If you’ve had to remove the Glove Box and Surrounding Panel on your DB9 as part of some other service event (such as changing your cabin air filters) you eventually need to reinstall it.   The process isn’t difficult and will only take about 5 minutes once you see how, but there is a little finesse required to get it put back together just right, and I wanted to share that with you here.

In other posts I’ve explained how to:

• Remove the Glove Box and surrounding panel
• Select the right replacement filters
• Change the cabin air filters

Tools Required

Not many tools are needed:

• A Phillips head screwdriver
• A small inspection light (optional) to help you see the screws.

Procedure

The entire process will only take about 5 minutes.  Reinstalling is essentially a reversal of the removals steps, but paying close attention to the alignment in a few steps I will detail below.

I am assuming you have the glove box housing removed, the leather surround panel removed, and the glove box itself hanging in the foot well by its tethered cable.

• First we need to reinstall the plastic glove box housing.   Engage the small felt wrapped plastic tab in the top center, being sure to get it into the slot.  Then rotate the housing back up into place aligning it with the four screw holes.
• I’d suggest putting one of the two bottom screws in first since the plastic tab will hold the top in place to start with.
• Get all four screws started loosely first, then wiggle/jiggle the housing into a nice square alignment in the opening.
• Snug each of the four screws up, but don’t over tighten them and risk striping the hole.   Just snug is fine.
• Lift the glove box back up into place aligning the bottom hinge section first and then you can close the glove box allowing the top latch to snap into place.  This will hold the glove box up while you do up the hinge screws.
• Crawl back into the foot well with your Phillips screwdriver, inspection light and the three screws previously removed from the hinge.  In a position where you can clearly see the hinge, wiggle it into position aligning the three screw holes.

  

  • NOTE – there are also two alignment pins to engage.  You will see these (near the left and right screws).  Make sure the holes in the hinge are lined up and firmly over the pins, and this should perfectly align your screw holes.
• Install the three screws, snugging them firmly.   Again, don’t overtighten them.
• Now it’s time to reinstall the leather surround.
• Reconnect the electrical connector to the glove box open button.
  Align the three snaps along the top edge of the panel with the corresponding holes in the dash, and then press to engage them until the soundly ‘snap’ into place.
• Now check that the snaps on both the left and right lower side of the panel align well with their corresponding openings, and if they line up go ahead and press them into place.
  • NOTE – checking that the snap and hole align before trying to press them into place is important.  If they are slightly misaligned and you smash on it, you could snap the plastic post off and be really, really upset you’ve just broken something expensive and difficult to replace.  Take your time with this.
• Push the glove box release button and check that it works well.  Close the glove box and make sure that works well.   If something isn’t working right, go back and check what’s binding and adjust.  Shouldn’t be a problem though.
• Put your manual or other items back in the glove box.  You’re done!

Check out my short video below to see how I lined up the parts, it will make the procedure above make sense.