car boot lid not locking

[RogerS]

Due to an overly enthusiastic downwards motion with my elbow, the locking mechanism on our elderly RX8 won't now hold the boot shut.

Is there anything I need to poke/shove to release (it looks a bit dry TBH but guess that is deliberate to prevent getting grease on the Armani jacket when closing the boot) as SWMBO is giving me a right load of grief over this !


TIA

 

[undergroundhunter]

Try latching it with a screwdriver if it wont sat closed probably needs a new latch.

Matt

 

[MickCheese]

If the latch has clicked over then you will need to reset it as above with a screwdriver.

The latch does need to be kept greased.

Mick

 

[Glynne]

Does this mean I'll be looking for a guy in an Armani jacket at Pugh's on Saturday on will you be dressing down in simply tweeds?

 

[Myfordman]

The enthusiasm could well have disturbed the setting point of the latch. Usually this is adjustable on slots or similar.

 

[RogerS]

Do I sort of shove the screwdriver into the slot? I have no idea how these things work

Tried Googling to little avail.

 

[Lons]

Roger

Do as suggested with the screwdriver but first check that the release latch inside the car hasn't stuck (it happens) and if a cable release rather than electric it can be down to lack of lubrication in the cable as well as the latch.

If it's just the latch then carefully levering can make it ckick back. use light oil, wd40 or silicone spray to lubricate.

I love the RX8 and nearly bought one about 8 years ago after a number of test drives. The whine from the engine and the hanling was lovely but what put me off was the frequency of services and the reportedly high oil consumption. ( plus the wife who persuaded me a 4 door bmw was more sensible ).

Bob

 

[RogerS]

Thanks Bob....yes, it certainly has different sound! The oil consumption is not that high. The tips of the Wankel require microscopic amounts of oil as they whizz round. Part of the design. There is a small pump with some stepper motors in that provide this. Bloody expensive when they go wrong. Mazda new part is £1k. I bought a secondhand one off eBay for £200 but with the labour investigating the flow chart still came to another £300....gulp. Methinks its days in our household are numbered. We only have it on the road for six months Oct to end of March and usually only have a tiny service especially as it probably only does 1k if that during that time. Biggest cost was replacing the front tyres as the rubber had got too hard although still loads of treat left. That also hurt.

The handling is superb. You can go into a corner and as you go round it, feel the car hunker down and grip.

Come April then the wee beastie comes out to play 8)

 

[Lons]

That's what attracted me - the fun factor and I should have gone for it really as the bm very rarely had more than just me or plus the wife. Mind the BM drove very well also (except in the ice and snow) and certainly a better drivers car than my current FWD A6.

I almost succumbed again when I bought my Audi a couple of years ago and was very seriously tempted by a TT quatro but decided I couldn't afford a potential divorce. In hindsight I'd have got away with it 'cos when I brought the A6 home, my missus said it was an old mans car! - women #-o

Which version of the RX8 do you have? I don't remember the details but seem to recall there were only 2 versions available when I drove them and I'd have gone for the more powefull engine as it seemed a bit smoother.

Bob

 

[RogerS]

......
Which version of the RX8 do you have? I don't remember the details but seem to recall there were only 2 versions available when I drove them and I'd have gone for the more powefull engine as it seemed a bit smoother.

Bob

Now what do you think ? :mrgreen:

 

[Lons]

Now what do you think ? :mrgreen:

Yep - stupid question :lol: :lol:

 

[RogerS]

Thanks all. In the clear light of day I found a small grub screw was jammed in the mechanism. Taking that out, the lock seems to work fine. Now to try and find where the grub screw came from as Sod's Law says that it is :

(a) important
(b) the lock will stop working due to said grub screw not being screwed where it should be
and
(c) item b will occur when SWMBO is out doing the shopping.

I've already been tarred with 'splitting the boot rubber surround with my ham-fistedness'. Despite (a) it not being possible to do this by shutting the boot lid vigorously and (b) being already split due to age. The 'logical' female mind, eh ? ](*,)

 

[mseries]

Glad you got it sorted. I had the tailgate of my Rover 220 stuck in the unlocked positio once. The tail gate would close and stay down but not lock. The light on my dashboard stayed illuminated - except when I opened the sunroof when in motion. I guess the inside air pressure due to the movement of the car was lowered with the roof open !!! Dismantiling and some squirts of WD40 fixed my sticky lock problem for good !

 

[Lons]

Thanks all. In the clear light of day I found a small grub screw was jammed in the mechanism. Taking that out, the lock seems to work fine. Now to try and find where the grub screw came from as Sod's Law says that it is *,)

I know where it's from Roger.

It's the sole fasterner that keeps yopur cylinder head in place so next time you're bombing down the motorway your "wankel" bits are going to fly out at very high velocity :wink: :lol:

Bob