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Thread: Can't Get The Glove Box Open!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
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    Kuna, Idaho
    Posts
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    Too Many Cars (NOT!)

    Can't Get The Glove Box Open!

    Purchased this:
    20170504_135226.jpg
    1998 750iL for $2000, 120K on the odo and I can't get the glove box open - which is it's only problem (amazingly enough). Doesn't matter whether I turn the key left or right (don't know which way is locked/unlocked), but when I pull the handle, there is a crunching sound and the lock does not release.

    Pretty sure, it's fried, but don't want to destroy the door the get the thing open. Is there a trick?

    Tia
    Mike Drives:
    BMW's
    E24 - 635CSiA - (1) 1985 (US)
    E24 - 635CSi - (1) 1985 (EC)
    E31 - 850iA - (1) 1991 (Black)
    E31 - 850iA - (1) 1991 (Calypso Red)

    E32 - 740iA - (1) 1994
    E32 - 750iA - (1) 1990 (Not an "L") (EC German National)
    E32 - 735iL - (2) 1990
    E32 - 750iL - (1) 1990

    E38 - 740iLA - (2) (1) 1997 & (1) 1998
    E38 - 750iLA - (1) 1998
    E38 - 740iA - (1) 2000 "Short Sport"
    E39 - 528iA - (2) - 2000 & (1) 1997
    Also:
    2015 Ram 3500 Dually, Cumins 6.7, Std.Cab. Long box 4x4 (To haul all this junk when necessary)
    2014 Dodge Dart Rallye (Daily Driver)
    2007 Mercedes Benz CL600 (Brabus SV12S)
    Mercedes Benz SL's - (1) (2002) & (1) 1999 500 - (1) 1999 600
    1967 Buick Riviera (2)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    KC North, MO, USA
    Posts
    11,153
    My Cars
    1996 740iL
    Straight back from the handle, under and behind the box, is the cable. You can pull it towards the front of the car to open the glove box. It might have a foam sheath on it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    2,665
    My Cars
    750IL/540iT/R53/E46Vert
    Try pushing the glovebox up and towards the front of the car. It worked for me.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    (northeast) Indiana
    Posts
    19,321
    My Cars
    15 650ix GC & 14 X5 50i
    Quote Originally Posted by masbury View Post
    ...I can't get the glove box open ... Doesn't matter whether I turn the key left or right (don't know which way is locked/unlocked)...
    ( | ) = UNLOCKED
    ( -- ) = LOCKED

    Also, unlike its generational cousins (the e39/e46/e52/e53)...the e38's glovebox can be LOCKED without a key. There's a lever behind the handle that you can push to lock the glovebox. But the KEY is required to UNLOCK it:



    Quote Originally Posted by Mayorchuck View Post
    Straight back from the handle, under and behind the box, is the cable. You can pull it towards the front of the car to open the glove box. It might have a foam sheath on it.
    Ditto the Mayor...see #3 in diagram below. The bowden cable is sheathed...so it may not be apparent at first glance. There's been some great DIYs about the e38's glovebox handle...try a simple google search with specific wording using "bmw e38 glovebox handle repair". Some of those DIY's clearly point out the location of the sheathed cable:


    EDIT:: I found a DIY thread that also has a pic that shows the cable and its adjustment screw located at the back of the glovebox...but also note how the cable is sheathed in gray foam if it hasn't been removed in a previous repair:

    Last edited by Qsilver7; 02-24-2018 at 07:30 PM.
    Become a BMW CCA member! Click HERE to join and feel free to use my BMW CCA member #191509 as a referral.

    2015 650ix GC (Moonstone/Cohiba Brown) <<~>> 2014 X5 50i (Space Gray/Mocha)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Wayne,PA
    Posts
    1,511
    My Cars
    740iL (E38 '01)
    35 parts for a glovebox.. madnass!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Greenville, NC
    Posts
    506
    My Cars
    2001 7-S62, 2002 X5 S2,
    Bingo. Give that cable a tug, it will open. Might as well source a latch if its broken, and if thats your only issue..thank your lucky stars.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mayorchuck View Post
    Straight back from the handle, under and behind the box, is the cable. You can pull it towards the front of the car to open the glove box. It might have a foam sheath on it.
    2001 | DINAN 7 Sport | S62 Swapped 6-Speed
    DINAN Springs & Exhaust | 750 Brakes | M-Pars | Monsoons | NBT Nav/Radio
    Dual Pane Glass | Black & Sand Int.

    2001
    | 750iL | AlpineWeiss III

    @scotthduke on Instagram


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Kuna, Idaho
    Posts
    736
    My Cars
    Too Many Cars (NOT!)
    You guys are the best!

    Yank the cable thing worked great! Of course now it would be helpful to know what I have to fix, specially if this is yet another BMW chronic problem.
    Do I need to replace the handle assembly? The handle assembly and the cable? Something altogether different? It definitely needs shocks (thanks Frankie) and will do that when I figure out how to fix this other problem.

    I repeat - You guys are the absolute best!!!

