My SSR: 19608 Silver BOD 12/20/04 Purchased 11/04/05 Auto/Predator
What is the driver's side slide clasp for?
I asked the sales rep before I purchased the SSR. He said the removable cup holder from the passenger side can be put in the driver side. That is slides right in. The passenger slide it running front to back while the drivers side is up and down. Is it really for the cup holder? What else can it be used for?
Last edited by shintajay : 11-25-2005 at 10:18 PM.
My SSR: 04 Ultra Violet #11182, Born on 6/9/04; 05 Aqua Blur #18114, Born on 11/18/04
Your sales rep didn't know what he was talking about. The 03-04 models had vertical mounting slots for cup holders, and these occasionally broke - plus if you tried to lift a cup/drink, the entire holder would lift out of the slot. Later models had horizontal slots for drink holders (at a higher price for the holder, by $7 or so). Technically, I suppose you could put the holder from the vertical slot (driver side) in the horizontal slot (passenger side) but you'll have a helluva mess. We use the driver's side (vertical slot) for the cell phone.
shintajay: Something is wrong here. Let me explain.
In 03 / 04 models, BOTH the driver side and passenger side slots were vertical. This was a bad idea, because:
1. If a seats was moved forward far enough, it would hit the cupholder and break the mounting tab molded into the console
2. Car wash people seemed incfedibly adept at breaking the cupholders off at the mount
In either case, the entire console side (left or right) would need to be replaced under warranty.
The "solution" was to provide new console sides in which the slots were HORIZONTAL versus vertical, and of course, new matching cupholders with horizontal versus vertical mounts were required in order for the new mounts to be usable!
Because the labor involved to make the change from broken vertical slot to new horizontal slot console was large enough, GM chose to replace ONLY the side that happened to be broken! So, 03 / 04 models sometimes ended up with one vertical and one horizontal mount and a matching cupholder for each! (The vertical and horizontal cupholders are obviosuly not interchangeable!)
For 05 and 06 models, GM provided horizontal mounts and cupholders for BOTH sides right from the factory.
By the way, the horizontal mount was NOT a good solution. Reason: With the new horizontal mount cupholder, if you slide the seat forward far enough, you still hit the cupholder. Now, it does not break the cupholder mount, but merely knocks the cupholder right out of the mount! If there happens to be a drnk in it at the time, it will spill the contents of the drink all over the SSR's interior! This is especially fun and long lasting if the drink is sugary and thus supports "micro life"! GM views this as a satisfactory fix however, as it does greatly reduce the incidence of cupholder mount breakage and warranty replacement of the entire side of the console! The micro life problem is not warrantyable!
Back to your specifc case: Your 05 should NOT have one horizontal and one vertical! It should have two horizontal ones. That's how it came from the factory.
Here's my theory on what happened on yours:
Someone, during a test drive or dealer lot movement, or while prepping or cleaning the vehicle, struck the driver side cupholder and broke it (easy to do). A replacement was ordered, but an 03 / 04 vertical replacement was accidentally ordered versus an 05 / 06 horizontal replacement! So, you ended up with the dreaded one horizontal / one vertical combination!
Solution: Show your dealer this posting, and politely insist that the incorrect vertical mount and cupholder be replaced with the correct horizontal mount and cupholder. Don't let them tell you that your current setup is good enough. It is not, as that vertical mount is fragile (remember, that' why GM changed it to horizontal in the first place), and WILL break, either in warranty or later. Later is an EXPENSIVE repair, as the entire one side of the console must be replaced.
After reading Jim's post, I went out to the garage to look at the holders for my 05 Passenger side is horizontal and driver driver is vertical. Appears I have the same issue.
Question: Did the 05's come with two cupholders on each side of the console? Mine only came with one.
After reading Jim's post, I went out to the garage to look at the holders for my 05 Passenger side is horizontal and driver driver is vertical. Appears I have the same issue.
Question: Did the 05's come with two cupholders on each side of the console? Mine only came with one.
Thanks
Mine was manufactured in Jan of '05 and is as above.
My '06 has the same as your '05 it has a Vert. on the Drivers side that the cup holder won't fit. and a Horz. on the Pass side that the cup holder fits. I looked at two other '06 and they are the same way.
Fred Christy
1998 Nassau Blue Corvette
2006 Silver SSR
My SSR: 04 Ultra Violet #11182, Born on 6/9/04; 05 Aqua Blur #18114, Born on 11/18/04
My 05 has vertical driver's side, horizontal passenger. I use the driver's side to hold my cell phone case. Wife's 04 had 2 vertical, with passenger side broken. When replaced, the dealer installed a horizontal, and threw in the cup holder gratis!
My SSR: '05 Redline Red #20727.... Born on 05/05/05
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimGnitecki
shintajay: Something is wrong here. Let me explain.
In 03 / 04 models, BOTH the driver side and passenger side slots were vertical. This was a bad idea, because:
1. If a seats was moved forward far enough, it would hit the cupholder and break the mounting tab molded into the console
2. Car wash people seemed incfedibly adept at breaking the cupholders off at the mount
In either case, the entire console side (left or right) would need to be replaced under warranty.
