My glove box handle popped off. I have some stuff in there and it's stuck closed, and I don't really want to forcefully pry in case I make it worse. What's the best way to
A) get my glove box open
B) fix it so I can get in and out of it when I need. I'm not concerned about the cosmetics, just so long as I can use it occasionally.



It fell off.


How do I open the glove box?


The handle.


You can see that one of the plastic prongs holding the handle in place snapped off.

 

You need to replace it anyways, I would go to a scrap yard and buy the door. You should be able to get it for a few bucks. This way you see how the mechanism works with it off and have the replacement.

Here's a detail of the removal, which should help...

 

Push the aluminum bar to the right, the door should open (this is for a RHD car, the LHD might be "push to the left" but I don't think it is different). While pushing the bar, hold the door pressed a bit inwards to make the bar movement easier (you will feel a spring resistance).

 

Looking again at your second picture, it looks like you should push the aluminium bar to the left.

 

Those are actually 2 bars. Squeeze them together either with your fingers or some pliers and it’ll open up.

 

I had the same problem with one plastic prong breaking off & the glove box handle falling to the floor along with the round spring (With long & short ‘arms’)

It is a tricky repair but, can be done if you have all the parts.

If you cannot or do not want to repair, you will need to buy a replacement glove box & then swap the lock barrel with your old lock barrel so you key will work.


Here are 2 helpful videos:


Sectrets of the jaguar XK8 XKR Ep 107. Glove box door {SIC}


And:

Jaguar XK8 Dashboard Glovebox removal and repair V117 / XKR (X100)



These XK8 videos will help with your XJ8 glove box!

10 months ago I repaired mine using superglue to glue the plastic prong back on the handle. It worked perfectly! Although the most difficult part was reassembling the handle into the glove box. Positioning that spring, With long & short ‘arms,’ is very tricky.

My repair lasted 10 months and then the plastic prong broke off again!

I just finished re-– repairing it & this time I use the JB Weld instead of superglue and again it is working perfectly! Hopefully this time the prong will NOT break off!

Tips:


Remove the glove box (T-30 screws) Gold longer screws on outside & dark shorter screws on inside of those 2 lower hinges.

Use a strip of gaffer tape to keep the glove box light button depressed or the light will remain on for days as you complete the repair. (Drain battery!)

No need to drill out the rivets to expose, more completely, the mechanism.

Pull the 2 long bars farther out to expose the other, long spring & lubricated all this. (I used Houdini spray for locks..Better than WD-40 or silicon spray for locks)

While I was at it, I sprayed some inside the lock itself.

Use JB Weld to glue the broken tab back on… Paying particular attention to the correct orientation! The end of the tab has a slant to it and make sure you orient that correctly. I used a small piece of gaffer tape to hold the tab in place for 24 hours while the JB Weld fully cured.

Take a long strip of gaffer tape (much better than duct tape or masking tape since it will leave absolutely no residue) and fasten it from the end of one long bar to the opposite end so that both bars are pushed in all the way. This is very important. Unless the 2 long bars are fully pushed in (in the unlocked position) the 2 short ends, that stick out where the handle is going to go, will not be close enough together for you to reassemble the handle.
I used a light coating of grease all over the inside & edges of the plastic triangular shaped opening, that will contain the short arms of the 2 long metal bars that must be squeezed together to move the long ends out of the housing & allow the door to open.


I found it very difficult to see where the "fat little shelf" is… that the long arm of the round spring goes under!

See 2nd video time:6:25

HTH!