Mark,s Mega Project

Ahh i can see now that its't the actual hinge on the boot. Have never seen one of these fail and have never removed one, but i'm sure I can get one off for you.

I can get one, because I dont want the bootlid falling on my head :)
 
Mka306 said:
**DISASTER** When I decided to fit the little red springs for the auto boot opening hack the hinge going into the roof decided to snap, I now have no use of my boot and I'm guessing I will need a new one and then pay someone to fit it, total nightmare!!!!!
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Hi Mk306,
Sorry to see this happen, this is a hinge that takes a lot of weight & also gets neglected when lubricating doors etc as not easy to access/see.
Just a thought are the springs the correct length & wire thickness?
Regards
Keith
 
Ok to answer a few questions

-yes it's the hinge attached to the under side of the roof that's snapped
- @A2Steve please help
-Yes I'm glad I'll be seeing others in the know in how to fix
-Yes my thoughts were the boot struts are not correct but they have not caused any issue until now so I'm scrapping the boot hack as it was a nice idea but not something I'm going to risk again.

On a positive note I've removed my wiper arm for a refurb and am in the process of wet sanding thus far....

20210524_143147.jpg
 
Hmm see I’ve held off from fitting the set of springs I’d bought for the auto-boot hack as I was uncomfortable with what must be fairly massive forces being exerted - although I must say I had thought it’d be the strut mounting nipple on the boot lid that would go before the hinge as this looks by far to be the more flimsy part.

@Mka306 Mark, sorry this happened to you, but I suspect many of us will use your experience and pass on this modification now - I have to say I do like the theatrical effect it brings, but closing Audrey’s boot lid is current easy - just pull it down to the level of the rear lights and let it drop - and I suspect I’d be annoyed if the boot lid was now difficult to shut without fairly concerted effort.
 
Mark don’t worry, it’s a relatively simple job to do.

64F39E26-C75D-4EF3-987C-753F4B197DE5.jpeg

Under the plastic cover is a bolt, I’ve already removed it now but you can see where it was. I’ve cut the loom for ease of access but there’s no need to do so.

B99001F3-0327-4808-BC55-F126D692AE99.jpeg

One bolt on the inside under the headliner.

The 2 torx bolts that hold it to the boot

And voila

55F6CF41-07FD-4105-9DDF-17FDC45711C2.jpeg


One boot hinge.

I got it off in a few minutes, different if it’s a car you have to take care with but easily manageable in 30 minutes.

As a tip, disconnect the boot strut on that side and get someone to support the boot while you change the boot over.
 
A2Steve said:
Mark don’t worry, it’s a relatively simple job to do.

View attachment 80873
Under the plastic cover is a bolt, I’ve already removed it now but you can see where it was. I’ve cut the loom for ease of access but there’s no need to do so.

View attachment 80874
One bolt on the inside under the headliner.

The 2 torx bolts that hold it to the boot

And voila

View attachment 80875

One boot hinge.

I got it off in a few minutes, different if it’s a car you have to take care with but easily manageable in 30 minutes.

As a tip, disconnect the boot strut on that side and get someone to support the boot while you change the boot over.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a job for the picnic break on Sunday! ?
 
Firstly @A2Steve you are one of a kind sir, if I could purchase them from you I will bring cash on Sunday if that's ok, thanks for the very much needed help.
Second I agree it's a perfect time to replace the hinges when so many folks are on hand to help, if that's ok with others of course.
Third I have finished the wiper arm refurb, so here are the pics.
20210524_154616.jpg

20210524_180922.jpg


Of course I will do another pic when fitted back on the car with its new Bosch wiper blade.
 
I’ve got one off, can’t get the other as I have nobody to support the boot for me. You can have it for free as you could do with the help at the moment given what’s just happened.

I’d strongly advise against doing any work at the social though. One 10 minute job is always only a snapped bolt away from being a 3 hour mess.
 
A2Steve said:
I’ve got one off, can’t get the other as I have nobody to support the boot for me. You can have it for free as you could do with the help at the moment given what’s just happened.

