ltooz_a6_a8_q7

It's the bad design LOL, nothing you can do to change that.

Amiko Tsanava

ok but how can you explain that it was working fine when it was new?

So, meanwhile I checked the lift support struts and found out that they are completely dead. Especially the driver side (which doesn't even try to make a move for opening).


AS soon as I found this problem, I have ordered a pair of it on eBay. Here's the link:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273930780172

Soon we'll see how it works.

storka

Yes tried these aftermarket ones with no success, hard to start closing

Amiko Tsanava

with old (dead) struts the lid was closing without problem?

I think that if the motor (even the old one) is working without power loss, in reality the main thing is in hinges and other obstacles. That's obviously correct attitude, because the lid was operating absolutely well when the car was new, right?

storka

I got new genuine struts a couple of weeks ago they wont close either
And wont pop up ( tool box empty or full.
I have the upgraded metal motor .Was working ok until a few months ago.
Might have to look see if I can get a used cheap one before I start fiddling with it.

Amiko Tsanava

I think that the origin of the sturt does not really matter if it is a good quality.
Do you have that upgraded metal case motor? And was it working fine for some time and then did it suddenly stopped working?

Amiko Tsanava

The one and the only cure to this illness is - updated motor.
replaced my motor with used one from 2008 A8 and problem solved.

Very happy.

Tried everything, though. Nothing helps except replacing the motor with the updated one. It has more power.

P.S. why does the old motor become weaker and stops working, remains the quiz

dvs_dave

We know why. The electromagnetic clutch contained within the actuator wears out, meaning it can no longer transmit sufficient torque to open the trunk lid.

When they fail, you can hear the motor inside the actuator turning, but no trunk lid movement obviously means that something is slipping. The only place where it can slip is this clutch.

Amiko Tsanava

Wears out?
I have dissembled it several times and investigated all inside details very precisely.
There where no signs of any wear. 🤷‍♂️

dvs_dave

Most likely the clutch mating surfaces get polished, which in turn lowers their coefficient of friction below the threshold required.

Reading back through these threads on the topic you’ll see that the most successful fixes, albeit short lived as they also wore out, involved increasing the clutch friction, and/or reducing the force required to open the trunk from rest.

Another possibility is that the plastic actuator case fatigues over time and starts to flex more which could in turn reduce the electromagnet’s clamping force through misalignments being introduced. Also those misalignments could also cause the mechanism to bind up when under load. That would explain the switch to a stiffer cast alloy case for the later versions.