XF Boot Lid

[Billyboy]

Hi All,

          when releasing the XF Boot Lid, should it open up FULLY on its own. I was watching a video on U-Tube about an XF in America. In this video the presenter stated and displayed that the Boot Lid opens up fully when the internal boot release button was pressed. My Boot lid only opens a little way and then needs to be opened fully by hand. Is this the norm for the XF in the UK or do I have a problem with the Gas Struts on my XF. If this fully automatic opening is something that is only installed for the overseas market, can I convert mine to open up fully after operating the Boot release button.

 

    Any replies would be appreciated...........Regards................Billyboy

[Dal]

Hi William,

My car does the same,it's the S with the boot spoiler on,opens about six inches, I've tried a bit of WD but made know difference.

Someone on YouTube oiled the struts and it opened fully (short term)

It's never really been an issue for me but it would be good to find out if it should open fully end of !.

Regards Dave.

[Billyboy]

Hi Dave,

I have been looking at the mechanismn that opens up the boot lid on the XF. Firstly I notice that each of the PIVOT PINS has a thin black washer (rubber?) fitted each side of the metal linkages. If these washers are made of rubber then putting Oil on them would not be advisable. I think that a Silicon based lubricant would be better. (There is a Red Rubber grease that is OK for rubber). I had already put a quantity of Oil on mine to see if the boot lid would open fully. I found that it still failed to open fully. I then took a closer look of the linkage that was associated with the boot lid. There is a link that has a spring attached to it. One part of this linkage rests on a small round "stud" about 1/8" thick. It looks as if when the boot is asked to open the electric boot latch disengages and the boot lid is pushed upwards by the link with the help of the SPRING. It is then that the gas struts come into play. It looks as if the spring on this mechanismn needs to be a bit more powerful so that the boot opens a little more in order for the gas struts to push the boot lid fully open. I experimented on my XF by temporary increasing the thickness of the "stud" (another 1/8"). This certainly made the boot lid open further and it almost reached the point where it would open all the way. Therefore I have come to the conclusion that unfortunately the boot on my XF is not designed to open fully........unless someone knows differently. Please let me know if you get any more info on this item.

Best Wishes...........William

[Billyboy]

Hi Dave,

             latest update on XF Boot Lid opening saga. I have a Son who now lives in the USA. Having seen the U-Tube video of the fully opening Boot Lid in the USA, I contacted my Son in order that he could find out if the American XF had a fully opening Boot Lid. He therefore contacted a Jaguar Dealer in the USA and this is what he was told.......The Boot Lid (Trunk) does NOT open fully...it is just like our XF. However the Dealer did say that if a person living in New York had an XF then the Boot Lid would never open fully....UNLESS the weather was very HOT, as it is a normally cold State. However a person living in a normally HOT State (Texas) would have no trouble with the Boot Lid opening fully every time, especially, if the inside of the "Trunk" were to get hot. He also said that the XF owners in a continually HOT climate are finding that their "Gas Struts" in the "Trunk" are having to be replaced every couple of years or so as they loose thier effecency. So it looks as if we will have to await some HOT weather in order for us to see a Boot Lid raising from the Closed position to the fully OPEN position. I did notice that one of our members said that his Boot opened fully when the air temperature was HOT.

 

                        So there we have it, or so it seems......watch this space

 

 

                     Regards..............Billyboy  

[Audioslim]

Interesting post this. I've just bought a 64 XF and wondered about this boot lid opening automatically. Mine doesnt (not at least the single time I tried it from the keyfob). It hardly opened at all, just off the latch. I'm gonna try it again now and see what the score is.

 

 

[Audioslim]

Yep , confirmed again.  Hardly opens at all when released. Just 10mm or something. The question is should it fully open?. Seems a rather pointless option if it wont open fully...

[Claws]

A different car of course, but I had an Omega, when I bought her the boot opened fully, after someone drove into the back of me, very minor damage by the way, it never opened fully just a few inches. Probably just needed a re-adjustment (didn't bother because it didn't bother me) perhaps that's all that's needed?

Steve

[Claws]

A different car of course, but I had an Omega, when I bought her the boot opened fully, after someone drove into the back of me, very minor damage by the way, it never opened fully just a few inches. Probably just needed a re-adjustment (didn't bother because it didn't bother me) perhaps that's all that's needed?

Steve

[Roy Holmes]

It's easy to have the boot open automatically and fully on XF.

I replaced the small rubber grommet that the spring pushes against on the boot with a slightly thicker one. You have to drill a small hole and use a self tapper. Be careful drilling, don't go through the outer boot !!

Then £18 worth of new gas struts from eBay.

job done in 30 mins and now it springs open fully every time.

[Rich Askew]

Hi all,

There's a You Tube video of the modification process here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux9H5QdTtjA

I bought the hex heads from eBay at £2.60 for ten and a couple of gas struts at £17.95 the pair. It opens fully every time right now in springtime ambient temperatures so will hope for the same in a colder winter too!

Rich.

[bmcl6]

Just a personal preference but I prefer it the way it was designed.