Yaris/Vitz RS hatch DIY gas struts repair

[2005vitzRS]

Hey guys. When opening the boot (trunk) of my 2005 Vitz its started to stick and does not open all the way up.

Any ideas on a DIY fix?

[CTScott]

That means that it is time to replace the gas struts.

[2005vitzRS]

Cheers for that. Was just wondering if there was a DIY way of repairing them. Will take the car in and get it done.

[CTScott]

Cheers for that. Was just wondering if there was a DIY way of repairing them. Will take the car in and get it done.

There's a thread on here about aftermarket ones, which shows the process of replacing them. Basically you open the hatch and support its weight, which replacing one at a time. The struts mount to balls, which have a spring clip. Remove the spring clip and the end of the strut lifts right off of the ball.

If you do go with aftermarket ones, make sure that they have an equivalent lift rating (~90 to 100 lbs) and that they are the dampened type (which open quickly and then slow down as they approach their full open position.

[Mittelklasse]

My hatchback had this problem, particularly on a hot day.

I fixed that by rubbing grease around the strut shaft and then sprayed WD-40 onto near the opening where the shaft glides into the strut body.

(the grease will dry out after around 3-4 months though)