Fitting Instructions - Prestige Parts® Self-lifting Boot/Trunk Lid Gas Struts PR55888PB
Fitting Instructions - Prestige Parts® Self-lifting Boot/Trunk Lid Gas Struts PR55888PB
We’ve never been particularly happy with the factory Boot/Trunk Lid gas struts, which provide very little assistance. Now we have designed our own version, which combines a self-lifting actuation to the fully open position with a smooth, slow operation. These enable the lid to be fully opened either by operating the button on the lid, or the switch inside the car.
Whichever struts you are fitting, you may find they are tricky to fit, so here are some guidelines to help you.
1) Disconnect the battery leads.
2) Raise and support the lid in its highest position. We strongly recommend an assistant, as you might accidentally knock a support away. Unsupported, the boot/trunk lid is extremely heavy and can cause injury.
3) Remove the side carpets. The carpets are held in place by a J-clip mounted to the floorboard, and the carpet is supported by a foam block toward the front. You will need to remove and set aside the ring for the fuel flap manual release cable on the left-hand carpet.
4) Remove the back/tank panel carpet. The back/tank panel is held in place by hinged tongues on the bottom and Velcro tape at the extreme right and left. As you remove the panel, unplug any electrical connectors and move cables to the side to avoid damage.
5) You may also remove the plastic hinge covers and/or the boot/trunk lid carpet, but this is not essential.
6) To provide additional boot/trunk lid travel, you may want to remove the square self-adhesive rubber bump stops situated in the hinge, next to the rear ball joints of the gas struts.
7) Remove and replace the struts in this order:
(a) Left hand outer
(b) Right hand outer
(c) Left hand inner
(d) Right hand inner
8) To remove the struts, you must first remove the metal clip at each end, using a flat bladed screwdriver. Fit the forward end of the struts first, fitting the new clips supplied.
9) Even with the boot/trunk lid at its position of full travel, the rearmost ball joint socket may not align with the ball pin. The struts are highly pressurised and cannot be compressed by hand. There is a special (and expensive) Bentley tool for compressing the struts, but a long tyre lever is adequate, and may be used as a lever from below to compress the strut. To obtain leverage when compressing the inner struts, you will need a block of wood of the dimensions shown in the illustration on the following page. Position this between the body of the car and the tyre lever in order to compress the struts.
10) Reverse instructions (1) to (6), taking care to plug in any electrical connections and replacing the metal ring on the fuel flap manual release cable.
Enjoy how easy it is to open the boot/trunk lid!
Please note: all non-electrically assisted gas and oil struts are subject to changes in ambient temperature. This means that in cold weather your boot/trunk lid might open more slowly.