Soft Close Boot - not quite closing all the way

[Flasheart]

I have a W140 S500 Coupe.

Soft close boot naturally.

Just noticed on my return from 30 days away that the boot is not quite closing as well as it should do, ie it needs to pull down about another 3 or 4mm. Tried a search and couldn't find anything about this.... also not sure if this is an electrics question but hey ho.

Does anyone know who you get it to close that little bit more?

 

[sportyreptile]

If you look at the striker plate you'll see that it can be adjusted up and down by 2 bolts accessed from inside the boot panel. I think you have to remove the trim piece but I can't remember. The striker can be moved up and down until you get the bootlid to fit flush.

I have a question re bootlid back at anyone - the pop out handle "pops out" with a slight delay and a hell of a bang, almost as if it's catching on something but there's clearance alround the handle - anyone have an answer?

 

[KLP 92]

If you look at the striker plate you'll see that it can be adjusted up and down by 2 bolts accessed from inside the boot panel. I think you have to remove the trim piece but I can't remember. The striker can be moved up and down until you get the bootlid to fit flush.

I have a question re bootlid back at anyone - the pop out handle "pops out" with a slight delay and a hell of a bang, almost as if it's catching on something but there's clearance alround the handle - anyone have an answer?

Its something to do with that mechanism you have described. My last W140 did that, played around with it and it stopped.

 

[sportyreptile]

Cheers, I think some investigation armed with a screwdriver and a can of wd40 is called for.....just wait for the "I've broken my boot handle" thread.

 

[Flasheart]

Thanks - will have a go with it later on today if i get time. It shuts ok and locks just not as flush as i would like. Also got some HID replacement bulbs to install at some point. Got the aircon redone at the Kwik Fit centre locally and that is a revelation.... with that service they can't frig the figures as they are machine generated - but it was almost really almost out of oil and a good job i did get it recharged.

 

[sportyreptile]

The same thing with my bootlid, it would lock but the lid stood proud of the rear wing tops and was letting water in. It's a case of fiddling (sorry, adjusting) the striker plate up or down to get the right fit.

I had my condensor replaced last summer as it was leaking, the result was great - ice cold aircon and it's still running good. You absolutely need working aircon in a double glazed bank vault of a car in this hot weather.

 

[Flasheart]

Is the striker plate in the boot lid of what the boot lid locks into? Sorry to be dumb here not heard the term before.

 

[sportyreptile]

It's the "catch" if you like that the boot lid fits into. So it's the part in the tail panel not on the lid itself. If I get chance I'll post some photos for you.

 

[Flasheart]

Had a look this afternoon and found what i am looking for. There are two small plastic covers over the relevant bolts. Will have a bash at it tomorrow - so thanks.

 

[miro]

Had a look this afternoon and found what i am looking for. There are two small plastic covers over the relevant bolts. Will have a bash at it tomorrow - so thanks.

English as a language is itself a source of amusement. Having a bash at a fine adjustment reminds me of the friend who took a crash course in driving.

 

[Flasheart]

Its not the striker plate that needs to be moved sadly, its actually the soft closure not functioning properly. The boot handle retracts but the soft closure on the boot doesn't. So looks like another expensive eletrical fault .....

 

[sportyreptile]

Oh dear. Does the softclose feature work on the doors ok?
If so it could just be a leak on the boot line from the vacuum pump under the back seat. There is a proceedure for resetting the softclose pump on the W140 forum at http://www.benzworld.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=19

do a search for Softclose, or vacuum pump, there's loads on there about it. I've not followed the proceedure myself but there are a few on the US forum that have. Might save you a few quid as I think a vacuum pump is in the order of £500

 

[Flasheart]

Doors and windows all work ok.

 

[Flasheart]

Its the vacuum pump that is knackered. I suspect in no small way due to the botch job that the prevvious garage i have used have done on the passenger seat in the way they botched fitting the new controller and cut off one of the pipes to the seat. Not forgetting to leave bare wires touching as well - no wonder its burnt out two controllers. Why do some garages just try and rip a punter off instead of admitting to being out of their depth?