    Thanks
    Mike Drives:
    BMW's
    E24 - 635CSiA - (1) 1985 (US)
    E24 - 635CSi - (1) 1985 (EC)
    E31 - 850iA - (1) 1991 (Black)
    E31 - 850iA - (1) 1991 (Calypso Red)

    E32 - 740iA - (1) 1994
    E32 - 750iA - (1) 1990 (Not an "L") (EC German National)
    E32 - 735iL - (2) 1990
    E32 - 750iL - (1) 1990

    E38 - 740iLA - (2) (1) 1997 & (1) 1998
    E38 - 750iLA - (1) 1998
    E38 - 740iA - (1) 2000 "Short Sport"
    E39 - 528iA - (2) - 2000 & (1) 1997
    Also:
    2015 Ram 3500 Dually, Cumins 6.7, Std.Cab. Long box 4x4 (To haul all this junk when necessary)
    2014 Dodge Dart Rallye (Daily Driver)
    2007 Mercedes Benz CL600 (Brabus SV12S)
    Mercedes Benz SL's - (1) (2002) & (1) 1999 500 - (1) 1999 600
    1967 Buick Riviera (2)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Greenville, NC
    Posts
    506
    My Cars
    2001 7-S62, 2002 X5 S2,
    Youll need to examine the latch by taking the 4 philips screws out, typically some broken internals. Sometimes the cable comes out of the tract it's supposed to sit in. You'll just have to look at it and go from there. Ebay typically has a latch or two - new they are not cheap. I rarely use mine because they are made so unnecessarily complicated.
    2001 | DINAN 7 Sport | S62 Swapped 6-Speed
    DINAN Springs & Exhaust | 750 Brakes | M-Pars | Monsoons | NBT Nav/Radio
    Dual Pane Glass | Black & Sand Int.

    2001
    | 750iL | AlpineWeiss III

    @scotthduke on Instagram


  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Kuna, Idaho
    Posts
    736
    My Cars
    Too Many Cars (NOT!)
    They are absolutely total pieces of crap which should not happen on a $70,000+ BMW luxo barge, but so it goes.

    I have a '98 740 parts car that, if I remember correctly, has a working glove box door, so I will cannibalize it.

    Thanks again
    Mike Drives:
    BMW's
    E24 - 635CSiA - (1) 1985 (US)
    E24 - 635CSi - (1) 1985 (EC)
    E31 - 850iA - (1) 1991 (Black)
    E31 - 850iA - (1) 1991 (Calypso Red)

    E32 - 740iA - (1) 1994
    E32 - 750iA - (1) 1990 (Not an "L") (EC German National)
    E32 - 735iL - (2) 1990
    E32 - 750iL - (1) 1990

    E38 - 740iLA - (2) (1) 1997 & (1) 1998
    E38 - 750iLA - (1) 1998
    E38 - 740iA - (1) 2000 "Short Sport"
    E39 - 528iA - (2) - 2000 & (1) 1997
    Also:
    2015 Ram 3500 Dually, Cumins 6.7, Std.Cab. Long box 4x4 (To haul all this junk when necessary)
    2014 Dodge Dart Rallye (Daily Driver)
    2007 Mercedes Benz CL600 (Brabus SV12S)
    Mercedes Benz SL's - (1) (2002) & (1) 1999 500 - (1) 1999 600
    1967 Buick Riviera (2)

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    (northeast) Indiana
    Posts
    19,321
    My Cars
    15 650ix GC & 14 X5 50i
    I believe there's still a glovebox handle DIY (that still has pics that show up) on www.e38.org ... go to that site and do a page search using "glovebox" as the search phrase to quickly find the links.
    Last edited by Qsilver7; 02-27-2018 at 11:54 AM.
    Become a BMW CCA member! Click HERE to join and feel free to use my BMW CCA member #191509 as a referral.

    2015 650ix GC (Moonstone/Cohiba Brown) <<~>> 2014 X5 50i (Space Gray/Mocha)

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Kuna, Idaho
    Posts
    736
    My Cars
    Too Many Cars (NOT!)
    Unfortunately e38.org seems to be non-existent at this time. Domain issue.

    I believe Frankie has a glove box write up that I can try.

    Thank you gentlemen
    Mike Drives:
    BMW's
    E24 - 635CSiA - (1) 1985 (US)
    E24 - 635CSi - (1) 1985 (EC)
    E31 - 850iA - (1) 1991 (Black)
    E31 - 850iA - (1) 1991 (Calypso Red)

    E32 - 740iA - (1) 1994
    E32 - 750iA - (1) 1990 (Not an "L") (EC German National)
    E32 - 735iL - (2) 1990
    E32 - 750iL - (1) 1990

    E38 - 740iLA - (2) (1) 1997 & (1) 1998
    E38 - 750iLA - (1) 1998
    E38 - 740iA - (1) 2000 "Short Sport"
    E39 - 528iA - (2) - 2000 & (1) 1997
    Also:
    2015 Ram 3500 Dually, Cumins 6.7, Std.Cab. Long box 4x4 (To haul all this junk when necessary)
    2014 Dodge Dart Rallye (Daily Driver)
    2007 Mercedes Benz CL600 (Brabus SV12S)
    Mercedes Benz SL's - (1) (2002) & (1) 1999 500 - (1) 1999 600
    1967 Buick Riviera (2)

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Washington, NC
    Posts
    1,098
    My Cars
    01 330 CiC, 05 X3 3.0
    I've taken apart quite a few used glovebox handles, even if they work when you take them out, they always seem to break on reassembly. I just leave the cable loose from the latch and tuck it up where you can't see it above the passenger footwell.

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