Cupholder - 1998 ML320
 

On the springs for the cup holders, is this some kind of "spring kit" that I can replace by just pulling the actual cup "holders" out, or does the whole surround area have to come out too??

Basically. both cup holders are there, and pivot down, but there just is no spring action. The cupholders come out very easily, but not the surround area. I'm trying to figure out how the springs mount. There must be "something" that mounts the spring to the "dash" part of the cupholder assembly, and I need that part in addition to the springs.
Thanks.

Barry:
Yes, the springs are available for the ML cupholders (the first 2 years anyways) as is the small star-wheel friction device and the small latching part. I keep these in my toolbox for quick repairs, it's pretty easy to fix these up without replacing anything as long as the pivot pins in the holder part itself aren't broken off. Many times I've ordered the whole assembly and just used the holder part to use as a repair part, thus saving the hassle of removing the dash part. The dash part seldom breaks.
The tension spring, on the mounting of that on the dash part, you will see if the holder is taken out that on the "floor" of the dash part is kind of a V shaped groove, the spring slides in to the V. The end of the spring that goes into there is the end with the small loop. The other end, the one with the strange hook to it, engages into the hole in the cup holder part. You may have to examine a correctly assembled cupholder to see how it's assembled, difficult to explain. It's times like this that I wish i had a digital camera so I could take some photo's and post them here. Maybe MercedesShop will buy me one for Xmas!

Gilly

Thanks Gilly!!
I'll add the cup holder springs to my list!! :-)

As soon as it stops raining around here, I'll get under the dash and check that brake light switch too.

Thanks again!

Barry