I opened the boot and it went BANG!

[Nasco12]

It was the nearside spring. When I eventually managed to remove the trim it turned out it was the bracket attaching the spring to the lid that had failed rather than the spring itself.

I noticed that on the remaining bracket there were still some holes. Could I attach the spring to those, I wondered? Well, I did:

It works but there are some issues:

1. The spring seems to be more stretched than its opposite number
2. It comes up with more force than before and bounces when it reaches vertical.
3. There is a banging noise when I close the lid with any force.

Nearside:

Offside:

 

[wemorgan]

I'm surprised this has happened, even for your age car. The loads on that panel would have been quite low, relative to the strength of material. Very odd.

Maybe you can make a wire loop to extended the position for the spring to attach too.

 

[jduk]

Exactly what happened on mine a few months ago. N/S bracket. Same place. Have hooked it up to the next hole. Do not seem to have an issue with the temp bodge job.

 

[Kompressor_Dude]

Same here, heard a big bang and had to stretch it to the next hole. As long as you don't slip the spring and catch your finger it's an easy fix! Mine still opens and closes fine tho??

 

[andy27168]

Neighbours 98 C200 did this exact same thing and i have read the same thing on other forums, seems to be a common issue, though fingers crossed both mine are still intact.

 

[DRBC43AMG]

No problems with my 2 W202's

 

[salesac1]

Mine too, offside though, about 3 weeks ago. There are other useful old threads on here about it - here and here.

I have stretched the spring to the nearest hole (works best if you attach in the new hole first, then pull the spring towards you). I am gradually getting used to the new velocity of opening! Closing is OK, just takes a little more force than before .

Nasco12 - looks like your offside spring may be one hole nearer the boot opening than the nearside one. Would it help to match each side up?

 

[Nasco12]

Nasco12 - looks like your offside spring may be one hole nearer the boot opening than the nearside one. Would it help to match each side up?

Actually, it's the nearside one that went. So, it's already a hole nearer and it still looks stretched. Oh well.

The banging noise seems to have gone so I guess either it was things settling down or something quite different.

 

[Howard]

Can you not get the lid off and get the bracket welded back on ?

 

[bobby]

Same thing has happened on mine. Andy kindly connected it back up to another hole as per posters above but now it doesn't pop properly (just pops up to sit above the boot line instead of swinging up). Needs further review...

 

[jaymanek]

It is under quite a bit of tension... If you think about the physics of it, its a spring that is trying to pull the whole lid up when the boot is almost in its close position and its doing it from right near the hinge point... quite a bit of force needed...

 

[br0ke]

And it quite finely balanced.
Mine used to pop open when I pushed the button but after I fitted the AMG spoiler it just pops and sits almost closed.
Stops the rain getting in I s'pose.

 

[Londonscottish]

Happened to my C43 saloon.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Very common design fault, happened to me aswell 3 years ago!

Hand: My own

 

[DITTRICH]

Both of mine went in the last 6m at 11 years old. I shall get them welded back when the car gets seen to this spring - complete rust removal and respray