W203 Tailgate Spoiler

Paul Goff

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Hi everyone,
I have just bought myself a 2002 W203 Estate Avantgarde and something a little odd is happening.
In strong sunshine the tailgate spoiler is expanding in the heat, bowing upwards and when the tailgate is opened the leading edge of the spoiler is catching on the trailing edge of the roof!

I have made sure that the spoiler fixings (just the 4 plastic nuts on self tapping threads that are attached to the spoiler?) are set so that the spoiler is as far back as it will go and spread sideways as far as possible, but today it's catching again.

Does anyone have any experience of this? Any thing obvious that I am missing? IE, other fixings that are not easily visible but not engaged?

Thanks, Goffy.
 

Rappey69

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Ive had mine off and just threw it back on without any problems..
could yours be an aftermarket part that just isnt the correct quality ?
 
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Paul Goff

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Hi Rappey,
It easily could be, I strongly suspect not, but am in no position to be sure!
It looks very standard to my untutored eye, as does the rest of the car, just bought it from an elderly couple who, as second owners, had it for 12 years.
How about the fixings, just the four points, two at either side?
 

Ken_R

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I've got virtually the same vehicle and do not recognize the problem.

A picture would help!
 
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Paul Goff

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Hello Ken,
The light is going now so will take some pictures tomorrow. However it is more than possible that posting them on here will be beyond me! I'm no spring chicken myself ;-)
 

Rappey69

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I replaced my tailgate as at 6 years old it was rotting away from the inside out... Bought a complete one on ebay and just had to swop over wiper and spoiler.. seemed very easy to do.. Is your bootlid lining up properly?
 
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Paul Goff

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20170523_083607.jpg Morning Guys,
Here are some pictures of the tailgate spoiler. As you can see the paint has rubbed off the spoiler as a result of the heat distortion, this is happening while the tailgate is already open when it's sunny. However my main concern is what happens as I open the tailgate, the leading edge/corner of the spoiler catches badly on the trailing edge/corner of the roof. Not badly enough that the tailgate doesn't open but it makes a horrendous thunk noise as it rides down over the roof edge! Clearly this is not correct and could result in an expensive breakage.
This morning, 16°C and dull, it's fine but in sunshine the spoiler bows upwards and then catches every time.
Here are some pictures.
Sorry about the duplications, I knew that I would find uploading pictures a challenge ;-)
20170523_083600.jpg 20170523_083928.jpg 20170523_083921.jpg 20170523_083847.jpg 20170523_083826.jpg 20170523_083847.jpg
20170523_083547.jpg 20170523_083547.jpg 20170523_083547.jpg
 
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Paul Goff

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Hello again everyone,
It's sunny here in Devon again :)
So I have taken some pictures of the actual problem!
As you can see, the spoiler has expanded in the heat and and has bowed upwards in the middle by about 10mm, this is enough to make it foul the roof as the tailgate is opened!
Any ideas re' how to cure this?
 

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John Laidlaw

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That's weird, I suspect the part, as others have said, is non original. The design/material shouldn't allow that to happen, and I've not heard of anyone else mentioning this issue.
I guess you'd have to take it off, trim it, redrill it and put back on
By that time you may be best advised to replace it....
Not the same, but I got a boot lip spoiler on ebay from a seller 'Ikon Motorsport' (from Taiwan), which is excellent quality. I know a few others have these too with no issue- I had one on my SL too
 
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Paul Goff

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For every answer, two more questions! :)

Thanks for the input guys, I am now well on the way to a solution.
Took the spoiler off ish today and found the following,
It is original, complete with part numbers and paint code.
There are three dual purpose nut/clip fasteners which hold the two spoiler halves together AND clip into the tailgate.
These were damaged and not located in the tailgate!
The brake light electrical socket was not secured in the spoiler!

So in a nutshell, not refitted properly after removal.

That great tome of mystery and imagination arrived today, the H...es manual, this makes it clear that correct removal and refitting of the spoiler involves removal of the interior tailgate trim, but in best H...es style, is not very specific about the actual procedure.
ie. What, and how many fiddly clips am I likely to break and have to replace?

All that said, I have now improved the situation enormously, and now can open the boot without nasty noises even when the car is too hot to touch :) But I am still not happy about the fit, it now doesn't look or feel quite right!

Watch this space.
Thanks again, Goffy.
 

Rappey69

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you just got to prise the interior trim off carefully.. im sure i broke a few clips, but not enough to cause a problem...
 

John Laidlaw

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Glad you've improved it and solved the mystery of us assuming it was non original (I did have some slight doubt I must say as the Taiwanese ones go on with 3M VHB Tape generally and are going NOWHERE)..
What's stopping you saying Haynes by the way?
 
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Paul Goff

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you just got to prise the interior trim off carefully.. im sure i broke a few clips, but not enough to cause a problem...
Hopefully the warm conditions will minimize breakages, I'very found clips break very easily when it's cold, like doing a winter rebuild on a modern motorcycle with lots of plastic fairing etc ;-)
 
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Paul Goff

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Glad you've improved it and solved the mystery of us assuming it was non original (I did have some slight doubt I must say as the Taiwanese ones go on with 3M VHB Tape generally and are going NOWHERE)..
What's stopping you saying Haynes by the way?
I am just not keen on them, but they are often the only alternative and slightly better than nothing.
The cross referencing is vague at best and "refer to illustrations" with no reference numbers at all is just infuriating!
Cheap, cheerful and easy to get though ;-)
 

John Laidlaw

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I am just not keen on them, but they are often the only alternative and slightly better than nothing.
The cross referencing is vague at best and "refer to illustrations" with no reference numbers at all is just infuriating!
Cheap, cheerful and easy to get though ;-)
Ha ha yeah I get you !
 

LostKiwi

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In the land rover world the Haynes manuals are usually referred to as Heinous manuals....
There area whole range of translations for commoners..
"gently prise off with a screwdriver" really means get out your largest screwdriver and lever for all you're worth. Once you have it off put screwdriver in vise and straighten as best you can.
"tap with a small hammer until it releases" really means get your little 4oz hammer and hit it as hard as you can, then go the 8oz one and try again but really the only thing will shift it is a 3lb lump hammer.
"gently heat and tap gently..." really means a emptying full bottle of propane before giving up and getting a full oxyacetylene set onto it, heating it white hot and beating the living daylight out of it with a 3lb lump hammer.
"assembly is the reverse of disassembly" real means try to figure out where all those pieces that sprang apart go, spend half an hour trying every possible combination of assembly to finally get the right sequence in order for it to spring apart flinging parts 100metres in all directions.

You get the idea..
 
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Paul Goff

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The epilogue!

Tailgate now refitted correctly! It had clearly been removed and "refitted" previously WITHOUT taking off the tailgate interior trim.
It is held by the four plastic nuts/self tapping captive screws visible on the outside edges AND three captive, but free to rotate in the spoiler, bolts (lefthand threaded?) across the width of the spoiler. These screw into three nuts captive in the tailgate, this is done with a long series 3mm allen key which locates in the "sharp end" of the captive bolts, from inside the tailgate, after the trim is removed.

Thus fitted there is no position adjustment and no need for it! It stays put nicely at high ambient temperature and the shut line looks good too :)

PS The H...es manual makes no mention of allen keys or where to stick them ;-)

Goffy.
 


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