[s-cars] Rear Hatch woes '95 S6 avant

[J. Khang]

> From: Jim Fleischer <jim at almgt.com>
>
> Hey all,
>
> Very quiet summer on the list, I assume less traffic = less issues with cars needing advice?  I hope so!
>
> So, I’ve got a rear hatch on my avant that needs some rehab, again.  A couple of years ago I used some plastic welding to fix some cracks and attach> some bits, and unfortunately while taking off the cover to fix a latch issue, some of it broke again.  I’m looking for a suggestion on an adhesive to repair> these pieces, as the plastic weld stuff won’t work again.
>> I’ve temporarily fixed the latch, but it looks like there’s a broken piece in there that may give me issues.  I also need a vacuum solenoid for the lock> mechanism, or a suggestion on repairing the leaking boot.  I could also use a rear wiper spray unit, as mine broke off and now shoots straight back at> the car behind me….
>
> Anyone have or know of an avant being parted out?  I believe the 100CS avant and the A6/S6 avant all had the same rear hatch (please correct me if> I’m wrong on that.)
>
> Thanks all, hope everyone enjoyed the summer!
>> Best regards,
>> Jim Fleischer
> ’95 urS6 avant 189K
Jim,
That rubber boot on the vacuum actuator cannot be repaired because the rubber folds over when the actuator pulls in. Whatever repair you make will tear again shortly afterwards. I fixed the actuator by sealing the entire rubber boot with a plastic sleeve. Get one of those disposable plastic gloves and cut off a finger to fashion a sleeve. Make a small hole at the tip to slide the sleeve onto the actuator arm and reinforce this sleeve with a layer of cellophane tape to prevent the plastic from bursting when it is inflated by the pump.
On the actuator itself, wrap double-sided adhesive tape just below and above the rubber boot around the circumference. Slide the sleeve over the boot, stick it onto the adhesive tape, fold any excess back on itself then tie down both the top and bottom of the sleeve with string. This prevents the plastic sleeve from lifting off from the adhesive tape when inflated and it also makes an air-tight seal.
Jonathan