Hatch Latch won't Catch!

Hi all,

The tailgate door on my 1995 850 wagon suddenly refuses to close and latch completely. It latches to the first position that holds the door down, but won't make a tight seal and really "click in". It was intermittent before but with a bit of direct force it would grab on... now no amount of force seems to work.

There don't appear to be any obstructions in the door frame or the latch itself. I sprayed a lightweight silicone lube into the moving parts and they all seem to be moving fine. It's like the post that the latch is supposed to grab is just a few mm out of reach. Is this adjustable at all? It's about -15C outside so I haven't had a chance to really look more closely.

If there's something anyone can suggest so I can focus on it as soon as I get outside that would be great.

Thanks, blurp

Reply to
blurp
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On my old VW there were adjustable bump stops on either side of the hatch that could be screwed either in or out to reduce or increase the distance from the hatch. This would effectively allow you to change the way the hatch closed. Take a look at the rubber bump stops on your hatch and check to see if they are adjustable.

Jordan.

Reply to
Jabber

Unfortunately they are not adjustable. I checked them just now and they are fixed little rubber blocks, completely unobstructed and clean, and surprisingly soft and plyable considering the bitter cold outside.

Although I was able to move the latching parts easily with my finger I'll try a pencil or something to simulate the closing latch and ensure that part of the equation is working right.

Thanks, blurp

Reply to
blurp

Hi I have a v70 uk and I had the same problem some time back what I didnt notice is that the catch on the floor not the door was the problem the guy at the garage said he knocked it back towards rthe rear of the car as it had moved slowly forward over time and the door catch no longer reached fully????????? hope this helps

Reply to
Mark

I saw this problem on an 850 once - the fix was removing the latch from inside the tailgate and repeening the rivets that held the casing halves together - they had come loose.

Reply to
Mike F

I believe this is the most probable cause of the problem. It really seams like it just can't quite reach far enough.

Last night I got out a flashlight and examined the catch closely and saw there were two rubber stops inside that the latch mechanism would bump against. One of them looked a bit cockeyed so I pried it out, hoping that was the problem, but no luck.

Finally, in a fit of frustration, I gave the door a bit of a kick in the region of the latch and it snapped tight. So this further supports the assertion that the catch has slipped a bit in its moorings.

If it's riveted in place (as I think Mike F is suggesting) then it's out of my hands. I may try to compensate by shaving down the rubber stoppers or something.

Any other suggestions are welcome as I will be tackling this problem on Saturday.

Thanks, blurp

Reply to
blurp

You misunderstand me. The 2 halves of the latch are riveted together. These rivets become loose. Remove the latch from the tailgate, and if the 2 halves move relative to one another, place the latch somewhere solid and the rivet head are supported, and hit the other end of the rivet with a hammer and punch. This will tighten them up and hopefully solve your problem.

Reply to
Mike F

Aaaahhh, now I get it! And I believe you're referring to the moving part in the door rather than the fixed piece bolted to the frame. The latch part on the door seems very solid and has no play of any kind. It's all lubricated and the mechanism seems to be working fine.

Now I've turned my attention to the part in the jamb which the moving part latches on to.

Well I tried to remove this part but found that, like everything else on this car, it's bolted on with a torx bolt. Seems the one best tool you can own for this car is a torx set.

So when I am able to get to a hardware store for a T45 I will try it all out. Nothing feels loose in there but it was full of dirt, hair, sunflower seeds, and other various detritus from the previous owner.

Thanks, blurp

Reply to
blurp

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