Glove box light and EML

Hi all

The other month I was driving and the engine management light pinged on. This was no surprise as she had just had some work done and it always comes on a month later!

Anyways, I since discovered the glovebox bulb was not working so today I popped to Halfords and replaced it. The bulb still does not work, so obviously a more technical issue. Searched on here and not found anything, also found some good technical webpages on the A2. could this also be why the EML is lit, as otherwise the car seems ok - bar needing a new front o/s wheelarch after someone drove into it while at work!

Any help or advice is welcome, but please keep it simple as I'm not completely technically minded!

Cheers in advance
Phil

Hi Phil,

The two issues are not connected. A diagnostic scan will be needed to help you where the EML is concerned.

I'm guessing you're aware that the glovebox light is linked to the car's side lights. If your side lights are off, the glovebox won't light.
However, the glovebox light on the A2 is prone to failure. Take a look at the photo below...



When you open the glove box, the plastic 'hammer' pivots to the right, causing two metal contacts to touch, which causes the bulb to light. When the glove box is closed, the hammer swings back into place, separates the contacts, and the light goes off.
However, the base of the hammer is stressed by the resistance presented by the metal contacts, which can cause it to snap off at its base. Consequently, when you open the glove box, the hammer doesn't move, meaning no light.

This could be what's happened to yours.

Cheers,

Tom

Hi Tom,
Will have to dig out a torch and have a look, it's tricky in the winter as I never get to see daylight!

My car often seems to suffer from the EML and normally costs a lot but nothing much wrong. I will need to find someone with the kit to help me out I think!

Cheers

Phil

Hi Phil,

Take a trip to your car, turn the side lights on, and then open the glove box. If the light comes on, you haven't got problems. If the light doesn't come on, then I'm fairly confident that you've got the issue I've described above. You have to remove interior panels and the glove box itself to be sure as this part isn't normally visible.

Cheers,

Tom

Yeah, checked with lights on and swapped with another fuse, definitely just the bulb as the number plate lights work.

Will have a fiddle on Tuesday, as I will need good light for it!

Is it the lining of the glovebox, or the whole unit that needs to be removed?

Cheers again!

Sorry, just to avoid confusion... you opened the glove compartment with the side lights switched on and the light in the glove compartment still didn't come on...? If I've understood correctly, then I imagine you've got a broken 'hammer'.
The whole glove box needs to be removed in order to see the problem and fix it. Fixing it is a fairly involved job, as even the strongest Araldite won't glue the hammer back in place for long! I've fixed this problem in the past by reinforcing the hammer's base with a small bolt, but precision is needed so you'll need access to a pillar drill. If you're keen to continue, I'll upload some more photos.

Cheers,

Tom

With a small mod to the glovebox and thorough 'keying' of both surfaces with a scalpel, Araldite worked for me - more info here - http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?4432-glove-box&p=34341#post34341

Cheers Spike

Well done, Spike; you clearly had more success here than I did!

Here's a photo of how I did it:



What the photo doesn't show is that the bolt had to be drilled out down inside the hole, as a pin slots down inside the hole to form the hinge.
Given that Spike's solution worked, I'd suggest mine was perhaps over-kill!

Tom

that hammer is so weak it is a joke!

The light in my glovebox hasn't worked for as long as I've owned the car - to the point that I didn't even know there was one until Hotstuff said mine wasn't working last year when we did the DIS retrofit!

humps said:

that hammer is so weak it is a joke!

Click to expand...

The hammer is adequate for opening / closing the lamp contacts but when fixing mine I noted it also acted as a stop and took the weight of the glove box lid when opened. (see link in post 7 above)

Cheers Spike

spike said:

The hammer is adequate for opening / closing the lamp contacts but when fixing mine I noted it also acted as a stop and took the weight of the glove box lid when opened. (see link in post 7 above)

Cheers Spike

Click to expand...

that's the point, I don't think it is meant to take any addition weight than operating the switch but once you have watched it in action with the glovebox detached, there is clearly a design flaw there!