as well. It works without it, but does not fit perfectly tight and there is nothing to hold the cover plate in place solidly. It just kind of sits there as it is. I need to find out if that is the only needed part or not, but it is only $10 and the other parts I might need are a couple screws that cost very little so it's still not a big investment. I think the screws that came out of the armrest might work, but I have no way to verify that until I get the other part.

Other advice I can offer is that I would pick up a plastic pry tool in order to get the old armrest out without scratching your interior plastic, and you will need a small torx driver(wish I remembered which size) and I believe it was a 10mm socket with a 6 inch extension to reach the nuts that hold the back end of the armrest down. To get the armrest out, you need to pry along the side, and the rear cover will pull off with a little persuasion. This should be done with the armrest in the down position. Then you have the two torx screws and two nuts. Then the whole armrest needs to be pried to the rear in order to separate it from the center console. This takes a little bit of muscle. If you have the comfort access option, there will be a black sensor that is pop fit into the base of the armrest assembly, it comes out pretty easily and I think it goes in a spot on part #14, but don't have the part yet to verify this. I will post more detail here when I get the other part, but it's going to be a little while till I can get to the dealer.

Originally Posted by MuNkY6913

You should adjust your ebrake. Should only take 3-4 clicks to engage. I have an extra oem ebrake boot if you need one. Has a little rough spot towards the front. Not real noticeable. The only thing I can fit in the is a pack of gum.

I've been told by others that I over-tighten my e-brake, but to me I just make it tight enough to feel safe that the car will not roll away. Leaving it looser feels wrong to me. Specifically, my ex complained that she could barely pull hard enough to get the brake to release after I had engaged it, and apparently my car's former owner had a similar tendency. This is a design problem with this car's arrest, not an out of adjustment brake lever though, as even two clicks would have brought the lever into contact with the armrest. It practically rests on the lever in the down position.

Thankfully the damage is more just a scuff at this point, and now the source of the problem is gone

[KA SHING]

I MUST have the armrest!! but interesting about the storage, where can i get the one with bigger storage you take about! my car is 08 135i, the armrest storage is so small! Can't even fit my garage remote in

[mr.fabulous]

Originally Posted by KA SHING

I MUST have the armrest!! but interesting about the storage, where can i get the one with bigger storage you take about! my car is 08 135i, the armrest storage is so small! Can't even fit my garage remote in

The hollow arm rest is #2 in this diagram (and I may do this one day myself): http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...09&hg=51&fg=35

R&R is described here: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=216944

[Cavpilot2k]

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

The hollow arm rest is #2 in this diagram (and I may do this one day myself): http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...&amp;amp;fg=35" rel="ugc" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://www.realoem.c...;amp;fg=35</a>

R&amp;amp;R is described here: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=216944" rel="ugc" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://www.1addicts....p?t=216944</a>

Precisely.
It isn't a matter of age, as both of my 135s were/are 2012 models. Difference is on options- whatever option has the smartphone integration. That's the option that buggers up the compartment.