S211 wagon misplaced tailgate.

[na5o]

Hello everyone!

I have a misplaced tailgate on the station wagon. How and why, I have no idea. I found it after it started to make a slight noise when the lock hit the thumb and then I started to hear wind whistling in the passenger compartment at extra-urban speeds, then it turns out that the top of the tailgate does not fit snugly on the seal (the seal is not crushed or with modified form). The left and right sides press in nicely and I assume the bottom as well, but it's pretty hard to see there even when the door is bare with no panels on it. I tried adjusting it according to a PDF that says the top outer part of the door should be perfectly flush with the roof of the car, but after hours of twisting and turning I can't seem to get the logic to fit it and it keeps running away one side or not at all on the seal.

My question here is if anyone has encountered a similar problem - are there any instructions or by any chance can take some photos of the positions and distances of the 4 hinge bolts on the arm plate that hold the door to the compartment (picture attached)?

Thank you.

 

[Bootdog]

Hi na5o I'll try and get this for you, but it'll be late next week before I can. Photo and measurements of the stuff you circled on orange I guess?

 

[na5o]

Hello Bootdog,

Firstly, I would like to thank you for your assistance with this. I would appreciate it if you could provide the measurements for the bolt positions on the hinge or a picture, as well as the exact placement of the hinge on the rear door. I'm not in a hurry, so please take your time and get to it whenever it's convenient for you.

Thank you.

 

[Bootdog]

Hi na5o, attached are some measurements I took today, along with a photo looking to the front of the car.
The horizontal measurement is taken from the end of the rear window glass (i.e. top edge when it is closed).

I couldn't see any adjustment other than the 2 bolts that attach the bootlid to the hinge arm.
To close a gap at the top of the door, I think you would need to ensure the left bolt (nearest the front of the car when its open) ends up closer to the glass. That should make the bootld close tighter onto the top seal.
You'd need a helper to lift / twist the bootlid into position when you tighten up, otherwise the bootlid will want to pivot under its own weight, meaning that bolt will naturally end up further away from the glass.

 

[bolidemichael]

Is it a powered bootlid?

 

[Bootdog]

My one in the pictures above is not powered...

 

[na5o]

Bootdog, thank you. Perfect pictures! Yes, the problem is that the upper part is too close, and the bottom is too far. And its twisted on the right side as well ... Will try to adjust it accordingly to those measurements and i hope that everything will be back to normal. And again, thank you for the fast reply and everything.