Closing your rear engine cover question

The other day it dawned on me that I always need to close my rear engine cover by pushing it down to where it just touches the pins and then pushing down hard on one side and then the other with my palms.

Clicking one side and then the other.

I have never been able to close it by just letting it fall or by closing firmly and have both pins catch at the same time.

Do you guys also close your trunk the same way (i.e. thats how they are designed) or has mine gone out of alignment slightly after all these years?

Cheers

 

I would never slam the lid, I do exactly as you do. Press one corner down at a time and clicking the other side till closed.

 

yes,I do it exactly the same way. Although my front lid needs to be dropped and pushed at the same time which does not seem right.

 

Our Ferrari Area Technical Manager showed me the way they were instructed to close them at the factory.
Put your arms shoulder width apart, insert hands under the decklid and curl your fingers under the edge that is about 3 inches forward. Hold the decklid about 12" above closed position, "pump" it once and then let go. It should close.
"PUMP" is the act of quickly raising the decklid to almost fully open, quickly bringing it back down to about 12", repeat but on the down stroke let go of it at the 12" level and it should close properly.

 

That's for the front on cars without the gas strut.

For cars with the gas strut I kind of throw it down. If correctly adjusted it latches.

On the rear I also throw it down with hands clear prior to contact. Pressing them closed causes dents and cracks.

 

I let my engine cover drop from about a foot with a slight downwards assistance - not quite a throw but along those lines. It never fails to catch.

 

I don't slam the cover but sure do it quite firmly. I never press the two sides. I don't think that using the proper factory procedure would do.

 

In Indi tech once showed me that the preferred method was to "throw it down" from about 12-18 inches. If you can't do that then something is out of whack. If you have to lean on the hood to make it latch then over time you risk deforming the metal.

Rear deck and latch alignment is a matter of careful adjustment - same for the release cable. its entirely possible that if the deck has been off a couple of times (eg for servicing) it maybe not as well lined up as it once was.

Look at the shut lines. If they are uneven then look to the hinges. If they are OK & alignment is OK & its still difficult to close then maybe you need to look at the latches. If the latches are badly adjusted then you may wear them so its worth correcting any mis-alignment issues.

Rule #1 for a DIY-er when adjusting the latches (IMO) is to take the rear lights out. If you do that then you can adjust things safely without finding yourself in a position where you can't unlatch the hood for some reason. It also allows you to clean the lights out & the surrounds as well.

Its also possible to adjust the latch cable such that there is a little slack between the two latches. This means that when you pull on the lever it unlatches one side momentarily before the other (rather than both together).

This significantly reduces the stress on the cable and the latch lever & housing (and makes it much easier to unlatch the thing).

 

Even if pressing on the 'tip' of the 'spoiler.'

The 'flat' parts, I understand.

 

I don't have gas struts, so I let mine drop from about six inches. If that doesn't work, I press down on the lid on both sides but never at the end of the deck lid where denting can Result. I press where the deck lid starts to angle up towards the roof, between the end of the lid and the antenna.

 

Wow, mine is totally different. I don't have any kind of that junk. I just have a solid rod that holds it in position.

Once I slide the rod away from the hold open position I just let it slam!

 

^^^this [emoji12]

 

If I have a friend handy, I get him to put his fingers in about two inches and then slam the **** out of it...effective

 

I do the same as the op. Drop it but then push down on each side to latch but I push on the buttresses, not any flat sheet metal. Never had a problem with dents.

 

The closing procedure For an engine lid wit gas struts is this:

With the lid on the highest position (fully opened) place your left hand close to the lid left end and your right hand close to the lid right end.

Lower it very slowly until it will be one foot and an half or two from the closing position.

Now pull it down very quickly, slamming it down: The trick is never push but just pull. Of course you have to pull it down with the same force with both hands and try to learn which is the correct closing speed your lid needs, starting with lower speed and repeating the maneuver with higher speed if it doesn't work.

Better avoiding to push: The lid is very thin and easy to damage if you push it down

Ciao

 

Front lid - let it drop from a height of 12", latches perfectly with a solid "thunk"
Rear lid - lower it gently and then latch by pushing down on each side of the buttress.
Drivers door - use my left hand to open it.
Passenger door - use my right.
Use my left index finger to push button on the garage door opener.

 

I do hands right out on the buttress, never near the flat metal.

 

Place the palms of each hand flat against the top of the deck lid. One on each side of the Ferrari emblem. Slam as hard as you can. Make sure to wear class ring

 

The sides of the buttresses will distort over time if they are used to latch the lid. The lid should be gently slammed.

 

Quite a few differences of opinion on this one.

With no other brand could there be so much discussion on a relatively simple topic such as closing an engine cover.

Love it !!

 

Any tips on adjusting the latches? I just replaced my 328 hood release cable and it won't latch without a little push. TIA

 

I'm sure you will find that kind of topic on Porsche forums.

 

I don't have access to my owners manual, I wonder if there are any instructions related to this topic?

 

No. It would take too long and my arthritis doesn't let me type that kind of dissertation.

 

If there is I am sure it is worthless.