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glove compartment won't open?

20K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  cmac2012 
#1 ·
Hi folks,

My glove box won't open, I was wondering if anyone knows how I might open it. I have a 1988 E30. Can the glove box be removed without opening it?

Thanks 4 any suggestions U might have in advance!
 
#3 ·
I don't know how it would have got locked. My wife forced it closed and now it won't open. I was thinking I might have to cut a hole in the bottom and try to open it from underneath. I don't want to destroy the dash trying to open it. Oh, well, such is life!
 
#6 ·
Tender species- my foot

Seems that the female destroyers have been active again :rofl:
I suggest posting following message in a prominent place of your vehicle, for the female of the species to observe
ACHTUNG !
##########

ALLES LOOKENPEEPERS !

ALLES TURISTEN UND NONTEKNISCHEN LOOKENSPEEPERS !

DAS MACHINE IST NICHT FOR GEFINGERPOKEN UND MITTENGRABBEN !
MACHINE IST EASY SCHNAPPEN DER SPRINGENWERK , BLOWENFUSE
UND POPPENCORKEN MIT SPITZENSPARKEN !
MACHINE IST NICHT FUER DAS GEVERKEN BEI DAS DUMMKOPFEN !
DAS RUBBERNECKEN SIGHTSEERIN MUSS KEEPEN
DAS COTTONPICKIN HANDS IN DAS POCKET
UND SO RELAXEN AND WATCHEN DAS BLINKENLIGHTS !!!!
 
#7 ·
Like Actletpone said.., 1st make sure its unlocked.. over time the lock assy/striker and the hinge screws begin to get loose without you noticing,.. especially when the box is loaded with heavy stuff... then one day it gets slammed shut,. The resulting weird angles jam the lock release pins into the striker...sometimes you can remove the hinge screws, then slide a long super thin screwdriver across the top opening of the glove box and ,using the screwdriver tip, manually release the lock pin on the outboard side.. ..the object is to put vertical pressure on the driver side lock release pin to" hold it in place" , while maneuvering the long thin screwdriver across the top and releasing the outbd release3 pin...,,once one lock release pin is unhooked from the striker, a quick left- to right- motion with the free-hanging box usually will allow the drivers side lock pin to fall free.. a glovebox loaded with heavy stuff, and a loose lock/striker can multiply the difficulty level ....

or method # 2,before removing the hinge screws, try centering the glove box and then snugging the hinge screws down. You might get lucky and it will open.
If I can remember right, once the hinge screws are removed, you'll play devil getting them back in without complete box removal..

It's not easy. And will take patience juggling the parts...


Any E30 with a 'glove box lite flickers at night/or stays on/ loose /difficult closing/needs/ to be slammed in order to latch glove box.complaint. should have the glove box inspected,and all all hardware in place;then adjusted and tightened to avoid this issue.
A heavy/ filled with stuff box will mask loose hardware...then one day...surprise....

Good luck!
 
#11 ·
It's been awhile since I've had one apart..so I don't remember exactly...one set of screws mount the hinge to the under dash frame....the other set mounts the hinge to the box.

might have to loosen a set at a time...move the box some , to determine which set you want to remove.....usually the easiest to re-install...

you will be pushing the lock pins together....towards the center of the lock assy.
 
#14 ·
I remove the screws holding the hinge and tried to press the pins holding the glove box closed to no avail. I used a small inspection camera to look inside the glove box but it didn't help. Finally, I cut 45 degree corners off the glove box handle and drilled out the two screws that hold it on. The glove box came right open. I the ordered a new handle from ebay. It cost about 36$. It should come sometime this week.

I think if I had to do it all over again I would just leave the screws that hold the hinge on and cut the corners off the glove box handle and drill out the screws. It is relatively easy and the box just opens. The drawback is you need to buy a new handle. I guess either way you need to buy the latch because the old one is broken (that's why the box doesn't open in the first place.)

I used a dremel tool to cut the tabs off the handle. It took a few minutes but didn't damage the dash in any way. I then drilled out the screws and they came right out. It was easy-peasy-pelican-easy! Good luck for all you guys with glove boxes that won't open!

PS: I hope it goes back together okay!

Thanks for your help!!!
 
#15 · (Edited)
I hope I don't gross ya'all out too much here with my hillbilly solution. Same thing happened to me about 6 months ago. I messed with it for awhile with no luck. I forget what, but I had some stuff in there I really wanted out in short order so I got pissed and slid one of my flat bars into the space at the top and and banged on it with a hammer with uber-force in a downward manner. Oddly enough, it opened after a few strikes. F*** with me, will ya.

The boneyards had an unusual paucity of E30s that week and I could not find a door with latch. So I made my own setup. I actually like it better than stock as I can close it even when it's over full. In addition, I done got me a woody.

What? What did you think I meant?

Pics below, I put some oak across the top and used an old seat belt and some Velcro at the top to hold it shut. I used 4 aluminum machine screw/threaded grommet dealies to hold on the oak and polyurethane construction adhesive to hold the Velcro on. That was the part I was worried about, that is, would the glue be durable. So far no hint of giving way.







 
#17 ·
I've run across some seriously strong magnets in the recent past. Just put up a magnetic kitchen knife holder for a client, about 16 inches long, couple inches wide. You mount a steel strip that fits inside the piece that contains the magnets and then just magnetically attach it to the strip. You can pinch your fingers if you're not careful, so strong is the pull.

I suppose I shouldn't keep so much in the glove box but I can't tell you how many times I had to fight to get the dang thing closed, with the old latch setup that is. Rearrange stuff, take stuff out, finally the damn thing would shut. With my patented hillbilly adaptation, I can more or less close it even when it's way too full.
 
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