[Biturbos4] B5 S4 Glove box strut/dashpot

[Ti Kan]

2001.5 S4 here (I'm sure B5 A4s are the same).  When I open the glove box,
it used to open with a smooth, damped motion (sounded like a gas strut
in there with a hissing noise). But recently it no longer does that,
and just drops open hard.

I'm thinking the gas strut may have worn out, but don't they typically
go out gradually rather than spontaneously? Or is something else broken?

With the glove box open, I see a lever on the left side that seem to go
into a cylindrical object above. Is that the strut? Any insight about
how to replace or repair this?

-Ti