Zak - Glovebox repair

[Skii]

Right mate

This Glovebox you fixed - I'm assuming it must have been a Mk4 Golf because
A) Mk5s are only just out and therefore under warranty
B) Its a common design flaw with the Mk4 series

So - tell us what you did, because the catch went in my glovebox 2 years ago and its been held shut with velcro since then.

Go on son - spill the beans, superglue, nuts n'all

[Zak33]

Remove entire glovebox housing (thats lid-n-all)...it goes round side of foot well/centre console and finally just drops out. You need Torks things...like star shaped allen keys. 5 along top, 3 along bottom. Unplug lamp. Once its out, you need to see how the "soft eject" thing looks and suss out taking it off.
Get that lid off...its easy enough. (by the way, the rear bulkhead is covered in fabric....for a split second I thought it was air bag /Zak ducks

right....it needs BREAKING open. I MEAN THAT...A FLAT head screw driver and prise the casing apart..it makes some AWEFULL noises and thats cos you're breaking about 50 bonded points.Bent the interior panel inone corner by bending to much and not sliding the screw driver in far enough, but I spotted it going white, backed off and slid the driver in for more leverage.

I DID flex the casing a lot to do it, but nothing externally broke...although cos the plastic bends badly at the edges, I had to trim bits with a stanley knife later. You'll see what I mean. Thing is, once its back together, most is invisible.

Once it was apart, it was a doddle.

There is one spring, two plastic white "levers" that sit on little plastic pegs...thats whats broken..the top of the peg. One of those. Its loose inside. Once thats loose the long arms that hold the door shut fall inside the casing.

I found a small self tapper, and put a washer on it, so it would not have to be tight..it needs to rotate on its axis. While I was at it, I did the one that wasnt broken too....self tapper, big washer...straight down the centre of the plastic post thats waiting to snap off to ruinyour day next month. Do em both.

Then put the spring back between them. Then re position the two plastic rods that actually do the door holding. They (very stupidly) just clip into place and the white plastic jos that you've re contected have ball and socket effect arms to slot into the holes. So it really is dead easy. Thing that made me sad was the design is SH1t but they haveput foam pads to stop it rattling. Mad. VW are NOT the company they were. This is Ford engineering, with one last though to "quality"....foam.

Make sure you have STRONG EPOXY (I used evo stick impact adehsive) cover every signle one of the plastic lugs that have been snapped off... believe it was made by gluing together....cover them.


ooh nearly forgot..the two long arms that hold the glove box lid parallel and create a soft eject...they are not glued in..they are held by the case. just remember them
Lastly the hard bit.

Finding some where to hld it all together...I got lucky...it clipped into place (no clips involved, but it felt right) and I rested it on the corner of a bench and put a battery/jump pack on it....

leave it for 24hours...be PATIENT.....dont fiddle...if its lined up, leave it.

You can still drive the car, and it doesnt look too silly.

Re build

[Skii]

You're a star mate.

<Prepares for busy weekend>

[Zak33]

the bent bits that I cant smooth any more...I trimmed them with a blade to get rid of the sticking out bits

[Zak33]

and the bit I didnt get pressed tight enough...



but when you're in the car, you've no idea unless you'r looking and have it open

[Skii]

Either that mate - or I have to buy a brand new lid anyway, so I've nothing to lose

Cheers dude- you rock.

[Zak33]

I had nothing to lose either..except loads of dough on a new one aaaaanyway .Was ok. Felt good.

you'll be good at it. Modeling is in your blood. Just pretend its an Airfix kit

[Skii]

you'll be good at it. Modeling is in your blood. Just pretend its an Airfix kit

Better not - it'll end up in NATO camoflage or summat

[Skii]

Mate

You are so dead on with the glovebox design - it is utterly pathetic, and exactly the fault you described has greeted me. One of these two white rotating levers was rattling around inside because one of these crappy little black pegs has given up the ghost.

Utterly dreadful design - I could build a better working mechanism with spaghetti and prit-stick.

I now need to find a self tapping screw and washer thats going to fit these buggers.

I am so shocked that someone got PAID to design this. Probably a shedload.

Incredible.

[Skii]

Try springing off NOW you b*****d

[Stoo]

hehe, nice fix there skii

[Skii]

hehe, nice fix there skii

Cheers Stoo

Its now glueing - both halves of the lid now wedged under the corner of the double bed - reckon thats heavy enough to squash the buggers together.

- oh - and nearly half a pint of araldite

[Skii]

Might get around to cleaning the car now



What goes up....now stays up

[Stoo]

hehe, that sucker is going *nowhere* now

I see what you mean about giving it a clean though.. what on earth have you been doing in the passenger seat?

[Zak33]

you SOOO dont wanna ask that Stoo.....sit down