I've owned this '81 300TD for about 3 years now and the rear hatch has always had some trouble opening. It feels like something would bind about half way open, but if you wiggled the door eventually something would release and the door would open all the way. Sometimes it would remain unstuck and work properly for several weeks, but at some point it would always start binding again.

Recently it has been unstuck and no amount of adjustment has been able to get it to open more than half way.

Additionally I've noticed that the hinges are now 'biting' into the roof as it is opening. Note the picture where you can see a dent forming in the roof where the hinge has been hitting it.

I haven't been able to figure out what was causing it to bind in the first place, i.e. were they originally bent and I just made it worse by repeatedly forcing it open. My assumption is that one or both of the hinges are bent at this point, but I'm wondering if anyone else has had similar problems with their rear wagon hatch? Is the fix here new hinges, or are there hinge adjustments I'm overlooking. Or could the problem be related to the lift shocks?



I know the bolt holding the door to the hinge is 'off'; it's currently loose because I was playing with the door adjustment. The picture here is showing where hinge is hitting the roof when the door is half-way open.

Symptoms of a seizing/frozen gas assist strut(s), the ones that hold the hatch open.

Good luck!!!

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"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

Looks like your hinge bolt may be loose, you can see where it's been sliding back and forth.

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Milan Brown 1979 240D, rebuilt OM617.952 turbo diesel, rebuilt 722.315 transmission (my only daily driver)

Instagram: @maximed93

Subscribed .

I hope you take the inner cover off to look at the gas struts, the problem should be clear once you do this .

New struts are neither cheap nor overpriced....

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Finally replaced the struts and problem fixed. Was a pretty easy job for the record. Ideally a second set of hands would be best, but I used some long pvc pipes to prop open the door while I changed one strut at a time.

There was a buildup of dirt and pine needles in the slots for the struts that I blew out with my air compressor hose before putting the new ones in.

Now that I can easily open/close the door again I still need to adjust door on the hinges as it still seems to slightly hit the roof when fully open.

What is the tool needed to remove that inner T screw ? .

I tried every T tool in my F.L.A.P.S. to - day, no joy .

TIA,

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I had to order this off of the internets: Capri Tools 30034 8mm XZN Triple Square Bit Socket with 3/8-Inch Drive

I also couldn't locate anything that would work in my assortment of tools

Thank you ! .

I hope I can find one locally .

? Are you still enjoying the wagon ? .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better