Hatch Latch won't Catch!

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blurp - 15 Feb 2007 16:36 GMT

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

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Jabber - 15 Feb 2007 21:11 GMT

> Hi all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> Thanks,
> blurp

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.

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blurp - 15 Feb 2007 21:39 GMT

>> Hi all,
>>
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
>Jordan.

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

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Mark - 16 Feb 2007 01:20 GMT

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

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Mike F - 16 Feb 2007 14:05 GMT

> 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

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.

Signature

Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

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blurp - 16 Feb 2007 15:22 GMT

>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

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

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Mike F - 16 Feb 2007 21:22 GMT

> >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
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> Thanks,
> 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.

Signature

Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

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blurp - 19 Feb 2007 15:24 GMT

>> >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
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>rivet with a hammer and punch. This will tighten them up and hopefully
>solve your problem.

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

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