Replacement of the upper part of the tailgate must be carried out by two people in the following order. Remove the tailgate trim panels, disconnect the electrical connections and pull the wiring harness out of the tailgate after attaching a nylon cord to the end of the tailgate, and fix the tailgate so that it does not slam shut.
Disconnect gas struts (1, fig. 18.38), unscrew the bolts (2) and remove the top tailgate.
The installation of the upper part of the tailgate should be carried out in the reverse order, while it is necessary to position the door hinge bolts according to the traces left on the hinge. In this case, there is no need to adjust the door.
Raise the rubber seal in the left and right corner of the door. There is a hole under it, which must be sealed with a transparent adhesive tape. Adjustment of the upper tailgate must be performed in the following order. Loosen the screws (1, fig. 18.39) on the door hinge and adjust the upper part of the tailgate to the specified gap values. If the adjustment range is not sufficient, further loosen the screws (2) on the body.
After completing the adjustment, tighten the hinge fixing screws. If necessary, loosen the lock retainer screws on the top tailgate. Adjust the latch of the lock and tighten the screws of its fastening.
Check and, if necessary, replace the left / right side, stop buffers mounted on the body. To adjust the height of the upper tailgate, turn the screw (pic. 18.40) in hard buffer.
Lay a strip of paper (0.1 mm thick) between the upper door and the buffer. The paper should be pinched but not torn off when pulled out. Insufficient clamping force leads to knocking, and too much pressure leads to difficulties when closing the upper tailgate.
Since December 2005, the car has spring-loaded buffers that do not require adjustment.