Hi guys, This may come in handy someday. A few months ago I tried to open the glove compartment in sub zero weather. It wouldn't budge. My heart almost stopped when the entire handle went snap and came off in my hand!

Well I saved the handle and a torsion spring figuring I'd see what happened when it warmed up. This weekend I took a closer look. Turns out that nothing broke, the handle can be removed and reinstalled pretty easily. (Good News)

Between us, it shows that the lock can easily be defeated with a screwdriver in a non destructive way. (Bad News)

Well I started to reassemble the handle, but was sure to lube the overlapping horizontal metal pins behind the handle. These are the pins that the handle moves in and out to release and secure the glove door.

I was happy to have figured out that the torsion spring goes over the handle's left plastic tab. This spring makes the handle return to neutral position when the handle is released.

I popped the other side of the handle in and tested. Yes it retracted the pins when I pulled on the handle but when I released the handle the pins didn't reset to protruding on both sides to hold door shut! Took the handle apart and looked more closely. There must be a missing return spring somewhere.

Turns out there is supposed to be a compression spring dead center where the left and right side's metal pins overlap directly behind the handle. There are photos on the web about how this looks. Ttytt thats how I figured out what was missing. Well I figured I was stuck. No sign of the missing spring. I went to Ace hardware, they do have similar diameter springs (called#2). I bought 2 and went back to the project.

It fit, but was too short. Well I pulled out my caliper guage to measure the gap, as I turned the door over for a better view I got friggin lucky. The missing Jaguar compression spring rolled out of the empty space inside the door walls!

I measured it (see photos) for the next guy who may really lose the spring someday.

BTW, over the years there has been a bunch of queries about how to free up a sticking door pin on one side or the other. Like I said above I put a bit of lithium grease on the sections of pin overlap - I've never seen it work so smoothly. You'd have to take the door off, but once you do, removing the handle is easy. Just take a small flat blade screwdriver and pry the metal plate that secures the plastic tab on the right side of the handle towards the right a bit. This releases the tab on the right side, then move handle to the right to release left side. Remember there's a torsion spring on the left tab. This gives unfettered access to any binding points. Its a lot easier than it sounds. The hardest part is unscrewing the 4 screws holding the door on (they are torx screws holding the 2 hinges underneath the door).

John

 

Over the decades I have learned to always open and close every glove compartment in every vehicle as slowly and carefully as possible....

 

I think I'm a convert Jon ;-). Good point,
John