Having a lot of trouble closing the boot. The lock doesn't seem to engage properly. Have tightened up the bolts, one of which had come right out, but problem persists. Is it a common fault? Does the lock need replacing?
TIA, Harold
Harry.
This is a favorite little fault for Rover cars. What happens is that in normal service rainwater which normally runs down the back of the car also enters the lock mechanism. On 200 series the majority of the lock is plastic with the exception of the actuator arm at the back which is metal. The arm rusts and expands against its plastic housing, jamming it anywhere along its operating track. I first had this problem surface when the tailgate on my old 200 started getting hard to close (lots of slamming), finally punctuated by my tailgate unlocking itself at speed on the motorway. Nice! I guess the same mech is used throughout the Rover range.
The cure is quite simple and has already been carried out on my 25 (same lock) as a preventative measure. Open the tailgate, pop off the liner. Unbolt the lock mech from the tailgate, you may have to disconnect any central locking. The actuating bar is held into its plastic housing by a through pin which needs to be carefully removed. Once out, carefully wiggle free the bar which will most probably be rusted solid, it only needs a slight film of rust to screw it right up, and then use sandpaper to remove the rust. Before reassembly, smear high melting point grease all over the now clean pin area of the bar, reassemble, then test with your key. If satisfied, smear hmp grease all over the bar and then reassemble the lock back into the tailgate. That should cure the lock.
PDH
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Thanks very much for this. I don't feel confident enough to disconnect the central locking from the tailgate lock, so might just pass your step-by-step guide to someone a bit more mechanically/technically minded than myself.
Cheers, Harold
step-by-step
Its dead easy to remove the central locking motor, there is an operating pin on the actuating shaft that has to be just lifted out of the lock oval when you unbolt the unit. Then you unbolt the lock unit.
PDH
This is what I love about a group as this .... always someone who has had a similar experience and always willing to pass on a remedy in an intelligent and thoughtful way. You won't believe this, but I have been slamming the tailgate on my rover 220 for just over a week now. I took your advice, step by step and there we have it ...... FIXED! ...... thanks PDH, it's almost divine intervention I read your post when I did ...... I would have spent a hell of a long time trying to figure that one if ever, and a hell of a lot of slamming in the meantime! ...
Omega
Omega.
"Across the country, house drives are noticably quieter due to rapid intervention of The Grease Can!!!!"
Sounds like you caught the problem in time. If it was left too long the expanding rust will eventually fracture the two plastic prongs, resulting in a new lock being required. Also consider that your car would not have been secure, a sharp upward pull of the hatch would open it quite easily.
I have a feeling that the Rover dealers response to this kind of fault would be to replace the lock and charge you a pretty penny in the process.
PDH
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