Clementine's Garage
Clementine the Cat
 
Image of flower
Yellow R4
 
Réparateur d'automobiles

Problem with 5th door

MarioZg

Enthusiast
Messages
146
Location
Zagreb, Croatia
Hello to all of you!
The title of the thread is not correct. I don't have a problem, I have problems- plural.
Since purchase, I have a lot of trouble with my 5th door. They make big noise across bumps on the road. All the time. I tried everything- replacing seals, setting up the locks, replacing the locks, etc. I'm sure that sound comes from door, because I tried drive with open door, and knocking/throbbing, call it whatever feels good to you, disappeared. Yesterday I tried to set alignment because it was hanging a little bit to the left, but when I tried to remove spring arm that holds door up, aside it almost killed me, the spring broke. Here you can see.
IMG_20190514_185948_1.jpgIMG_20190514_193549.jpg
So I have question(s): in case that I find replacing spring, how to get it off the door and stay alive, and how to get it back on my car and happily drive away with fully working spring?
Video will be the most helpful way to show me, but I don't recommend taking that risk of killing yourself.

In case you wonder, the door still knocks.
 
Dobar dan Mario-when hatch is shut (not necessarily locked) have you tried carefully knocking in a wooden-wedge or two in the crack
between hatch and body??
If you start from bottom R and L first -take it for a spin,if no knocks you have identified knock to be from worn or loose hinge(s)lock-pin
or bottom part of hatch.As you have changed seals I anticipate knocking isn't from direct metal to metal touching.
If still knocking move wedges to say R side of hatch-again short spin to listen for it,same thing now on L side untill you identify where knocking
originates from ,then take appropriete action.Alternatively you could have a friend inside who can push from inside on various sections of
the rear hatch till it hopefully stops knocking making it poss to locate knock and remedy it.

Worst case scenario is the knocking originates from 2 Jehovas Witnesses :whistle::whistle:knocking on your door trying to hand you The Watchtower.
-They Never give up-so you might be stuck with the knocking for ever! -R.
 
We had discussed about that life threatening support arm earlier here. The safe way to remove it is with the tailgate open, as it has considerably less tension. Prop the tailgate open to its highest extent, or better have an assistant (the same friend Reidar suggested to push on the tailgate while you drive...) hold it, then undo the two bolts that hold the arm on the tailgate. The arm will still press against the tailgate under its own force. Push it gently downwards, you will notice that spring force is not great, and ease its hinged part away from the tailgate with your left hand, while you hold the main part with your right hand, and release progressively its tension. Now you can remove the two nuts that hold the assembly on the body. Be careful because the tailgate is not supported now!
This support arm can well be a source of knocks especially if it is sloppy from many years of use.
 
Dobar dan Mario-when hatch is shut (not necessarily locked) have you tried carefully knocking in a wooden-wedge or two in the crack
between hatch and body??
If you start from bottom R and L first -take it for a spin,if no knocks you have identified knock to be from worn or loose hinge(s)lock-pin
or bottom part of hatch.As you have changed seals I anticipate knocking isn't from direct metal to metal touching.
If still knocking move wedges to say R side of hatch-again short spin to listen for it,same thing now on L side untill you identify where knocking
originates from ,then take appropriete action.Alternatively you could have a friend inside who can push from inside on various sections of
the rear hatch till it hopefully stops knocking making it poss to locate knock and remedy it.

Worst case scenario is the knocking originates from 2 Jehovas Witnesses :whistle::whistle:knocking on your door trying to hand you The Watchtower.
-They Never give up-so you might be stuck with the knocking for ever! -R.

I am not sure I got you quite well... I don`t have a space to put wedge when the hatch is closed. Seal is allaroud, no free play or free space. The lock is moved inwards so when I open the hatch from outside the door "jumps" a bit. So, the seal is doing it`s job. No matter where I move the lock it`s making the same sound. I will try to get a mafia ride in the trunk, but so far nothing didn`t work so I`m not optimistic.
Maybe there are really Jehovas somewhere inside. :D


We had discussed about that life threatening support arm earlier here. The safe way to remove it is with the tailgate open, as it has considerably less tension. Prop the tailgate open to its highest extent, or better have an assistant (the same friend Reidar suggested to push on the tailgate while you drive...) hold it, then undo the two bolts that hold the arm on the tailgate. The arm will still press against the tailgate under its own force. Push it gently downwards, you will notice that spring force is not great, and ease its hinged part away from the tailgate with your left hand, while you hold the main part with your right hand, and release progressively its tension. Now you can remove the two nuts that hold the assembly on the body. Be careful because the tailgate is not supported now!
This support arm can well be a source of knocks especially if it is sloppy from many years of use.

Thank you for your extensive answer, very helpful. :drunk: I was looking for that thread all across the forum, but I could not find it. Still I can`t. If you have some link, it would be great.
 
Last few days I spent on working on the rear door. I got the other spring hand, new guiding rubbers at the bottom and try to set doors. I`m still alive, so the operation was successful, and now when I know the process, very simple. The noise is much less, much quiet, but it is still there periodically. For me, that is enough.
It is my curse- when I try to fix something, I always have to break that first :D
Anyway, thank you very much for your help :drunk:
 
Try setting the lock a little tighter by moving the striker pin inwards. I have found that if the tailgate shuts closed with little or no force, it will almost certainly knock.
Last week I had to do some work on a customer's GTL, and on the test drive I felt it being too "bouncy". I checked tyre pressures, and sure enough they were too high (36-38 psi!). When I restored pressures to normal levels and went for another test drive, I noticed much less noise and knocks from the rear end!
 
Back
Top