Volvo 240 Glovebox

June 17, 2006 2:40 PM

Volvo 240 glovebox - mine won't stay closed. Please supply creative solutions beyond Velcro.

So. It should be trivial except it's driving me nuts. My sweet and trusted Balthazar (1986 Volvo 240) has sprung a lock at the glovebox, and the glovebox pops open at every bump in the road. The box was replaced recently, but that made it worse. I have it taped shut at present, but am locking for a better solution - the more creative the better. Balthazar deserves it.

posted by vers to Travel & Transportation (12 answers total)

Magnets, or at least they're what hold the glovebox of my beloved Edgar (1986 Saab 900) closed.
posted by piro at 2:42 PM on June 17, 2006

piro beat me to it, but yeah. Magnets, specifically, a couple of small rare earth (Neodymium) magnets and a bottle of superglue should do the trick.
posted by quin at 3:14 PM on June 17, 2006

Mine did this when the metal latch became worn. I attached some filler to the latch and it worked well after that till I sold the car. A little too well, I couldn't open it the first time.
posted by fshgrl at 3:27 PM on June 17, 2006

Detailed pictures of the latching mechanism might help people come up with alternatives along the lines of fshgrl's suggestion.
posted by Chuckles at 3:56 PM on June 17, 2006

Make sure the catch up under the dash (what the lock latches to) is placed correctly. I had a hell of a time with the glovebox on Sally, my '70 Impala, after an incident wherein I tried to jam it shut with napkins in the way. THe catch had been bent back a bit.
posted by notsnot at 4:57 PM on June 17, 2006

Those catches are usually adjustable, because variations in the dimensions of manufactured parts often mean assemblies have varying relationships. See if the catch or the latch have slots for the screws that hold them on. If they do, loosen the screws and move the latch or catch toward the other part as far as it will go, then tighten the screws. If that doesn't work, try bending the catch so it sticks out more.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 5:51 PM on June 17, 2006

I've got an '89 240, and although I haven't had problems with my glovebox, I think they break pretty often (although usually, they break in the "always closed" way). Something about a spring that either jumps out or loses tension - and if that's the issue, it could definitely be an easy fix.

I'll take a look at the latch on mine tomorrow and see if I can figure something creative out... and regards to Balthazar.
posted by sluggo at 7:06 PM on June 17, 2006

Post pictures, and/or enlist someone to help you fix it properly. There are very few ways that it could have broken irreparably.
posted by Kwantsar at 12:09 AM on June 18, 2006

Response by poster: Thank you all for your suggestions - I'll take a look at the catch to see if it can be adjusted. Magnets are an interesting idea, too. Apologies that I don't have a convenient way to post a picture quickly - and my garage (a Volvo-only shop) tried to fix it without success, so I'm onto tinkering with it. Still open to suggestions, of course - and thanks!
posted by vers at 4:11 AM on June 18, 2006

As a personal anecdote: we became so frustrated with every attempted solution to mending the glovebox on my dad's old* 240 that we literally duct taped the beastie closed. We had to put an end to that heavy door banging open onto the front passenger's knees after every bump. I hope you have luck with a more elegant solution!

*he now has a '93 "Classic," ha!
posted by nelleish at 7:33 AM on June 18, 2006

Suffice it to say, you happen to own the worlds greatest car. I hope you get a half-million miles on it.

However, as durable as the 240 is, the interior components just tend to fall off/apart. My instinct would be to get a latch from salvage. Hell, get a couple of them. They replace in the lid with a little retainer clip. No tools needed!
posted by sourwookie at 9:57 AM on June 18, 2006

Response by poster: Thank you, sourwookie - I know how wonderful Balthazar is (He is my fifth 240, so he's not an accident - I just need to keep him running, since I haven't the faintest what could ever replace him). You gave a great suggestion, which I'll try. I didn't know that the latch clips on - that's great to know.

Nice to know there are other 240 lovers out there!
posted by vers at 1:42 PM on June 18, 2006