I just purchased a new to me 2014 RX350 yesterday from a Lexus dealer. The car is in MINT like new condition with low miles with one tiny issue. They missed one spot cleaning it when prepping the car for delivery...the dashboard cup holder on the driver side. I opened it when I arrived home and could smell what seems to be the odor of swisher sweets. Oh my - yuck! It looks like the previous owner may have had a to go cup in there using it as an ashtray and the bottom must have fallen out. There is stinky gunk all inside there. Does anyone know how to remove the cup holder from the assembly so I can properly clean this. Once that is done the car will be perfect! There is no smell of cigarettes or cigars anywhere else in the car. I suppose it could be a syrupy sweet beverage that leaked, but either may it is driving this clean freak nuts and has to be cleaned. Thanks in advance for your guidance!

 

Swisher Sweets? Ugh! I had a roommate in school who was enamored of those foul things so can feel your pain.

If you can suffer this guy's swearing he's done a pretty good job of showing the removal of that so-called "secret" cupholder in the left side of the dash:
I didn't watch the entire tape but it appeared that he wasn't so much interested in removing the cupholder as he was the entire dash piece that surrounds it. Nevertheless removing that panel should reveal all attachments of the cupholder as well.

 

Based on that video, I wouldn't bother removing the cupholder to clean it.

Why don't you spray a cleaner in the cupholder and let it soak for a minute. Use a small detailers brush to loosen the dirt and then using a slightly damp small sponge (the size you use to clean dishes) use the sponge to clean it out.

To prevent any of the cleaner and dirt dripping on the carpet, mats or getting on any of the buttons under the cupholder. As you spray the cleaner, hold a small towel at the opening between the dash and cupholder.

 

I wish I didn't have to remove the dash to get to the back of the cup holder, but the sticky stinky stuff is gunked up on the underside of the tilt point. There are grooves where it has caked up in there. I have a crafting pick (sort of like a dental tool) that I used to scrap as much out as I can but spraying anything doesn't reach the underside of the tilt where this stuff still is located. I have a steamer with a pointed nozzle that I may try and see if that works before I resort to dash removal. Frustrating!

 

Spraying anything into the hidden areas of electronic cars makes me nervous. If any of he spray enters a wrong place for liquids it may give glitches that are expensive to resolve.

 

Agree! Spraying is not a good idea. I'm now thinking the prior owner actually placed a scented wax melt in the cup holder as what I'm now scraping out looks like wax. Odd that a wax melt would be manufactured that smells like Swisher Sweets :-/

I've left the cup holder open, temps here are 100 degrees + today so it is melting the wax and I go out and scrape/wipe every couple of hours. Almost all gone!

 

I can understand your concern about having cleaner getting into "hidden electronics". However, the reason for my suggestion was because I have that same cupholder and in my experience you can easily spray cleaner into the cupholder without getting it on anything else.

Of course If you go crazy and heavily spray the cupholder and anything near it to the point of saturation, then you run risk of the cleaner going into places it shouldn’t. Regardless, since you’re not comfortable doing this, then by all means don’t do it.

Good luck getting that old candle wax out of there, that would drive me nuts too..

 

I understand and can sympathize with the guy in the video. He's doing a remote starter install and ran into a road block. Very frustrating. Anyway, I would watch the video carefully a couple times and then attack it this way: You don't have to pull apart as much as he has (remember he's doing a RS). First, pry off the (sort of triangular) side panel with a plastic putty knife or credit card. The long back edge tucks behind the door gasket and there are 4 or 5 pretty solid plastic pins on the inside of the panel. They just kind of pop out with gentle steady pressure. The panel is already removed in his video. Second, pop out the switch panel, as he shows. You can pull it out about 6" and not have to disconnect the wire harnesses. Third, pry down the plastic flap, which he shows. Forth, drape a cloth or towell over the area beneath the cup holder, covering the wiring. Finally, open the cup holder and spray whatever cleaner will dissolve the sticky stuff. The flap and rag will catch the drippings. Then reverse the procedure replacing the 3 pieces that were removed.

 

Thanks for the post. I've been wondering about the cup holder. After watching that video, I'm going to be much easier on my cup holder. I have broken/replaced both sides of the flimsy push-in/out afterthought cup holders on my BMW Z4 (which get kicked by both new driver and uncoached passengers if they're left open while entering/exiting the car); however they're merely expensive - and much easier to replace. The Lexus example appears way more robust, however.

 

Take it back to the dealer and tell them they missed it when doing their prep.

 

BINGO!!! Excellent thought!