I’d strongly advise against doing any work at the social though. One 10 minute job is always only a snapped bolt away from being a 3 hour mess.
Click to expand...
Thanks Steve that is very generous of you, if you won't accept any payment then I will donate a fiver to the club.
I think your right it will be best done at home with the right tools and no chance of becoming stranded.
I am constantly humbled by the support offered by the members of this fantastic club, with out the generous and helpful like minded owners this would simply be another forum to pass through.
 
It would seem that the most complex element of this job is the removal of the headlining. That said, it may be possible to leave the front of the headlining attached and just drop the back sufficiently to allow tool access.

Mark, I realise our meeting is still some weeks away, and that having a failed boot hinge isn’t easy to live with, but I’m happy to help with this repair if you feel it’s outside your comfort zone.

I've now seen a few A2s with the 'autoboot' modification, and I will most definitely not be doing it to my own A2. With the springs fitted, it is clear just from looking at the panel gaps with the boot closed that the tailgate is under immense force. I suspected that there was a lot of stress at the hinges and at the boot catch, especially at the moment of release, and this failure seems to confirm my suspicions.
Furthermore, whilst it's a great theatrical feature, I'm not at all convinced that it makes life any easier. By default, the A2's boot has to be lifted manually, but closes under its own weight. With the springs added, it opens easily, but significant force is required to close the boot instead. Given that the overall benefit is therefore questionable, I'll be sticking to Audi's original design ...despite being a serial modification addict.

Cheers,

Tom
 
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timmus said:
It would seem that the most complex element of this job is the removal of the headlining. That said, it may be possible to leave the front of the headlining attached and just drop the back sufficiently to allow tool access.

Mark, I realise our meeting is still some weeks away, and that having a failed boot hinge isn’t easy to live with, but I’m happy to help with this repair if you feel it’s outside your comfort zone.

I've now seen a few A2s with the 'autoboot' modification, and I will most definitely not be doing it to my own A2. With the springs fitted, it is clear just from looking at the panel gaps with the boot closed that the tailgate is under immense force. I suspected that there was a lot of stress at the hinges and at the boot catch, especially at the moment of release, and this failure seems to confirm my suspicions.
Furthermore, whilst it's a great theatrical feature, I'm not at all convinced that it makes life any easier. By default, the A2's boot has to be lifted manually, but closes under its own weight. With the springs added, it opens easily, but significant force is required to close the boot instead. Given that the overall benefit is therefore questionable, I'll be sticking to Audi's original design ...despite being a serial modification addict.

Cheers,

Tom
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I can't agree more Tom, I am glad this happened at home where I had the tools to at least get the struts removed and the boot closed instead of somewhere else in which case I would no doubt of been stuck.
I will probably wait for my visit to you unless I get some advice that will give me the confidence to give it a go myself. I appreciate having the option to do it with your help.
 
A2Steve said:
Mark don’t worry, it’s a relatively simple job to do.

View attachment 80873
Under the plastic cover is a bolt, I’ve already removed it now but you can see where it was. I’ve cut the loom for ease of access but there’s no need to do so.

View attachment 80874
One bolt on the inside under the headliner.

The 2 torx bolts that hold it to the boot

And voila

View attachment 80875

One boot hinge.

I got it off in a few minutes, different if it’s a car you have to take care with but easily manageable in 30 minutes.

As a tip, disconnect the boot strut on that side and get someone to support the boot while you change the boot over.
Click to expand...

@A2Steve, totally off topic and sorry for the thread hijack but is that a pine green tailgate?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If that is the parked position of the wiper it is way too high up the screen. I would also expect it to try to wipe the drivers window as it rolls off the edge of the windscreen. Do like the paint job though.
 
audifan said:
If that is the parked position of the wiper it is way too high up the screen. I would also expect it to try to wipe the drivers window as it rolls off the edge of the windscreen. Do like the paint job though.
Click to expand...
Yes I did realise that when I fitted it, I will sort it tomorrow when it's not raining.
 
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