Automatically Opening Boot Lid........

[Andy Rundell]

Ever since i first got my car (72 Mk 1 1/2ish) the boot has occasionally decided to open itself. it seems to be getting more regular and i am getting bored of thanking other drivers for pointing it out to me

When checking the mechanism it all appears to be functioning as i'd expect - but justwont maintain is grip - after closing the boot i can give it a good upward tug and all is well seated.

Anyone suffered from this before ? any advice before itake a closer look tomorrow ? all ideas gratefully received

cheers....Andy

[Rubce]

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My car's boot was performing that unhelpful trick early last year. I tried to adjust the lock mechanism by moving the lock mount but it wouldn't budge. I thenapplied copious amounts of penetrating oil and hit it hard as I could with a rubber mallet. It seemed to do the trick as to-date the problem has gone away.

Good luck

Bruce

[Andy Rundell]

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Hi Bruce, thanks for the reply,

I tried plenty of wd40 and 3in1 before - but havn't yet tried adjusting the catch plate - i'm assuming that the hefty whack with the rubber mallet was on the body-mounted catch plate to try and move it upwards - is that correct ?

thanks again......Andy

[Rubce]

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Andy Rundell wrote:

Hi Bruce, thanks for the reply,

I tried plenty of wd40 and 3in1 before - but havn't yet tried adjusting the catch plate - i'm assuming that the hefty whack with the rubber mallet was on the body-mounted catch plate to try and move it upwards - is that correct ?

thanks again......Andy

Andy

Yes, the body mounted catch plate. Move itto the right.

Bruce

[Andy Rundell]

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Rubce wrote:

Andy

Yes, the body mounted catch plate. Move itto the right.

Bruce

thanks for the clarification - i'll give it a try tomorrow........

cheers......

[Stagdad]

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Andy Rundell wrote:

Anyone suffered from this before ? any advice before itake a closer look tomorrow ? all ideas gratefully received

cheers....Andy

Hi Andy

Can't give any advice but your not alone as i followed a green "N" plate stag back throughWindlesham (no it wasn't Tim) onFriday with his boot flapping around .Not in mine :Xas per usuallwhen everi see another Stag.

Cheers Steve

[Andy Rundell]

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Stagdad wrote:

i followed a green "N" plate stag back throughWindlesham (no it wasn't Tim) onFriday with his boot flapping around .

Hi Steve, the green N-reg could well have been the guy who lives round the corner from me, perhaps it is a local Camberley-based problem ! i'll ask next time i see him

cheers.......Andy

[Stagdad]

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Andy Rundell wrote:

Stagdad wrote:

i followed a green "N" plate stag back throughWindlesham (no it wasn't Tim) onFriday with his boot flapping around .

Hi Steve, the green N-reg could well have been the guy who lives round the corner from me, perhaps it is a local Camberley-based problem ! i'll ask next time i see him

cheers.......Andy

Andy

This one was very rough round the edges.is the one down your road like that?

Steve

[Gresley]

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I had exactly this problem on my Pi Estate which uses the same mechanism. No amount of adjusting would cure it until I replaced the catch mechanism. Its been fine since.

Brian

[Andy Rundell]

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Stagdad wrote:

This one was very rough round the edges.is the one down your road like that?

Steve

No, its not rough, must have been a different one..........Andy

[Andy Rundell]

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Gresley wrote:

I had exactly this problem on my Pi Estate which uses the same mechanism. No amount of adjusting would cure it until I replaced the catch mechanism. Its been fine since.

Brian

Thanks Brian - i'm hoping i can do some adjustments to solve it, if i don't have any joy a replacement mechanism may be needed

cheers..........Andy

[claral]

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Interesting, this has happened to me twice in the last 2 months, the first time i thought maybe i had been careless and not shut it properly, the 2nd time i was pretty sure i had shut the boot and blamed the wife!

Another job for the to do list!

[Andy Rundell]

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Just to close this one out .......

There was quite a lot of adjustment available on the catch plate - loosen the 3 large philips, no mallet required. After a bit of trial and error i ended up moving towards the offside and upwards about 1/4" and after two days driving on the uneven Surrey roads the boot has stayed shut - hopefully fixed.

Thanks for the helpful advice...........cheers, Andy

[RogerP]

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Hi Guys I’m new to the forum but have owned a Stag for the last eighteen years, used to do most of the work myself but nowadays try and get somebody else to do it, old age bad back and large stomach makes things awkward. Right now down to the problem of boot opening automatically, you have all mentioned adjusting the lock mechanism, but I think you might have missed one important item!! What holds the boot shut and what opens it. Ok will try and explain open the boot and look at the catch on boot lid, look at the actual catch, you’ve got the shaped part that slides over the catch fitted to the rear panel, and if you look at the top part of that the flat part it should be horizontal, if it is not i.e.: at a slight angle exaggerated 2 o clock to 8 o clock this has the effect of partly pushing in the button, so in certain conditions it will pop open. This can be adjusted remove the three screws holding the cover protecting the lock and if my memory serves me right look on the left hand side and you will see a long square tapered plastic/nylon sort of nut that fits into a square hole and has got a threaded rod down the middle push the plastic up and screw it up or down to get the flat horizontal that should stop it bouncing open. Well it did mine haven’t bounced open for the last two years. Hope this helps.



Roger

[Rubce]

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Welcome on board Roger. I only joined a few weeks ago myself. Everybody on here is very friendly and helpful

Regards

Bruce