Bottom glove box latch not working

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenmonkey @ Oct 15 2007, 10:51 AM) [snapback]525858[/snapback]</div>

I just had a similar problem this past weekend. I gently pushed the latch with a small screwdriver until it closed. Then I pushed the release button to re-open the latch. After that it hooked the glove box just fine. I've open/closed the glove box at least a dozen times since then and the problem hasn't reoccurred yet.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenmonkey @ Oct 15 2007, 08:51 AM) [snapback]525858[/snapback]</div>

This has happend twice on my car, the spring breaks and the latch does not return. The first time a Toyota tech noticed it and replaced the spring. About a year later it broke again ad I removed the molding and replaced the spring with a rubber band and it is still working.

 

This just happened to my 2004. How do you remove the moulding?
I don't see any screw heads.
Thanks,
[email protected]

 

is that the same rubberband that powers this thing..lol..:rockon:

 

It has been a while but I believe there are 2 screws in the divider between the 2 glove boxes that are easily removed so you can see the latch mechanism and try a repair.

No, this is not the main power rubber band, that is RB2.

 

I encountered the same issue -- bottom glove box will not stay shut. Here is how I fixed it.

Accessing the mechanisms that connect the buttons to the latch is easy. Don't remove any screws (I found out the hard way! See below.) The plastic cover over the front of the area between the glove boxes comes off easily with a simple put. Open the lower box, and remove if you need to. Look up from the bottom and you will see a seam that runs the length of the opening. Gently pry on that seem, pulling the plastic piece directly away from the dashboard. It should pop off. It goes back on the same way.

I immediately saw that my spring on the lower box was broken. I replaced with a rubber band looped around the rod and secured at the other end with a post from the plastic cover as I put it back in place. It works fine. I might pickup a spring at the Toyota dealer so I have it in case this breaks or fails.

Now, the bad news . I took the right dashboard and glove box apart before I knew that piece came off so easy. While doing this, I broke the brackets that hold the top cover in place. So, I have to buy a new piece for the back of the glove box. It's a little plastic piece, I am sure it won't cost much! ;-)

 

Same issue on mine -- latch no longer worked on the bottom glovebox. Sandad: Great directions, perfect fix. Sorry about the piece on yours, tho. But thank you so much!

 

I have no hope of a living life with anything that resembles normalcy. Furthermore, I will most likely die a lonely, miserable death. And you're worried about your glove box.

That's just great.

 

Awww.

Cheer up, Charlie Brown !

 

I guess I don't know how to post, ...first one,but I just encountered the same problem with my '04 bottom glove compartment not latching. I look forward to trying your suggestion!

 

I'm having this problem (2006 Prius), where a spring that controls the lower glove box release has snapped and gone missing. I can replace the *entire* latch assembly for something like $70-110, but it seems a shame to have to do that, when the problem may only be a spring getting replaced. Any advice for what spring it might be?

Again, it's the bottom button, that releases the bottom glove box. The spring is responsible for pushing the button back out after it's been depressed.

 

why not visit a salvage yard and grab the whole thing for cheap?

 

The rubber band fix worked great for me. Pry off the trim piece with flat blade screwdriver working it on the right side. Pull trim piece and slide to right once right side is loose. A little rod slides left and right to operate the latch and the problem is the spring has broken that holds it to the right. Observe there is a little offset bent into the rod at the left side, just to right of the button. Now the rubber band installation: To establish a vocabulary for this, I need you to think of a rubberband has having two "loops" connected to each other by two straight sections. Bend your rubber band straight sections around that offset in the rod and poke one loop of the rubber band through the other loop and pull so that the rubber band becomes tight around the rod at the offset. Then stretch the free end of the band across past the latch, going to the right, and put the loop over the righthand end of the rod to anchor it. Done! I posted a youtube video: