Recently purchased 94 C280. Car is great except for some gunk in housing for center console "flip-out" cup holder. Maybe I'm perfectionist but I'm dying to clean that stuff out. How do I remove that spring-loaded cupholder assembly so I can adequately clean. I'm hoping I will not have to remove console - I't not THAT dirty...

Thanks for the help.

The rear section of the console must be removed. The screws that hold the cupholder in place are accessed from the underside.

Thanks - Now for the question you know is coming - how do I remove rear of console? I don't remember seeing any readily accessible screws, etc...I would feel comfortable doing, just not sure where to start - Thanks for the reply.

Your 94 C280 did not originally come with cupholders... someone added the cupholders that came with a small retrofit kit. Open the covering of the cupholders, and then look at the cupholders... on the rear... towards the back of the car, of the center console (in the cupholder compartment), you should see 2 screws, unscrew them and a small plastic peice along with the cupholder assembly should come out. You can try and clean it from there... but remember it needs grease if you get it wet! GOod luck and I hop you can make sense of this.

__________________
2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)

It makes sense - Thanks for the replies!

Our '95 C280 did not come with a cupholder, just a bin under the wood cover. I purchased an OEM cupholder from the dealer and it had to be installed from the bottom. As I remember the process to remove the console:
1) Lift the plastic trim around the shift lever - it is held in place by three tabs.
2) Lift and remove the wood trim around the shift lever and remove the plugs from the switches. Remove two screws holding the console (just aft of the shifter).
3) Remove the cubby under the ash tray and remove two screws that lock the rear and front sections of the console together (at the angled seam).
4) Remove two screws from the bottom compartment of the arm rest/console compartment.
5) Slide the front of the console upward along the angled seam - it will move a few millimeters and the dovetail joint will release.
You can now swing the console up at a 90 degree angle to the tunnel and work on it, or you can remove it by fishing out the telephone wiring from the bottom of the rear compartment (if you have the wiring).

Hmmm, your install seems like it was a lot more involved then it had to be. All it requires is removal of the storage bin, and then putting the cupholders, and screwing the small plastic peice mounted to the cupholders in.

__________________
2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)

Thanks to all the replies - removal of 2 screws is soemthing I can handle - apparently previous owner was big fan of sodas and potato chips...