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Hatch / Tailgate Inner Panel Removal

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Genegenie

Drag Race Newbie
Location
North Yorkshire
Car(s)
VW Golf
Anyonw know how to remove the inner panel from the hatch / tailagte, including the smaller panels either side ? Looked loads on 'net only found stuff on door panels.

Despite parking sensors I reversed very slowly into a metal bar and gave it a bit of a biff, took some doing but 'I managed it' :eek:(!). Caused dent in the hatch / tailgate crease, level with the VW release button, pulled the most of the dnet out, just leaving vertical crease in the hatch. Pulled 90% out with sucker / handle device, not a great tool but was better than nothing, but the metal is so relatively soft I reckon I might do it out with a piece of wood, or similar. Been quoted £150 to fix it which I will pay if need be as biffs & dents annoy the heck out of me. Thanx in poss advance.....
 
NeedSleep

NeedSleep

Go Kart Champion
Location
USA
Car(s)
2016 Golf R DSG
Youtube videos on installing tail light harnesses (e.g. ShopDAP) should have what you're looking for. They require taking off the inner hatch panels.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
 
G

Genegenie

Drag Race Newbie
Location
North Yorkshire
Car(s)
VW Golf
Thanx, found ther torx screws ok but they are so unbelivably tight I'm scared of snapping them off, or breaking where they screw into. Dunno ? Major hacked off because I'm usaually so OCD with parking, it was literally a very slight tap and, opposite of what most sellers say, the biff looks worse in the flesh. Still, could be waay worse.....
 

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G

Genegenie

Drag Race Newbie
Location
North Yorkshire
Car(s)
VW Golf
After soaking the torx screws with WD-40, leaving overnight in garage with the hatch open, screws are still as solid as a solid thing. If they were screwed into something more substantial, I would 'persuade' them to loosen either with a few taps from a small hammer or apply a bit of heat. But located as they are, holding plastic inner panel to a thin hatch, prob via some threaded lugs or tabs, those methods can't be applied without causing more damage. Though at this point I am tempted :rolleyes:. Patience is wearing though as I detest the sight of any damage so a maybe trip to the body shop is in order afterall. Annoying, sure, but this is the first damage I've suffered for 18 months and on this car and, it has to be said, was self-inflicted. Hmmm....
 
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heiney9

heiney9

Go Kart Champion
Location
Illinois
Car(s)
2017 GTi Sport DSG
Pelican parts has a diy for a MK5, I just replaced the hatch latch in my MK5. MK7 procedure has to be similar. I bought a set of trim tools which helped, but honestly it's a PITA and you have to use more force than you want to in order to release the clips that hold it in place. When I bought the tools I bought some extra metal clips because occasionally they break.

Here's the Pelican DIY.........maybe it will give you some general info.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...anel_Removal/109-BODY-Hatch_Panel_Removal.htm
 
G

Genegenie

Drag Race Newbie
Location
North Yorkshire
Car(s)
VW Golf
heiney9 said:
you have to use more force than you want to in order to release the clips that hold it in place.

Tell me about it, they are solid, dude, not moving at all. Like either the torx driver is gonna 'round out' the slot, or even snap, or they gonna snap off in situ and thereby be in there forever. Man, they must get torqued in hard at the factory. Leaving it another nite dripping with WD-40, then maybe forget about it for a while, life being too short for such things + they may loosen in time....
Click to expand...
 
demi9od

demi9od

Drag Race Newbie
Location
NC
Genegenie said:
heiney9 said:
you have to use more force than you want to in order to release the clips that hold it in place.

Tell me about it, they are solid, dude, not moving at all. Like either the torx driver is gonna 'round out' the slot, or even snap, or they gonna snap off in situ and thereby be in there forever. Man, they must get torqued in hard at the factory. Leaving it another nite dripping with WD-40, then maybe forget about it for a while, life being too short for such things + they may loosen in time....
Click to expand...
Try a drill with clutch set one down from locked, or an impact? The hammering affect might shake it loose without as much torque from your wrench.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
 
G

Genegenie

Drag Race Newbie
Location
North Yorkshire
Car(s)
VW Golf
Thanks good idea don't own such a device, but a pal does. Thinking on it my fear is the lugs or tabs could buckle or even be torn out by 'persuading' the screws Not actually seen the car today but hopefully the WD-40 will have soaked through.....
 
Strange Mud

Strange Mud

Autocross Champion
Location
Small Town CT
Car(s)
Assorted
it is an excuse to buy a cordless impact tool. I assume on your side of the pond tools like that also go on sale in time for Christmas.
 
G

Genegenie

Drag Race Newbie
Location
North Yorkshire
Car(s)
VW Golf
Strange Mud said:
it is an excuse to buy a cordless impact tool. I assume on your side of the pond tools like that also go on sale in time for Christmas.
Click to expand...
Indeed they do, would rather have an Xbox One or PS4 though :). Not even had chance to even look at car today, mad-busy couple of days coming up so leaving it til the weekend....
 
G

Genegenie

Drag Race Newbie
Location
North Yorkshire
Car(s)
VW Golf
Just to box off this thread; hatch got fixed for the £150 quoted and they did a good job. Just a nick on the rear bumper to touch-in which I forgot to mention, hence the puchase of VW touch-up paint @£13.61. The super-tight inner panel screws ? The repairers loosened them by ever so slightly tightheneing them a tad more, then undoing them, thiough they agreed the screws were super tigh. I forgot to try that but knew I needed to somehow 'break the seal' of factory 'machined in' screws. Pics if I can be bothered, but now it's pretty much good as new.

Moral: 'stay sharp you can run out of room real fast' & rely less on technology, in my case parking sensors, but more on your Mk1 human eyeball & 'in-head' CPU :cool:....
 
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