Glove box lock

[moncon]

Hello everyone,

Yesterday the glove box on my 1988 E30 would not open. The key is moving from lock to open and back but the glovebox does not open. Today I got the latch off, but the latch only comes out if the glove box is locked, and that means I can't open the glove box to remove the locking mechanism to see what's wrong with it

Any help much appreciated!

[moncon]

Wait! I fixed it already. A squirt of WD40 in and around that J-shaped piece, then some jiggling on it with a pair of long-nosed pliers, and it started moving again which allowed the glove box to open. Then I removed the two screws at the back, WD-40 here and there, tightened everything up, and good as gold.

[Brianmoooore]

Are you sure the lock is good? There are two catches on the lock, that move in when you open the box, and there's a common fault where one of the catches operating mechanism breaks, and it doesn't move in. Check that both are working.
The way to open a jammed glove box is to remove the nuts holding the hinge at the back, which will allow the front to drop enough to get something in to push the non working catch back. I learnt this one 100 miles from home, having just filled with fuel at a service station, with my wallet in the glove box.