GLC Class (X253) Produced 2016-2022

First Day Foul-Up: Center Console Waterfall Cubby Blocked... Argh!

Old Nov 3, 2023 | 04:40 AM
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From: Berwyn, IL USA
2020 MB GLC300 Coupe
Unhappy First Day Foul-Up: Center Console Waterfall Cubby Blocked... Argh!

Today was a good day. Almost....

It was supposed to be a GREAT day. After waiting over a month for the State of Illinois to process a new title (because the NJ title had no more empty spaces for endorsement), CarMax finally rang me to collect my new-to-me 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4Matic Coupe (Brilliant Blue over black with [just a bit of] white contrast stitching) with less than 11,000 miles on the odometer. Hooray! My long wait is now over at last!!!! Ohhhh....

In less than five hours of ownership... LESS THAN FIVE BLOODY HOURS... I've already messed something up! One of the few options missing from the car was Inductive Wireless Charging & NFC Pairing which means there's a 12V plug & a lighter in the center console waterfall cubby. I'm guessing the person who leased the vehicle prior to my CarMax purchase had a large phone (e.g. iPhone 1N Pro Max) which, like my iPhone 14 Pro Max, will not fit in the spot provided for what would have been wireless charging. And, in any case, the place to connect the wired CarPlay is in the center console armrest cubby so my 14 Pro Max will, evidently, not be on display. That said, I do have this nifty, large USB-A + USB-C male plug that'll fit into the female 12V receptacle. I know... I'll insert that plug into the center console 12V receptacle as a courtesy to other front seat passengers; they'll like that. I'm such a swell guy.

So I finish off my 2.5 hours of aimless driving trying to get used to my new ride. Then I decide to head home, park the car in the garage (no city sticker as yet... the sale was too late in the day) so it's time to close that cubby lid. CLUNK!

Because I closed the lid on an approx.1.5 inch long USB port plug in the 12V socket, now the center console "garage door" over the cup-holders / mini-storage space / 12V socket is stuck closed. That damn USB port plug is in the way of opening the waterfall's garage door! I've tried sticking my fingers into the ever-so-slight gap as the garage door tries to open in an attempt to coax the plug out of the 12V socket but have had no luck (except for BAD luck). There's some sort of plastic piece molded into the backside of the "garage door" that's wedged against the USB plug holding it firmly in place. I suspect that it's German engineering to allow smokers (not me) to engage the lighter's heating cycle simply by a long- or hard-press on the "garage door".
  • Does anyone know how to fix this without breaking the "garage door"?
    • I don't care if the USB Port Plug gets damaged. It wasn't expensive.
  • Does anyone know if the Inductive Wireless Charging & NFC Pairing (that moves the CarPlay wired USB-C port near the cup holders and replaces the 12V socket) can be retro-fitted?
    • I want to relocate the CarPlay wired USB-C port to where the 12V socket currently resides.
    • Frankly, I couldn't care less about an actual Inductive Wireless Charging pad and the NFC Pairing just so long as I could get the CarPlay wired USB-C port moved to replace the 12V socket.
    • I've seen a couple of iPhone cradle solutions on Amazon that look promising... they keep the phone visible yet still hands-free.
I fear fixing the blocked garage door thingy is going to require disassembly of the center waterfall section of the center console. I'm not really keen on spending money on that kind of problem.

In due course I'd like to mod the center waterfall from the originally spec-ed "Natural Grain Black Ash Wood Trim" to the "AMG Carbon Fiber" from the GLC 43. Nevertheless, having to disassemble the center waterfall before making the first financing payment because I've jammed the damn door is NOT how I intended to prompt my first mod! I had originally hoped the first mod would have been to get a Panamericana GT Grille (why is it spelt with an "e" at the end?) without the AMG badge. I'm not happy to add any AMG badging that does not already come from the factory with the AMG Line appearance package. I love the look but don't want to be a poser.

Apologies for the oddball descriptions like "waterfall" and "garage doors". As I've said, I haven't owned the vehicle for even FIVE BLOODY HOURS so I'm a bit of a newbie; I've yet to figure out the Forum's proper terms for these items. I'm feeling grotty that I've fouled-up my new car before it's even seen sunlight during my stewardship of this creature. So... as I've said above... ARGH!!!

TGH
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