Console door stuck closed

[FWK-Z8]

Has anyone else experienced having the console door (the one covering the audio/nav system) stick closed? I pressed and pressed on mine today, and it would not open - no fun listening to FM hiss for 8 straight hours!

[macfly]

That's an annoying first! let us know what you find the cause and solution to be.

[KenZ8]

I pressed and pressed on mine today, and it would not open

Mine pops open when the key is turned- there is no play in the locked door to pop it open. OOOPS. I thought you meant the one that covers the CD/NAV systems behind the seats

[Z8Mania]

I think mine got stuck once a few years ago but then was fine so I never minded anything about it. A good habit to get into is to turn the radio off before turning the vehicle off- or leaving the door open. I turn my radio off and close the door, simply because I like the look better.

[FWK-Z8]

I fixed (at least temporarily) the probem with my console door. Last night I took out the plastic piece surrounding the gearshift so I could get my hand up inside the console. The mechanism that hold the door closed is on the outside left of the well that contians the radio/nav unit. By jiggling things around, I freed the door.

[macfly]

Is it a permanent fix, or just a temporary one?

[FWK-Z8]

I'll let you know when I get up the nerve to try closing it again.

[Gwmckee]

I just received my new (to me) 2001 Z8 and can’t seem to get the center consol door to stay closed. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Musta10000]

Gwmckee - Do you mean the one between the seats where the original cell phone was stored?

[Gwmckee]

Gwmckee - Do you mean the one between the seats where the original cell phone was stored?

Nope... the one that covers the radio/nav. I can lower it but it doesn't catch on anything and opens right back up. Not sure where the latch mechanism is.

Thanks Skip!


George

[Musta10000]

Ok George -

Mine does the opposite sometimes... Goes down and then won't release to open up without some wiggling. I am sorry, but I don't know where the latch is located either.

[Gwmckee]

Thanks Skip. I saw your post on that. Apparently, the dash had been disassembled by the dealer serval times in the past and perhaps improperly reassembled. Who knows. In any case, When I figure it out I'll be sure to let you know since it might give you a clue as to how to fix you issue.

[Musta10000]

Thank you !

[dinoz8]

Any update on this stuck open issue? My 2001 has the same problem...always open, will not stay closed when I push the panel to cover up the radio/nav display.

[Musta10000]

Mine is working now. It sometimes goes on the fritz and once I wiggle it a few times it starts working again. Keeping my fingers crossed…. .

[dinoz8]

The local BMW dealer quoted me something absurd like $4700 to fix that radio/nav cover issue...about $600 for the mechanism and the rest in labor! Maybe I'll try wiggling it first...

[Gwmckee]

So, the mechanism that allows the cover to open and stay closed is comprised of two parts... the door has an arm with a pin on it that rides in the grove on a swinging plastic mechanism. To get to it, you need to remove the radio, which is a pretty straightforward job. Once removed, the mechanism in question is on the left side. When I removed my radio and looked inside the opening, I found that the plastic mechanism for mine wasn't there. Over the years, the dash had been removed a couple times by the dealer for various repairs and I suspect that the missing piece was overlooked by the technician. The $600 price quoted by dinoz8 is likely for the entire door module when all you would really need is the plastic piece (which is, of course, not sold separately). If your cover won't stay shut, it might be worth a shot for you to remove your radio and see if the plastic piece is dislodged or stuck. Funny as it sounds, if my cover was stuck closed then I would park on an uphill slope and give the side of the dash closest to the radio a few good whacks with my hand to see if I could get the mechanism to swing and release the cover. Same concept as Musta1000 when he wiggles it a few times.