Storage compartment removal?

[Tim04LE]

In an 04 Corolla LE, how does the front lower storage compartment (right in front of the shifter) come out?

Mine seems to be broken and won't stay closed.

Any ideas?

Thanks........

[CANADA43]

I see this is an old post, but no one responded yet. My son's '03 Corolla has the same issue - both compartment doors won't stay closed, just flop around - a major irritant - Toyota dealer says this is a $300 repair job. Seems like the spring mechanisms to hold the doors closed have failed or come apart. We will tackle ourselves as it can't be rocket science but need to find how to open up the dash panel safely (without tripping air bags, etc.) to get at the hinges/ springs etc.

Just found a link to a video showing how to disassemble the dash; it's actually very simple...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3Bz5yz_DkU

It is wisest to disable the airbags first. Good luck to anyone having this problem.

[Tim04LE]

Originally Posted by CANADA43

I see this is an old post, but no one responded yet. My son's '03 Corolla has the same issue - both compartment doors won't stay closed, just flop around - a major irritant - Toyota dealer says this is a $300 repair job. Seems like the spring mechanisms to hold the doors closed have failed or come apart. We will tackle ourselves as it can't be rocket science but need to find how to open up the dash panel safely (without tripping air bags, etc.) to get at the hinges/ springs etc.

Just found a link to a video showing how to disassemble the dash; it's actually very simple...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3Bz5yz_DkU

It is wisest to disable the airbags first. Good luck to anyone having this problem.

many thanks for the video, just what i needed,........just 1 more question........how easy was it to repair or replace the broken springs?

[CANADA43]

Sorry, I haven't gotten to the repair job yet (my son lives on other side of Toronto so car is not conveniently available). I will post back just as soon as I have an update, within a couple of weeks. I trust yours is still broken since your original post? My son's Corolla has been like this since '07 - first the lower door, then recently the upper door.

[Tim04LE]

Originally Posted by CANADA43

Sorry, I haven't gotten to the repair job yet (my son lives on other side of Toronto so car is not conveniently available). I will post back just as soon as I have an update, within a couple of weeks. I trust yours is still broken since your original post? My son's Corolla has been like this since '07 - first the lower door, then recently the upper door.

no worries,.....i've waited this long...lol

i have 2x04's that i bought for my 2 kids for college, the first had 1 bad door, a year later 2........the 2nd, now has 1 bad door...(at the moment)

i'm curious to know if parts are available to repair it (if possible)

[CANADA43]

OK! All fixed; and they won't ever break again, as they are stronger than from Toyota factory.

CAUSE OF FAILURES:
The upper compartment is a fixed bin (molded as part of the center stack housing) and only the door opens; it has tiny (i.e., weak) 7/32" diameter plastic hinge pins which the closing spring is always trying to break off (and obviously they do).
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...6&d=1330536364
The entire lower compartment pivots on larger, durable hinge pins but the attachment point for the spring is only 1/16" thick plastic and breaks away under the stress from the spring, which is quite strong and durable.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...7&d=1330536364

NOTES:
There is provision for springs on both ends of the upper compartment but there is only one installed on the left side, coming from Toyota. The factory springs work like safety pins and are black, but you can see in the picture a chrome spring on the right end which I added, made from a similar spring from my spare parts assortment. http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...4&d=1330536591

The lower compartment wood-look door is separate from the bin; it has plastic hooks along the bottom edge which allow easy removal of the door by pulling with a hook-shaped tool at the bottom. This exposes the spring arrangement (although you still have to remove the whole center stack molding to fix things). http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...5&d=1330536591

You may find the springs have fallen off the compartment assemblies down into the console, in my case they were easily recovered by pulling out the lower edge of the console away from the carpeting; the parts fell out onto the floor.

By the way, to answer your question about parts, here in Ontario, Canada, no separate parts are available to repair these compartments; Toyota only sells the entire housing with bins, doors, etc. for $345.

THE FIX:
I repaired the lower compartment by epoxying a piece of thin sheet metal (cut from leftover banding from a chimney antenna mount) onto the location of the spring mount (see pics). I trimmed back the plastic webs and roughed up the plastic surface for better adhesive bond. I punched a hole through the metal for the spring attachment point and trimmed the metal to shape with snips. Bond with 5-minute epoxy and voila! Stronger-than-ever permanent repair.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...8&d=1330536364
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...9&d=1330536364
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...3&d=1330536591

For the upper compartment I had to replace the plastic door hinge pin on the left lower corner of the bin where the spring attaches. http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...1&d=1330537679 The easiest solution was to bend a 7/32" diameter x 2" finishing nail to fit along the inside lower corner of the bin and come out the front in place of the hinge pin. I bent it by holding in a bench vise (vise grips could work) and folding carefully over with a hammer. A compound bend (90 + 45 degree bends) was required to fit properly. Then I cut off nail head at proper length to match original hinge pin length, and then trimmed away the broken plastic hinge material and epoxyied the nail into its' place. Not completely an elegant fix as the nail is visible when door is open, but it will never break or wear out!
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...0&d=1330536364
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...2&d=1330536591

Hope this gives you the info you need to fix these compartments permanently. My son is thrilled with his Corolla fixed now, and says he can't remember driving the car without the bins always hanging open. It definitely makes the car nicer to use, something like driving a car with a cracked window, then getting it fixed. Plus he can use the bins again!

[Tim04LE]

Originally Posted by CANADA43

OK! All fixed; and they won't ever break again, as they are stronger than from Toyota factory.

(snip)

Beautiful job.......Great post......

[Richnsoos]

This post is a life-saver. Thanks for the link to the video and all your photos. I guess this is what I'll be working on this weekend. Can't wait to get the door to stay in place. I have a manual transmission and every time I go to third gear, it's a knuckle buster against that door. Thanks again