Powered tailgate - soft close

[uknowiama]

I believe the issue of the "soft close" is down to the bump stops - need renewing and adjustment - so it stops on the stops and then gets pulled close.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zsWRSEnxaA

[Olaf Els]

Originally Posted by uknowiama

I believe the issue of the "soft close" is down to the bump stops - need renewing and adjustment - so it stops on the stops and then gets pulled close.

I think the idea of replacing/adjusting the bump stops in the video is to improve the way the tailgate opens. Made no difference either way on mine. I need to replace the struts, I'm sure.

[uknowiama]

Originally Posted by Olaf Els

I think the idea of replacing/adjusting the bump stops in the video is to improve the way the tailgate opens. Made no difference either way on mine. I need to replace the struts, I'm sure.

Could be? Mine suffers from this in hot weather - so need to do. Might need also to do the struts. Cars if 59 plate 140K+ miles on it now.

Reason I say for soft close - is setting up the new bumps - Is that loose pull them out - close the lids so they get pushed back in. Then pull out two or three clicks and tighten up. So in my mind that is to get the stop just before closing and then the lid gets pulled in for the last little bit - the soft close.

So I say both the opening and the closing? With fresher bumps, once latch released the tailgate sits free of the lock mechanism and can be opened without catching on the lock?

[Tatsfield]

I'm pretty sure on my XC70 that the bump stops play a role in both opening and closing. Opening; when the latch releases the bump stops propel the hatch away from the lock and allow the motor to pull it up. Closing: when the hatch drops down to the bump stops the lock pulls the hatch closed thus compressing the bump stops ready for them springing out when the hatch is released for opening next time.

[Pidgeonpost]

Originally Posted by uknowiama

I believe the issue of the "soft close" is down to the bump stops - need renewing and adjustment - so it stops on the stops and then gets pulled close.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zsWRSEnxaA

I came across this video a little while ago - he's got some useful guides. This particular video covers XC model, but would it be the same on the V70? I've had a rummage on the forum and on YouTube for a guide specific to the V70 but no joy so far. Last week we noticed that the tailgate on our V70 had a tendency to droop when it had been raised for a while, so new struts will be on the list once I've shaken off Covid. The Haynes manual is no help on this - says it's a job for the pro's.

[Tony Rama]

Originally Posted by Pidgeonpost

..... The Haynes manual is no help on this - says it's a job for the pro's.

Over the last 40 years, Haynes have become less and less useful. They used to tell you how to strip everything including gearboxes and diffs. with proper drawings. Now they skip all the difficult stuff and use rubbish black and white thumbnail shots for the rest.

[Pidgeonpost]

Quite agree. Where an operation is described technically the text is quite good, but many of the photos are really grainy. Better than nothing I guess, but still pretty disappointing compared to what they were.

[apersson850]

Originally Posted by uknowiama

I believe the issue of the "soft close" is down to the bump stops - need renewing and adjustment - so it stops on the stops and then gets pulled close.

It may very well be. In that case, the bump stops on my 2012 have been far in from the beginning. I bought the car new, and it has never "soft closed". The other one, from 2016, we bought used, and it takes forever to close the hatch. You can't lock the car until it's completed, which has fooled me sometimes, thinking I locked it, but I pressed too soon.

Now if I load too much stuff in the trunk, so the rear door doesn't close completely, then I do have "soft close", while it's compressing the cargo enough to close it completely. I would probably get something similar if I adjust the bump stops a bit.