Glove Box Removal on the Mercedes W220 S-Class and CL-Class

Last updated: October 24, 2026

Instructions on How to Remove the Glove Box W220 S-Class

Read this before you start: the passenger airbag is right here

The passenger airbag module on these cars sits in the dash immediately above the glove box, and its wiring runs through the opening the glove box comes out of. That is the single thing worth knowing before you take four screws out, and it is why this job deserves two minutes of preparation rather than none.

Kill the power first. Turn the ignition off, take the key out, disconnect the negative battery cable and let the car sit before you reach behind the dash. A restraint system holds a reserve charge after power is cut, and the required wait is specific to the vehicle, so look up the figure for yours rather than assuming. Err on the long side if you cannot find it.

Know which connector you are after. The step below that has you unplugging the glove box electrical connector is fine. It feeds the glove box lamp. What you must not unplug, pry at, or pull on is anything with a yellow connector or yellow loom tape, because yellow is the convention for restraint system wiring. If you disturb one by accident, plug it back in before you restore power, or the car will store a fault and the airbag light will stay on until it is cleared with a scanner.

Expect some housekeeping afterwards. On a W220, disconnecting the battery typically means the BAS and ESP warnings appear until the car has been driven, and the windows and sunroof may need normalizing by holding the switches at the end of their travel. That is normal after a battery disconnect and is not something you broke.

1. Press the button to open the glove box door.
2. There are two screws on the top and two on the bottom. The two bottom screws sit behind small plastic covers that have to come off first, and those covers are brittle enough that they often crack on the way out. Work them off gently with a trim tool rather than a screwdriver, and check them before you refit, since a broken one is what turns into a dashboard rattle later.
3. Remove all four screws and pull out the glove box.
4. As you pull out the glove box, you will notice two cables that you need to disconnect. Disconnect the glove box electrical connector and the door release cable.
5. Now you are free to completely remove the glove box from the dashboard.

Glove Box Problems on Mercedes-Benz W220 S-Class

Glove Box Loose

One common problem with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class’s glove box is that over time, the glove box itself or the glove box door may become loose.

To address this problem tighten the glove box screws. Adjust the rubber that keeps the door from shaking. The two rubber pieces have screws in the center that you can adjust.

Mercedes Glove Box Stuck

Another problem that you may experience with the glove box on your Mercedes S-Class is that the glove box door does not open. This is due to the glove box release button or the release cable getting damaged. In this case, you may need to carefully pry out the plastic cover on the side of a dashboard using dashboard trim tool and try to access the latch from this access port.

Applicable to: S430 S350 S500 S600 CL500 CL600 S55 AMG

Model Years: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005