When someone opens the glove compartment, BMW didn’t want them to see the fuel injection wiring harness terminating at the fuel injection computer.

Instead, the person sees a pretty black plastic plate, that goes right below the fuel injection computer and forms a sort of ceiling for the glove compartment.

This plate also helps hold up the fuel injection wiring harness in case it felt like sagging.  It also has a little lamp that lights up when someone opens the glove compartment.

You do need to remove this plate so as to get to the fuel injection computer.

To remove the plate, use a Philips screwdriver to remove the two black screws that attach the rearmost lip of the plate to the dashboard, close to where the glove compartment latch goes into.

Reach to the outboard side and find a plastic anchor that is positioned vertically.  Twist it 90 degrees and pull it out.

Reach to the inboard side and find a plastic anchor that is positioned horizontally.  Twist it 90 degrees and pull it out.  This might be harder because the fuel injection wiring harness might be putting some downward pressure on it.

When re-installing the plate, make sure that you thread the glove compartment flashlight recharging plug wire way down, so that the wire has lots of movement.

Also, remember to attach the wires to the light that’s embedded in the plate.

You do not have to remove the glove compartment to get to this plate, and if I can avoid removing the glove compartment, I do.  It can be a massive pain to reinstall and realign.

To be able to remove the plate all the way, you do have to loosen one of the straps that carry some of the forward weight of the glove compartment — the inboard strap.

Two wires attach to the plate, specifically for the little glove compartment light.  Slide them loose.

I sell used plates for $10 each.

If you need to remove the light lens from the plate, remove the plate from the car first, and then pry the lens loose from the outside using a flat-tipped screwdriver.  I sell used lenses for $5 each, without the light bulb.  I sell used light bulbs for $3 each.