Boot internal trim piece - how to get the bloody thing off !!!

[Norbreck21a]

Hi all, I need to replace my boot handle as it's only of the early flat types and has corroded quite badly with white worm all over it. I managed to secure a brand new later style version from fleabay and have read Elsawin as a guide to changing it.

To do this I obviously need to remove the boot inner plastic trim. I've removed the 2 screws that are located in the handle recesses, but try as I might, the trim itself won't budge ! I have bloodied my knuckles and have tried pulling, levering with a long large screwdriver etc, but it won't budge !

Anyone have any tips or has done this before. At nearly £40 for a new one, I would rather not break it and need a replacment.

any help very gratefully received.

[182_blue]

they can be quite hard to get out, but do need a big tug to get out, once one part is out the other bits are easier

[Norbreck21a]

Thanks 182_blue, so bascially suck it up and pull ?

I was afraid that as the plastic was bowing that it would snap or leave one of them white plastic crease marks.

[182_blue]

have you got behind any part of it ?

[Norbreck21a]

Errr. no not really. I just removed the 2 screws and managed to get a large flat screwdriver in between the plastic trim and metal part of the hatch and tried to lever it off.

The plastic just bent but didn't pop out and to be honest I was a little afriad of pulling it anymore in case I snapped it 

Did you pull with your hands or use a lever ?

[182_blue]

i have a trim tool, placed under the bottom part and it popped out, when thats done the others do come off, brute force and ignorance, if you pm me your email i can send you the elsa guide

[joesgti]

just pull it, i got mine off,

(i just cant get the bloody thing to go back on well) 

[182_blue]

pics (sorry its broke but can upload the pdf, but as i said i can email it you)

[Norbreck21a]

Cheers guys, very much appreciated.

I'll give it another try this weekend and see what happens.

[Norbreck21a]

Hi guys. Well finally managed to get the bloody rear trim off and replce the boot badge (which was really easy). I noticed 2 things in doing this change over that I would apprecaite comments on.

Firstly, my old smooth badge sat pretty much flush with the boot lid, whereas the new profiled one sits a little proud. It's nothing bad or anything, just different (see pics below). I was just wondering if anyone else had noticed this ?

Secondly, when I removed the old unit is was really heavy, like it was all made of metal. The new one seems very light and all made of plastic. Is that right, are all the new ones the same ?

P.s Sorry about the dirty car, haven't had time to wash it recently.







There was one good bit of news however. For the last couple of years I have been having a rattle come from the boot area that I couldn't for the life of me trace. As soon as I removed the inner boot cover, I saw that the wiring harness that runs across the bootlid to the rear foglight (with a large beige connector in it), was dangling free and obviously hitting the inside of the bootlid. When I looked at the same harness but for the reverse light, I noticed that the beige connector fitted into a special back clip in the boot aperture to keep it from rattling. I had the same clip on the fog light side but the connector had obviously fallen out. I snapped it back in (and taped it in for good measure) and hey presto, the rattle has now gone !

[182_blue]

that sticks out quite a bit more than mine, my one comes out about 1mm, yours looks like you can see the plastic behind it, have you installed it correctly ?

[Norbreck21a]

I think so. I think there's only one way to install it AFAIK.

Fit against inside of boot lid, turn slighty so that the locking tabs on the handle locate over the tabs in the boot lid. This then line up the 3 screw holes perfectly and just screw in the 3 bolts and tighten.

AFAIK, there is no adjustment possible ?

[VC]

is it a genuine VW part?

[182_blue]

I think so. I think there's only one way to install it AFAIK.

Fit against inside of boot lid, turn slighty so that the locking tabs on the handle locate over the tabs in the boot lid. This then line up the 3 screw holes perfectly and just screw in the 3 bolts and tighten.

AFAIK, there is no adjustment possible ?

any washers/ spacers missing ?

[Norbreck21a]

Yep, genuine VW (albeit off fleabay). It's got the VW stamps and the part number 6R0827469ULM, which according to ETKA is for a 2007 model year. This might be the problem as mine is a 2005  ?

No no spacers or washers, just the rubber sealing ring behind it (exactly the same hardware as the badge I removed).

Maybe they changed the boot lid shape slightly on the late model years and the handle sits deeper in ?

Anyway, it works and for now it will have to do. If anyone knows if there is a specific 2005 model year replacment available and the part number, I would be most grateful. I tried to get one of the flat ones like I originally had but apparently they have all been replaced by the embossed ones ?