QP V REAR CUPHOLDER TRAY NOT RETRACTING INTO ARMREST

mowlas

Member
Messages
1,728
Some of us QP V owners my be experiencing a problem of the rear cupholder tray not staying retracted. With a push of the tray, it comes out and with a second push it goes back in... but doesn't always stay in! There was an official Maserati bulletin to fix the problem - however it only dealt with one of the possible issues.

The way the toggle mechanism works is that there is a control arm sat in the armrest (see pictures 2 and 3) that is moved along a cam guide (see picture 4) on the underside of the cupholder tray. Sometimes the protruding part of the control arm breaks, but more often than not, the control arm breaks the cam guide (see picture 5).

Here's the fix:
  1. Remove the front compartment cover shown in picture 1. Use a soft plastic pry tool to pull the sides slightly outwards, shown by the two arrows in picture 1. Be careful not to damage your leather and be gentle.
  2. If you see that the control is broken (i.e. doesn't look like picture 3), then you can easily replace it for £35 incl. VAT https://www.eurospares.co.uk/Parts/980139605/Maserati/New/25591
  3. If the cam guide is broken (you can take a picture with your phone of the underside of the tray by pushing the armrest to an upright position) then you will either have to fabricate a new guide as I did (see below), or buy a new tray (the part number is 980139628 and costs about £200 incl. VAT - https://www.eurospares.co.uk/Parts/980139628/Maserati)


The following steps are only if the cam guide is broken:
  • If you need to repair or replace the cupholder tray, you need to remove it first. To do this, after step 1 above, push the tray all the way out until it won't easily go further. You will see a plastic part on the tray is hitting the bottom of the armrest housing. Gently apply downward pressure to the bottom of the housing in the centre to allow the tray to come out some more. The armrest still won't come out fully as it will then be held by notches in the slider arms of the cupholder tray. As you did before, gently push the armrest end sides outwards to free the tray from the notches.
  • As I went for the fix option, I fabricated a new cam guide based on the outline shape of the pictures here and remnants in my tray. I made it out of some 2mm thick acrylic I had, but you can use any 2 mm thick material that is easy to work. I drew a template on a piece of paper, trying over the photos and glued it to a small cut out of acrylic. I then used a Dremmel-type rotary tool to grind and sand the shape to the template (see picture 6) and then glued in place (make sure you roughen both contact surfaces and allow to fully cure for a day). Have some rubbing alcohol and cotton buds handy to wipe away any excess glue from the channels. Test the tray to see if the mechanism works - continue to shape the cam guide. Apply some silicone lubricant before re-fitting.

All works as it used to before.

I have also attached the original Maserati PDF bulletin which I found on the US forum along with two helpful threads on this subject.


Rear seat cupholder tray removal.pngLocation of locking arm.pngLocking arm.pngCorrect locking arm guide.jpgBroken locking arm guide.jpgMy fix.JPG
 

Attachments

  • Repair of Rear Sear Arm Rest Cup Holders.pdf
    100.6 KB · Views: 30
Last edited:

Ebenezer

Member
Messages
4,445
Didn't even know this was a thing having never sat in the back! Don't think I'll lose too much sleep over!

Eb
 

mowlas

Member
Messages
1,728
Didn't even know this was a thing having never sat in the back! Don't think I'll lose too much sleep over!

Eb
LOL.

Had two recent long trips with friends and family. Rear passengers loved the QP ride - so spacious and with the adjustable seat positions. I noticed that they used the rear armrest and cupholders a lot. Just was annoyed that the only way to keep the tray in was to push the armrest back into the seat... plus I love a logistical challenge like this. You get a financial benefit for solving a 'puzzle'!
 

Ebenezer

Member
Messages
4,445
Funny that - my rear seats are universally loathed by the rest of the family! I have to agree. The rear seat shape on my 2007 was modelled on Quasimodo giving you back ache. The headrest forces you to extend your neck forward uncomfortably , and if you are short, the seat belt cuts down across your neck/face. Also since the seats have rarely been used, they are really quite hard. The only thing that is moderately ergonomic is the centre headrest when it has been lowered. Kids found useful to rest their heads against the sides of it!

But that's fine as I'm very comfortable up front without any passengers!

Eb
 

Alan Surrey

Member
Messages
990
Absolutely first class work Mowlas. Thank you for taking the time to work out the fix then writing the clear, easy to follow step by step repair guide. Many of the QPs I looked at had this annoying, rather cosmetic fault, so I imagine that many of us here will come up against it eventually.
You have done us a real service sir.
 

mowlas

Member
Messages
1,728
Absolutely first class work Mowlas. Thank you for taking the time to work out the fix then writing the clear, easy to follow step by step repair guide. Many of the QPs I looked at had this annoying, rather cosmetic fault, so I imagine that many of us here will come up against it eventually.
You have done us a real service sir.
Thank you Alan!