Sticky boot catch
We are often accused of being fitters and not mechanics because very often a repair cannot be carried out without fitting a new part. This is not always the case and quite often we do manage to carry out a repair without the need to simply fit a new component.
This 2001 VW Golf was in our workshop because the boot wouldn’t stay shut. The owner would slam it down two or three times before the catch would eventually hold the boot hatch. His wife did not have the same ‘slam power’ and couldn’t get the hatch secured.
A sticky mechanism was the problem and if we had simply replaced the seized part, it would have required us to purchase a complete handle to get the required mechanism. This would also have needed painting to match the vehicle’s colour. However, by removing the hatch interior trim and gaining access to the back of the mechanism, we were able to lubricate and manipulate the sticking mechanism until it freed off.
Now the boot hatch would secure when simply pushed into place and no new parts were required.