The "solution" was to provide new console sides in which the slots were HORIZONTAL versus vertical, and of course, new matching cupholders with horizontal versus vertical mounts were required in order for the new mounts to be usable!
Because the labor involved to make the change from broken vertical slot to new horizontal slot console was large enough, GM chose to replace ONLY the side that happened to be broken! So, 03 / 04 models sometimes ended up with one vertical and one horizontal mount and a matching cupholder for each! (The vertical and horizontal cupholders are obviosuly not interchangeable!)
For 05 and 06 models, GM provided horizontal mounts and cupholders for BOTH sides right from the factory.
By the way, the horizontal mount was NOT a good solution. Reason: With the new horizontal mount cupholder, if you slide the seat forward far enough, you still hit the cupholder. Now, it does not break the cupholder mount, but merely knocks the cupholder right out of the mount! If there happens to be a drnk in it at the time, it will spill the contents of the drink all over the SSR's interior! This is especially fun and long lasting if the drink is sugary and thus supports "micro life"! GM views this as a satisfactory fix however, as it does greatly reduce the incidence of cupholder mount breakage and warranty replacement of the entire side of the console! The micro life problem is not warrantyable!
Back to your specifc case: Your 05 should NOT have one horizontal and one vertical! It should have two horizontal ones. That's how it came from the factory.
Here's my theory on what happened on yours:
Someone, during a test drive or dealer lot movement, or while prepping or cleaning the vehicle, struck the driver side cupholder and broke it (easy to do). A replacement was ordered, but an 03 / 04 vertical replacement was accidentally ordered versus an 05 / 06 horizontal replacement! So, you ended up with the dreaded one horizontal / one vertical combination!
Solution: Show your dealer this posting, and politely insist that the incorrect vertical mount and cupholder be replaced with the correct horizontal mount and cupholder. Don't let them tell you that your current setup is good enough. It is not, as that vertical mount is fragile (remember, that' why GM changed it to horizontal in the first place), and WILL break, either in warranty or later. Later is an EXPENSIVE repair, as the entire one side of the console must be replaced.
Jim G
Jim, actually the '05's were supplied with a horizontal holder on the passenger side and verticle on driver's side while there was still a supply of the verticle ones left. It is my understanding that if a replacement was needed, then a horizontal one was used. Later 05's were supposed to come with horizontals on both sides.
You can order a replacement panel right now that has horizontal mounts and you can order the respective cupholders. The verticle cupholders are no longer available but some dealers may have surplus, that is how I found mine.
ampmop: I cannot believe that GM actually "used up" the excess of "vertical" driver side consoles this way! That represents expediency on the grandest of scales!
My SSR: '05 Redline Red #20727.... Born on 05/05/05
if it ain't broke...
I see the cost savings side from a profit/loss view, but from a marketing side, it is not a good move.
If your verticle never breaks then why would GM want to spend the money on replacing old parts already paid for until they break and then the new fix would then be installed.
I agree with you both, but that are da facts...painful as they may be.
I went to the Chevrolet website and e-mailed statements and questions about the issue. I can hardly wait to hear their explanation, if in fact, I get one.
The most interesting problem I ever had with GM product was my 1974 Trans Am. Purchased new, 2nd day, heard rattle under hood. Found ball peen hammer struck in the right front coil spring.
Doesn't appear we have progressed far in 30 years.
... I've never heard of any one ever breaking the left side mount. Most likely because putting a cupholder on the left is impractical, unless you have a trick knee that bends sideways.
I'd be curious, has any one here ever put one on the left, and kept it there for more than a block and a half of driving? Based on my experience I doubt it.
So, if it's not used, it dosen't break, and the need to change it is moot.
... I've never heard of any one ever breaking the left side mount. Most likely because putting a cupholder on the left is impractical, unless you have a trick knee that bends sideways.
I'd be curious, has any one here ever put one on the left, and kept it there for more than a block and a half of driving? Based on my experience I doubt it.
So, if it's not used, it dosen't break, and the need to change it is moot.
I agree with you 100%. A cupholder on the drivers side of the console isn't very practical and if I could, I would not install it there.
My issue with GM is the half ass fix. In an effort to save a few dollars, it seems they decided to continue installing the vertical mounts on the drivers side until they used all the existing parts in their inventory. It's that type of thinking that is partially responsible for GM's current problems.
oharrell2: BIngo. That IS the issue. It hurts the confidence of both existing owners and potential ones.
Another example is the temperature reading on the automatic transmission, which is part of the auxiliary guage package for the 03 / 04 SSRs. That transmission temperature gauge was replaced with an external air temperature gauge on the 05 / 06 SSRs. Know why? Because the automatic transmission temperature gauge shows fluid temperatures high enough to be a PROBLEM. Rather than address the problem, GM hid the information so the owners won't see it!
