Technical 500c boot lid gas spring/damper

[Gina500]

Hi, I have a question on the gas spring for the boot lid of the 500C.

I need to open it well above horizontal (so more than half way up) before the spring takes over and fully pushes up the lid. To me, this feels a bit late, as if the damper is worn out, which it shouldn´t be since the car is new.

I have nothing to compare to , so your feedback is appreciated:

is this a feature (i.e. normal) or is this a defect that I should get fixed ?

Thanks a lot

 

[alexGS]

Sounds normal to me - it’s a small and lightweight bootlid, rather than a large and heavy tailgate, so not much lifting assistance is required. The hinges are also designed to go over-centre as they unfold.

My biggest problem is trying to prevent the number plate frame from rattling as the lid is closed! Strategic placement of double-sided tape still hasn’t solved it, as the Europlates I use are clipped into the holders and there is always free movement somewhere.



-Alex

 

[John202020]

My biggest problem is trying to prevent the number plate frame from rattling as the lid is closed! Strategic placement of double-sided tape still hasn’t solved it, as the Europlates I use are clipped into the holders and there is always free movement somewhere.



-Alex

Silicone sealer?

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

Hi, I have a question on the gas spring for the boot lid of the 500C.

I need to open it well above horizontal (so more than half way up) before the spring takes over and fully pushes up the lid. To me, this feels a bit late, as if the damper is worn out, which it shouldn´t be since the car is new.

I have nothing to compare to , so your feedback is appreciated:

is this a feature (i.e. normal) or is this a defect that I should get fixed ?

Thanks a lot

Quite normal. The gas strut is meant more to keep the lid open than assist in opening it. Otherwise you'd be fighting the strut to close the lid.

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

My biggest problem is trying to prevent the number plate frame from rattling as the lid is closed! Strategic placement of double-sided tape still hasn’t solved it, as the Europlates I use are clipped into the holders and there is always free movement somewhere.



-Alex

A favourite bugbear of mine too. After my (rattly) rear plate was stolen, ripped off the car - cover, screws and all - I killed two birds by fitting a black alloy plate to the original holes and screwing the plate and cover firmly down to it.

I was annoyed that the dealer insisted on punching holes, just the two of them, straight into the boot-lid in the first place.

John's suggestion of silicone is probably the cheapest solution.

 

[alexGS]

A favourite bugbear of mine too. After my (rattly) rear plate was stolen, ripped off the car - cover, screws and all - I killed two birds by fitting a black alloy plate to the original holes and screwing the plate and cover firmly down to it.

I was annoyed that the dealer insisted on punching holes, just the two of them, straight into the boot-lid in the first place.

John's suggestion of silicone is probably the cheapest solution.

Same happens in NZ - extra holes by the dealer! To suit the standard number plate.

My personalised plates are Euro-size and don’t have holes, so I obtain the Euro-style holders and screw them into the original holes which are, funnily enough, in the right places however some of the holders are better quality than others. The best are German and soft plastic; the worst are hard plastic and a loose grip on the plate. You can guess which I’ve ended up with, but either a lot of tape or some black silicone should indeed sort it out. Thanks John, will do. Neutral-cure silicone is always preferable too and easy to find in hardware stores these days.

Sorry for the thread hijack but I think we’ve addressed the original question. There is one other related topic, which is that the wiring should be fastened to the left hinge. My plastic clip had come adrift and been shoved into the rubber seal very hard by the closing of the lid! I found that there’s a slot that accepts a cable tie perfectly - so, check if there’s a cable tie and if not, tie on that clip firmly

-Alex

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

Same happens in NZ - extra holes by the dealer! To suit the standard number plate.

My personalised plates are Euro-size and don’t have holes, so I obtain the Euro-style holders and screw them into the original holes which are, funnily enough, in the right places however some of the holders are better quality than others. The best are German and soft plastic; the worst are hard plastic and a loose grip on the plate. You can guess which I’ve ended up with, but either a lot of tape or some black silicone should indeed sort it out. Thanks John, will do. Neutral-cure silicone is always preferable too and easy to find in hardware stores these days.

Sorry for the thread hijack but I think we’ve addressed the original question. There is one other related topic, which is that the wiring should be fastened to the left hinge. My plastic clip had come adrift and been shoved into the rubber seal very hard by the closing of the lid! I found that there’s a slot that accepts a cable tie perfectly - so, check if there’s a cable tie and if not, tie on that clip firmly

-Alex

My personal plates aren't Euro-sized and do have holes, They're fixed to the backing plate with double-sided tape and tamper-proof screws and fitted with clear plastic covers which I've also drilled and screwed to the plate through the existing holes. The backing plate is bolted to the boot-lid with nuts and shakeproof washers inside the lid. These ones won't be stolen!

Funny thing is that the original plate has never been recovered so I get pulled over quite often for my 'stolen' plates!!

Thanks for the tip about the cable tie, Alex, Coincidentally I found my wife's car's boot clip in the driveway yesterday (my car's a few months older and doesn't have the longer loop of wire - hence, no clip). I'm just about to go out and fix it - permanently.