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Folks,
This message is a follow-up to resolving a leaky trunk issue I discussed with several list members in late May. While I have been able to stop the leak by replacing the tail light gaskets/seals, the rear hatch seal -- original and 9+ years old at 92,000 miles -- was torn in a number of places and was living on borrowed time.
I bought a replacement rear hatch seal at the local SAAB dealer for around $125 or so -- I forget the exact price -- and began searching the net for a replacement procedure. I couldn't find one.
Now that I've completed the procedure, I'm documenting it so that the next person who tires this will have some starting information.
Besides the replacement gasket, you will need the following items:
Seal puller or small, thin prybar
Putty knife or thin kitchen knife
13 mm box wrench or socket
Vacuum cleaner
Bucket of soapy water and cleaning rag
Can of silicone spray
Tube of blck silicone rubber seal
Sharp knife
Tin snips or cable cutter
Open the hatch.
Look for a small, black, plastic hex head nut on the side of the trunk between the flap for the tail lenses and the trunk edge. Unscrew these; they are usually only finger tight.
Using the 13 mm wrench, remove the bolts on the trunk floor that hold a plastic lower rear hatch lip guard. To find these bolts, look for the two carge hooks, one on either side of the trunk, near the back bottom lip of the trunk. The cargo hooks will come out with the bolts. The plastic lip itself has several plastic retaining tabs that also hold it in place. Gently work the plastic lip back and forth to free the retaining tabs. Set the lip aside.
Use the seam puller or small, thin pry bar to pull out the rear hatch seal from the hatch lip. The seal itself should pull out easily once you get it started.
Now it's time to clean out all the dirt that has accumulated in and around the rear hatch. Use the vacuum with appropriate attachment to remove all the loose dirt in and around the rear hatch. Use the soapy water and rag to complete the cleaning. Depending on the amount and character of dirt, it may take up to an hour of careful cleaning. Take your time. This are may not get another thorough cleaning for years.
While the rear hatch area dries, inspect the new gasket to orient yourself to how it fits. First, note the recessed channels in the seal. There are a couple of them. The deeper, less obvious one, is the one that fits over the sheet metal. The smaller, more obvious channel is the one that fits over the headliner, mouse hair trunk liner, and assorted plastic pieces along the ascending ridge of the hatch. Second, note the small holes that appear about every 18 inches or so in one ride of the seal. This side, the one with the regularly spaces holes, is the side that faces the interior of the trunk. Finally, note the seam where the trunk deal has been fused together. This seam should go on the bottom edge of the hatch. The reason for this will become apparent shortly.
Install the new trunk seal starting at the top lip of the hatch, along
the back perimeter of the headliner.
To install the new seal, spray the channels of the seal with a light coating of silicone spray. Push the deeper channel of the seal over the sheet metal of the upper hatch lip. The seal should easily slide into place.
Gradually work outwards from the top center of the hatch, around the upper corners, and down the side ridgelines. Here is where you will need the putty knife to slip the seal underneath plastic trim pieces. Work slowly and deliberately, making sure that the deep channel of the seal is firmly seated on the sheet metal of the hatch lip.
As you reach the bottom center lip of the rear hatch, you may notice that the seal appears to be too long. To make sure that the seal is properly seated, retrace the seating of the seal from the top center hatch lip all the way to the bottom, again pressing the deep channel onto the sheet metal. As you do so, use your finger on the wider, shallower channel to lift it over the headliner, the plastic pieces along the ridgeline, and the mousehair trunk cover. This will ensure that the seal is correctly seated, and that as much as possible of any excess seal length has been used.
If there remains some excess length in the trunk seal, take the sharp kife and cut into the seam sealing the two ends of the seal. After the knife cuts through the rubber of the seal, it will encounter a metal lip. Use the cable cutters ot tin snips to cut the metal lip.
Measure the two ends of the seal carefully to determine how much excess you need to remove. Using the sharp knife and the cable cutters, do so. Now press the ends of the seal into place. You should have a completely installed seal with one open seam.
Use the silicone rubber sealer to fuse the rubber in the open seam. Leave the rear hatch open for at least an hour to allow the silicone sealant to cure.
Inspect the sea to ensure that you have properly seated it over the headliner, ridgeline trim pieces and mousehair trunk cover. Re-install the plastic lower lip and and cargo hooks.
Estimated time of procedure: 2 hours, plus cure time for silicone sealant. This time estimate is for a careful, deliberate work pace. If your hatch lip perimeter is clean and you know what you are doing, the procedure should take no more than 1.5 hours, plus cure time.
posted by 70.187.23...
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