First off, I wasn't sure if the pressurized strut would be enough or if I really needed the $200 actuator assembly, and it worried me when I took the old liftgate support off only to have a trunk crash down immediately, which seemed to imply that a replacement of one (non-powered) side would not be enough. However, giving it a try for under $30 was a better option than throwing $200 at the situation without obvious evidence I needed to do so. Apparently, according to forum posts, every Cadillac dealership will try to charge you for replacement of both sides (and it might even make more sense), but they will also charge over $500 for the service. Since these are now older model cars, many people will probably skip getting it done and settle for having a dangerous vehicle. At least give the $25 option a try.
1. Hold the trunk up with one arm, or get a teenager to do it (it makes them feel useful).
2. Use a screwdriver (flat) to pry up the clip of the old liftgate support. On the old and new one, about halfway is enough, and if you pull the clip off, it's a headache.
3. Pop the top and bottom of (where the clips are loosened) off the trunk. The trunk will fall unless you are holding it securely. Propping it isn't a good idea.
4. The clips on your new support should be pre-pryed open so that you can just pop them in.
5. Use a hammer to softly tap the clips back down so that the clips lock in place. My fingers worked for one clip, but I needed a hammer for the other one.
You will probably wonder if the clips will hold, so have your teen volunteer rummage around in the trunk after you open it up. It should be good if you can't pop the cylinder off by hand. Test it several times. I assume this fix won't last as long as replacing both sides at once, but it might last as long as the car itself, and it will make your decade-old SRX or 9-4x work as good as new until something else breaks.
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You will probably wonder if the clips will hold, so have your teen volunteer rummage around in the trunk after you open it up. It should be good if you can't pop the cylinder off by hand. Test it several times. I assume this fix won't last as long as replacing both sides at once, but it might last as long as the car itself, and it will make your decade-old SRX or 9-4x work as good as new until something else breaks.
Search New Jax Witty
|
Satisfamily - Articles about being happy as a family
Passive Ninja - Web Design in Jacksonville
McNewsy - Creative Writing
Educabana - Educational Resources
Brave New Church - Church Website Design
Voucher School - Pros and Cons of School Vouchers
Luthernet - Web Design for Lutheran Churches
Sitcom Life Lessons - What we've learned from sitcoms
Mancrush Fanclub - Why not?
Epic Folktale - Stories of the unknown
Wild West Allis - Every story ever told about one place
Educabana on Teachers Pay Teachers (mostly ELA lessons)
Real Wisconsin News - Satire from Wisconsin
Zoo Interchange Milwaukee - Community website
Chromebook Covers - Reviews and opinions
Brian Jaeger - Resume (I'm always interested)
Contact Me
