I fixed the glove box that wouldn't open

[umakegoodcookies]

I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere but when you get a glove box that won't open it can be fixed. This has come up a number of times and people usually lament the price new (500 now?).

Note that this procedure is for when the left side of the box can release most of the time but the right side most often gets stuck. A small plastic pin broke that you have to repair inside. Also note that once you take this apart it has to be glued back together. There are no clips holding it together. Everything has to be broken apart. But that went super smooth for me.

The first thing that you'll want to do is remove it (OK empty it first). That couldn't be easier. There are plastic fasteners on the left and right side that you undo from inside it. They prevent it from dropping all of the way down. You'll also need to pull off the little retainer on the right from outside the glove box. Then it will swing all the way down. Then you can see the hinges and they have nice big spots for your fingers to slide out the pins. This is all a no tools procedure.

After that, take off the front. After you do that there is no going back. It will never be the same old glove box. I just ran a trim separator around the seam and it snap crackled and popped it's way off pretty easy.

Now you can see the mechanism. It's a mass of black plastic. There is a square plastic rod on the left for the left latch and right for the right latch. They meet in the center at a gear where they are toothed. When you pull on the mechanism to open it normally it pushes in the left rod toward the right. That turns the gear and pulls in the right rod. If you try sliding the left rod and with your hand you'll likely notice what I did. The gear doesn't stay in place and pivot to bring the rod from the other side in. It gets pushed along first and then rotates. If that happens the pin keeping the gear in place behind it is broken. You need the gear out.

To get it you need to release both rods. It's easy. Just push them one at a time to the center and there will come a point where they just lift away. They are only slid on little clips over grooves. You don't need them all of the way out, just far enough to get at the gear. Now retrieve your gear.

The gear has a small hole in the back, and there is a small hole in the frame where it sat to hold it in place. Your fix is to get a pin to connect those together. My choice was a brass #8 (I think) screw with a smooth shaft part. I cut out about 7 mm of the shaft and it fit absolutely perfectly in the gear. I then reassembled the mechanism.

Then I put the front back on using plastic weld epoxy. I know that it's not nearly as strong as other epoxies but I was concerned that I might have to take it apart. And the glue originally holding it wasn't super strong anyway. You'll see doing it why cyanoacrylate might be a bad idea. There are so many attachment points that it would be impossible to cover them all before it dried too much. You need something with some work time. I'm sure that that auto goo stuff would probably be fine too. While it's drying lots of small spring clamps is probably the best way to hold it together. But I had to pull out a couple of pipe clamps for the bottom because I ran out.

I don't remember it working this well when it was new. It has a very solid action now. It's absolutely solid and smooth and releases the box every time.

And sorry, I didn't take pics. I didn't know if it would work. If I do another one I'll take pics.

 

[Bud71]

Thank you. I'm experiencing these symptoms. The door will open a half-inch on the left side, but not the right.
I had difficulty opening it several times and just pounded hard on the lock and both sides. That only worked for a little while.
NOW, it's stuck open! You're brave considering this is probably a $3-500 part at the dealer1

 

[Bud71]

Thank you. I'm experiencing these symptoms. The door will open a half-inch on the left side, but not the right.
I had difficulty opening it several times and just pounded hard on the lock and both sides. That only worked for a little while.
NOW, it's stuck open! You're brave considering this is probably a $3-500 part at the dealer1

Kept jiggling the lock gently and the two rods finally extended. I'm wondering if they are not getting hung up on the holes the protrude from. I'm going to think about this for a couple of days and my just try cutting the small square holes where they come out just slightly bigger. Maybe use a drummel tool to sand the opening larger.