C5 Tourer tailgate "dying elephant"

[Argos69]

I am aware that sometimes, just sometimes, I am the cause of problems on my C5 Tourer!

Since I gave the old girl a very thorough pressure washing (including all the door shuts etc), she looks nice and clean.
However....
When opening the electric tailgate, I now have to endure a noise much closer to the sound of a dying elephant than a simple "creak"!

I have sprayed the hinges, lock and both ends of the lifting piston ball joints, liberally, with WD40 - No change at all!!!

I can't even trace the noise to a side or joint as it is too loud. Obviously the mixture of dirt, moss, water and other unmentionables, has been lubricating the system and I've now removed it.
The noise is all the way when opening and the last 6" when closing.....

Any guesses folks? I hate wearing earmuffs when I open the tailgate....

[mickthemaverick]

Is it a squeak type noise or a scraping sound? (I've never heard an elephant die )

[Argos69]

Sounds like a trumpet (if I tried to play it) - ish!
Not a squeak or grinding or scraping sound. I'm on a ferry tonight, so can't go back to test it again.
After trying not to attract customs attention (I've done nothing wrong, but have a guilty face), we have a horrendous noise when asked to open the tailgate. Yep, discrete!!!

[mickthemaverick]

From that description I'd plump for a dried out hydraulic ram. They are fairly cheap to replace if you can confirm that. A light finger touch on the piston rod while moving the tailgate may reveal vibrations in line with the noise. If they are suspect you could try smearing the rods with silicone grease first before spending out

[Paul-R]

Those are motorised struts Mick. Not so cheap methinks.

[mickthemaverick]

Good point Paul, but 'cheap' is a relative term in relation to the value of the car

[Argos69]

Hi all & thank you for your thoughts.

I'm back home on pothole island now, so can take more of a look. The horrendous noise brought most of the French Customs guys (and a very agile dog!) across the inspection bay to look at the car! Actually, as a complete aside, if you ever want to smuggle anything (which I would never condone, naturally), get your tailgate to do the "dying elephant noise". Nobody looked at anything else!

Ok, so I'm in possession of a litre of WD40 and a wooden tailgate prop. Further investigations will be carried out this week. I will report any results!

Yes, thoroughly over engineered motorised struts! Discussed these with Marc way back, who suggested manual replacements might prove impossible to fit. If I could scrap the system and fit manual struts with a motorised lock, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[MattBLancs]

I lubricated the electric boot mechanism on mine - added a grease nipple, hang on I'll see if I can find a picture / post in it

[MattBLancs]

I lubricated the electric boot mechanism on mine - added a grease nipple, hang on I'll see if I can find a picture / post in it

Here you go, information on the electric boot system here:
viewtopic.php?p=754313&hilit=Boot#p754313
And further down, my added grease nipple:
viewtopic.php?p=754314#p754314

[Argos69]

Very useful, that. Thank you!
I've been told that I'm not allowed to play with the car now until after Christmas in case I stuff it up. As if?
Anyway, I think the noise is from within the tailgate (not the struts), so it may need to wait until we go back to France, where I have a vast collection of trim clips and tools. I will be taking a couple of grease nipples with me. I'm getting sick of "lubricated for life" on cars. Ultimately I think that's what did it for the driver's side top door hinge, when the internals broke up and I had to replace it.

[MattBLancs]

Very useful, that. Thank you!
I've been told that I'm not allowed to play with the car now until after Christmas in case I stuff it up. As if?
Anyway, I think the noise is from within the tailgate (not the struts), so it may need to wait until we go back to France, where I have a vast collection of trim clips and tools. I will be taking a couple of grease nipples with me. I'm getting sick of "lubricated for life" on cars.

Yep me too, it is a shame that "for life" is just "the life of the component" and so is only "it works until it doesn't work" !!

Ultimately I think that what did for the driver's side top door hinge, when the internals broke up and I had to replace it.

Yep, mine CLACK-CLACKED. Sadly drilling it and (letting some rusty brown water out, then) squirting in some grease made zero difference to the noise. Wear to it's internals (from years of use with rusty brown "grinding paste" inside!) likely why it's no better.

Added FRIP grease nipple too, can't confirm if that fixed it, but am sure filled with grease helped (unlike most rolling element bearing applications, this does only slow movement, about quarter of a turn, so packed with grease: full, is no issue)

[Argos69]

I realise I'm terrible at posting timely conclusions and final follow-ups, but life here in France gets in the way of sorting car jobs!
Truthfully, I have only sorted this problem out today (24th Feb!) - but at least it appears to be fixed!

I removed the cable operated struts and disconnected the cables from the motor unit. A mix of grease and WD40 was then forced down the cables, between the inner plastic and outer sheath. All put back together again and Bingo! The elephant is now silent!

One thing I did notice was that the right hand strut & cable was really free to slide back and forth, but the left was so stiff you can hardly move it by hand. Not sure which one is correct, maybe someone else knows this?

[MattBLancs]

Hurrah for the silent elephant!!

Nice job