This is my first post here, so hope it goes well:
After reading up on the posts regarding broken glove box door latches, no one seems to have attempted to repair theirs fully. With a new glove box assembly running in the $200 range, I figured that I'd give it a go and if I broke it, well I'd have had to spend the $200 anyway. Their was a lot of concern on other post regarding the sonic welding of the inner and outer doors, but I've had some success with getting around this on other things.
My door was popping open at any bump, which wasn't too bad when alone but made passengers (and my wife when she drove the car) upset.
Here's what I did:
First, remove the glove box assembly. This is real easy. Removing five Torx screws frees it up. One on each side edge, two on the upper inside edge and one in the very back wall of the box. Label your screws as they are not all the same. Slide the box out until you can reach the light assembly. Looking from the top, you'll see a tab on one end that needs a little push to free it from its hole. Once it's out, wiggle it back through the hole and let dangle while you do the rest. The AC tube will drop to the floor when the box comes out.
Once the box is out, find a suitable workplace such as a workbench or your mom's dining room table. Put a towel down to catch any small parts from bouncing away. Remove the tensioner on the side using a hex key or luckily fitting flat screwdriver.
Remove the push nut on one end of the hinge rod by carefully prying it with a small flat screwdriver, working around the nut evenly. Once off, slide the rod out the other end. Don't worry about the white nylon inserts, as they seem pressed into their holes and don't come out.
Now, the fun part. The two halves are sonically welded together. Get a couple flat, strong wide objects to pry these apart. I used some wood chisels. Screwdrivers are too narrow and will damage the edges of the plastic. Insert one of the tools into the separation, and then the other next to it. By taking turns pushing one forward and one back, you'll eventually hear a pop or crack. Congrats! One weld broken and many more to go. Now just patiently start working around the perimeter until it seems the edge welds are all popped. Now get a little more enthusiastic and push harder, working around again. The interior welds will start popping. See the photos for locations of the welds and concentrate there. I count 34 or 35 welds.
I didn't know where or how many, so I just kept going. The very interior ones are tough. You just have to take a deep breath and pull the pieces apart. The plastic seems quite sturdy, so I didn't feel there was any danger of breaking it.
Viola! Two pieces. Once in there, you can see your latch and it's problem. Take some pics and note the position of all the pieces before disassembly! I didn't and it added half an hour to the job.
My latch was wobbly, and once in I saw that one side was broken.
Some standard five minute epoxy and care got the broken piece back in place.
I applied a fillet of glue along the breaks where it would not interfere with the latch pieces for additional strength.
Once it's all dry, reassemble the latch and put it back in place.
Make sure all the broken welds are clear of obstruction. Mix up a good quantity of 5 minute epoxy, and working quickly, put a dollop on each of the weld spots. Press the inner piece back in place, and weight it down. Go get a sandwich and when you're done you're ready to reinstall your door hinge rod. Slightly flatten the rod's push nut you took off, and press it back on using a socket slightly larger than the rod. Make sure the cone points out so it slides on easily.
Reinstall the tensioner.
Pop the light fixture back in, slide the box in place and replace the screws. Climb under and pop the AC tube back in place. Pat yourself on the back and go look for some bumps to test your work!
After reading up on the posts regarding broken glove box door latches, no one seems to have attempted to repair theirs fully. With a new glove box assembly running in the $200 range, I figured that I'd give it a go and if I broke it, well I'd have had to spend the $200 anyway. Their was a lot of concern on other post regarding the sonic welding of the inner and outer doors, but I've had some success with getting around this on other things.
My door was popping open at any bump, which wasn't too bad when alone but made passengers (and my wife when she drove the car) upset.
Here's what I did:
First, remove the glove box assembly. This is real easy. Removing five Torx screws frees it up. One on each side edge, two on the upper inside edge and one in the very back wall of the box. Label your screws as they are not all the same. Slide the box out until you can reach the light assembly. Looking from the top, you'll see a tab on one end that needs a little push to free it from its hole. Once it's out, wiggle it back through the hole and let dangle while you do the rest. The AC tube will drop to the floor when the box comes out.
Once the box is out, find a suitable workplace such as a workbench or your mom's dining room table. Put a towel down to catch any small parts from bouncing away. Remove the tensioner on the side using a hex key or luckily fitting flat screwdriver.
Remove the push nut on one end of the hinge rod by carefully prying it with a small flat screwdriver, working around the nut evenly. Once off, slide the rod out the other end. Don't worry about the white nylon inserts, as they seem pressed into their holes and don't come out.
Now, the fun part. The two halves are sonically welded together. Get a couple flat, strong wide objects to pry these apart. I used some wood chisels. Screwdrivers are too narrow and will damage the edges of the plastic. Insert one of the tools into the separation, and then the other next to it. By taking turns pushing one forward and one back, you'll eventually hear a pop or crack. Congrats! One weld broken and many more to go. Now just patiently start working around the perimeter until it seems the edge welds are all popped. Now get a little more enthusiastic and push harder, working around again. The interior welds will start popping. See the photos for locations of the welds and concentrate there. I count 34 or 35 welds.
I didn't know where or how many, so I just kept going. The very interior ones are tough. You just have to take a deep breath and pull the pieces apart. The plastic seems quite sturdy, so I didn't feel there was any danger of breaking it.
Viola! Two pieces. Once in there, you can see your latch and it's problem. Take some pics and note the position of all the pieces before disassembly! I didn't and it added half an hour to the job.
My latch was wobbly, and once in I saw that one side was broken.
Some standard five minute epoxy and care got the broken piece back in place.
I applied a fillet of glue along the breaks where it would not interfere with the latch pieces for additional strength.
Once it's all dry, reassemble the latch and put it back in place.
Make sure all the broken welds are clear of obstruction. Mix up a good quantity of 5 minute epoxy, and working quickly, put a dollop on each of the weld spots. Press the inner piece back in place, and weight it down. Go get a sandwich and when you're done you're ready to reinstall your door hinge rod. Slightly flatten the rod's push nut you took off, and press it back on using a socket slightly larger than the rod. Make sure the cone points out so it slides on easily.
Reinstall the tensioner.
Pop the light fixture back in, slide the box in place and replace the screws. Climb under and pop the AC tube back in place. Pat yourself on the back and go look for some bumps to test your work!
