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From digest.v6.n823 Thu Jun 26 18:32:20 1997
From: Dale Beuning <dale_at_unofficialbmw.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 12:30:35 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: Glovebox Entry

Hi,
It can be done, but you will have to mangle some metal that is fixable.

Grab a #2 phillips screwdriver, pull down on first the left side of the glove box, you will see a phillips head screw, remove it through the crack. Do the same on the right side. Now just pull the glovebox down and it will come, bending some metal in the process. You may need a big standard screwdriver to help pry.

I did this 5 years ago on my 318i, and it bent the metal plate that the glovebox latch goes into, but I had no problem releasing the glovebox latch now from the top, and straightening out the metal and reinstalling it.

You will probably want to replace the latch mechanism, you can buy just a new latch for under $25 at the dealer. Don't let them sell you the whole new kit for $60+, which includes the handle and lock cyl as well.

Dale Beuning
Unofficial E30 Homepage www.unofficialbmw.com/e30.html

'95 M3
'88 325is



was totally inaccurate for my '84 325e.

My car has a rectangular black latch, with two pot-metal 'sear' pieces that stick out of opposing sides.  
This latch goes up into a rectangular hole in the heavy steel strike plate, then the sears pop out, 
securing it into the hole. The pot-metal lever that retracts the sears had broken on mine.  I attempted to
pry down the glovebox per the advice at the link.  After leaving nasty pry marks on my dash pad, the 
glovebox itself finally broke. 
Postmortem revealed that there's no way in heck that you could pry hard enough to bend that strike plate,
using only the dash pad as a fulcrum - it's way, way too stout.  Possibly I could have removed the screws 
holding the box to the hinge, but that wouldn't have gained me anything, as there's no access to anything 
with the box intact.
After breaking the box out of the way, I had to reach up behind the strike plate, and push the sears back 
in to the latch body, so I could get the latch out of the strike plate.  

My advice: Consider the box itself a casualty, and use a saber saw to carefully cut the latch body out of 
the box.  Yeah, you gotta buy a new box.  But I tried something 'gentler' and still have to buy a new box,
and I also wound up with nasty pry marks in my much-more-expensive dash pad.


> Hi people!
> Has you may have read during my introduction, I have a new lady in my life.
> She's an 85 325E. Things are going well but there are a few things I need
> to straighten out with her. I can't get into the glove box (yes, I have the
> key :~))
>
> When I pull up on the latch I hear a loose piece in the latch mechanism,
> and no un-latch! I have the back of the glove box unbolted but can't find
> anything I can unscrew to drop the front of the glovebox so I can fix this
> issue.
>
> No, I don't want to utilize a stick of dynamite
> Any hints would be greatly appreciated
> Fred Brodeur
> 85 325E Black has the night!
>

  • --

                       |            Dale Beuning           |
                       |       email: dale_at_unofficialbmw.com     |
                       | web: http://www.unofficialbmw.com |
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