Hey guys,
I can't seem to find anything in a previous topic like this, so here goes. The glove box face (as in the outside, finished, padded part that attaches to the plastic door) has removed itself. I was able to get the panel off from around the lock bezel. There was a brittle, off-white/ yellowish residue from the previous glue that remained. I was wondering if anyone knew whether this was the original glue, or a previous repair, and if anyone could recommend a new adhesive to use to reattach the face to the door. Thanks in advance for any help.
-Steve

I use Goop, home stores and other retailers.

I had same problem with both mine. I used hot glue thru hot glue gun. Worked fine. Still holding up over 2 years later.
--
' 88 740GLE auto wagon nearly 195,000 and ' 87 240DL auto sedan nearly 135,000

I used 3M 4200 for that task. Complete overkill, of course.

I repaired mine about two months ago. I used Shoe Goop. So far so good.

I had this same thing happen to me about 4-5 months ago. Mine had the glue residue exactly as you describe, so I think its safe to say thats the original adhesive. To reattach, I just used "automotive goop" brand stuff because its what I had on hand at the time. I liberally applied it and held the face in place with big rubber bands overnight. So far so good, no problems with it yet.
--
1987 245dl w/ 271k miles

It's been years since I fought with this problem on my 1988 244, memory may not be precise therefore.

Open the box and look at both the door hinges. The point where the hinge attaches to the box gets weak,cracked,saggy. That lets the door droop just enough to allow the latch to drop from its catch hole on a bump/pothole/rr crossing, etc.

The catch hole is in the roof of the glove box, easy to find with a fingertip.
I made a little metal piece that sits on the outside top of the box and reaches down below the edge of the catch hold just enough to let the latch piece on the lock to catch and stay. Took a few trial fittings and IIRC there was a problem gettng around the light lens thing. I used a brass 4-40 x 1/4" bolt and nut because I had some; glue may work fine, too.

Some folks have a way to use long screws like a sheet rock screw up from the bottom of the box at the corners to pull the hinges up just enough. The screws go into the steel frame that the box mount screws go into.

If available, and un-cracked box can be swapped in. The hinges have a steel pin in the center that can be drive out using a small philips screwdriver and light taps with a small hammer or whatever. Take the first one almost out to finger lose. Then remove the second pin while carefully holding the door up. Pull the first out and you're clear. This protocol will avoid having the door weight hanging on the second hinge. (Pin removal is also a way to open a locked glove box with no key.)

Remember that those seven screws holding the box unit in the dash are very easy to over-tighten and strip out the threads. You'll have a PITA then - searching for slightly over-size screws.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

yeah me too same problem

i bought the car this way .. ive used PL400 kindof industrial glue that comes in cocking gun style tubes .. i cant recall if there was a special polystyrene or foam application PL400 maybe check into that ... a tube is plenty more than you need but beats buying hobbyist quantities of something else .. this stuff will hold.

i pulled the glovebox overnight onto the workbench and clamped it with c-clamps ... wipe excess that squirts out from the edges ...

beware of contact cements and epoxies that use chemical reaction and give off heat when they dry... it will eat the foam backing.

next my glove box latch wasnt strong enough to take the extra weight of the foam face and every bump in the road would wack the passengers knees with the glovebox door dropping on them ...you can rig the latch catch on the glove box to have more grip... if needed. but you would know this if you owned the car when the glovebox face came off...

good luck

How does one 'rig the latch to have more grip'? I have the same problem with 93 245,as it seems too heavy for latch and bangs into passenger...embarassing!!

sorry i didnt see this post earlier
it may not be much good to you now ...

but i found when i took the glovebox out of the car that the material on the glove box had been slowly scrapped away from the metal tongue on the latch .. and rather than mess around with the latch and try to build up more material out of metal ..

i just glued in some more plastic onto the glove box receiving side of the latch. at first i used a plastic stick and added an extra tab .. then this fell off after a little while .. so i roughed it up drilled a few holes for the glue to seep thru and reglued it ..

im still looking for a pristine glove box, but until then this will have to do.
this quick fix is a lot less junky since its hidden inside the glove box and it doesnt slam open and whack the passengers knees every bump in the road