Glovebox broken. How do I get in?

[warmseth]

The potential for failure of mechanical or electrical nature on this car is outstanding. :( the latest annoyance came yesterday when I grid to retrieve the iPhone charger from my glovebox and discovered it no longer opens. Latch feels like it starts to engage and then...doesn't. It's not locked. I've tried locking it and then unlocking it. And rattling it. And just shouting at it. How do I get in?

[110stx]

There is a mounting plate on the back of the (e30) glovebox door that you can unbolt. It's either 8mm or 10mm bolts, four of them, IIRC.

Once the back is free, you should be able to work the latch free. This also gives you limited access to the backside of the latch itself, in case you can work on it with a long screwdriver.

d.hitchcock

[warmseth]

Thank you. I'll check it out after work. the last thing I need is to get pulled over and not be able to get in to my registration/insurance.

[thebutcher37]

Good luck, I've been there and done that...

Opening the latch glove box from the back is possible but I believe that its kinda hard to put the whole glove box back on straight and true after that, plus it is kind of hard to stick your hand in through the back and try to unlock it. You'll definitely be able to get your stuff out though. When it happened to me, it was an easy decision to take a small hammer and chisel and carefully brake the glove box handle and replace it with another working glove box because my keys will not operate the lock on my glove box. If you do decide to break it make sure that you can change out the lock cylinder so that you can still use it with your key. AND THEN..... let us know if it works!