Tailgate closing technique

[Markc]

Is the Harry Metcalfe gently close and double handed push to close the preferred technique?

 

[1stczechemira]

Is the Harry Metcalfe gently close and double handed push to close the preferred technique?

It doesn't work on my car.

 

[Mistral]

It doesn't work on my car.

I was told after my test drive at Lotus Essex to use both hands and close firmly from 50cm/2ft. Worked fine there.

 

[1stczechemira]

I was told after my test drive at Lotus Essex to use both hands and close firmly from 50cm/2ft. Worked fine there.

Works from 25/30 cm too. It's more gentle. But the Harry's technique doesn't work on my car.

 

[ADC]

I'm a "drop it / hoik it from about six inches away" man myself... pressing down on it feels like it would be more likely to cause damage than letting it shut by its own weight (from a small height). That's what I did with the test drive vehicle anyway...

 

[Markc]

I'm a "drop it / hoik it from about six inches away" man myself... pressing down on it feels like it would be more likely to cause damage than letting it shut by its own weight (from a small height). That's what I did with the test drive vehicle anyway...

Yes, mine requires quite a slam to close. The push on the boot technique doesn’t feel good

 

[Markc]

Works from 25/30 cm too. It's more gentle. But the Harry's technique doesn't work on my car.

I looked up in the owners manual and they suggest a variation on the HM technique

 

[Markc]

I was told after my test drive at Lotus Essex to use both hands and close firmly from 50cm/2ft. Worked fine there.

A slam? Or a firm push down?

 

[Mistral]

A slam? Or a firm push down?

The latter. Firm push down, but it may have been just that car.

 

[lion shf]

When it’s full of water, what technique is used?

 

[Dommo]

When it’s full of water, what technique is used?

It won't be full of water when you've just opened it, but you're rear storage and engine will be

 

[virtualmacho]

When it’s full of water, what technique is used?

Depends on how much water is trapped inside the plastic, but you should need less force...

 

[Lotus64]

Man! The owner's manual tells us we need to close the trunk a certain way? Ownership is gonna be a trip!! I'm here for it!

 

[TomE]

Do you void the warranty if you don’t follow the approach described in the manual?

 

[emiraspain]

If it were a REAL lotus, you simply wouldn't be able to close it at all from new, no matter what height or firmness the shut/slam/nudge/press/pressure and that would mean you could not lock and put the alarm on your brand new car, while leaving it at the ariport for several days. Ohhh how I remember my Elise cup 250..... Still, no water into the engine though.. haha

 

[TomE]

Elises had a slatted engine cover, so the engine got wet whenever it rained. Cars are designed to operate when wet!

 

[Pugwash]

My S1 Elise has grills in the engine cover open to the air so rain goes straight in. When I wash it I put a bin liner over the engine under the engine cover so the water runs down the sides of the engine. On my Evora there were vents open to the air immediately behind the small glass window that divided the cabin from the engine bay so water would run down the glass and dry leaving water marks. It’s a Lotus thing to have a mechanism for rinsing the engine. Having said that, my Jaguar has two vents in the middle of the bonnet so it’s not just a Lotus thing.

 

[emiraspain]

Mine was more of a couple of grills than slats, and yes they can operate when wet, but they will also get stained water marks on them, which isn't what I want on my new Emira every time my g/f opens the boot in the freezing cold to put the heavy luggage and shopping in, while Im nice and warm in the drivers seat.

 

[Tailslides]

Harry's demonstration of the water dispersal from the tailgate was interesting, a little more r&d might have reduced the pooling issue

 

[Markc]

Harry's demonstration of the water dispersal from the tailgate was interesting, a little more r&d might have reduced the pooling issue

Designed to be opened halfway so the rainwater drains into the channel before opening fully