[stereo]

Hello,

one more from me... Sometimes, the left flap will not open because it gets caught by lining (which prevents the roof from folding in). Has anyone experienced this? Are there any steps for fixing?

(borrowed the photo from vwvortex forums)

Thanks,
Audrius

 

[peter-c]

Absolutely! The string that pulls the lining/flap has likely stretched over time.
Good news is that the flap will pull fully again once that string is shortened.

Where the string feeds through the guide on the inside of that flap, it is held in place by a metal crimp. Pull the string through a little more and tie a knot to create a new stopper. The one knot may still slip through that plastic guide though, so you may have to try to create a bigger knot, or tie the string in such a way that it will not pull through or lengthen again somehow.

You may want to experiment with shortening it incrementally -- maybe 1 cm at a time.

This worked really well for me.

In fact, when I figured out that it could be shortened that way, I found that it had already been shortened that way before -- by the previous owner or probably their dealer.

The only thing is.....I don't know how many times this can be done before the string will be no good.
I've only shortened it once, but this will be at least the second time that the car's had it done.

Hope that helps!

Peter

 

[David Paul]

Absolutely! The string that pulls the lining/flap has likely stretched over time.
Good news is that the flap will pull fully again once that string is shortened.

Where the string feeds through the guide on the inside of that flap, it is held in place by a metal crimp. Pull the string through a little more and tie a knot to create a new stopper. The one knot may still slip through that plastic guide though, so you may have to try to create a bigger knot, or tie the string in such a way that it will not pull through or lengthen again somehow.

You may want to experiment with shortening it incrementally -- maybe 1 cm at a time.

This worked really well for me.

In fact, when I figured out that it could be shortened that way, I found that it had already been shortened that way before -- by the previous owner or probably their dealer.

The only thing is.....I don't know how many times this can be done before the string will be no good.
I've only shortened it once, but this will be at least the second time that the car's had it done.

Hope that helps!

Peter

Great info, Peter.

Over here, when we can solve a somewhat complicated problem with a somewhat simple solution, we call it "Yankee Ingenuity".

How about we call this one "Aussie Ingenuity".

Wouldn't the dealers love to charge big money for this one?



100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3

 

[stereo]

thanks! will try this out!

 

[peter-c]

Thanks for the encouraging feedback, David.

Just had a look at mine again today to refresh my mind.
Here's a photo of what it looks like on the left side...

Turns out I had tied a knot and allowed it to slip through the guide. The knot has shortened the cord enough to fix the problem, without it having to function as the new stopper.

Just for this photo though, I've pulled the knot back through the guide -- now resting against it.

You can see how the lining flap folds flush against itself. It needs to be like that for the lower lining to not interfere with the side opening panel on opening.

In Stereo's photo, the lining flap is not flush and the side panel is caught in its lower section.

Too much tension can cause the same problem too, I found. So a bit of incremental experimentation is definitely needed.

Hope it goes well!

 

[David Paul]

Thanks for the encouraging feedback, David.

Just had a look at mine again today to refresh my mind.
Here's a photo of what it looks like on the left side...

Turns out I had tied a knot and allowed it to slip through the guide. The knot has shortened the cord enough to fix the problem, without it having to function as the new stopper.

Just for this photo though, I've pulled the knot back through the guide -- now resting against it.

You can see how the lining flap folds flush against itself. It needs to be like that for the lower lining to not interfere with the side opening panel on opening.

In Stereo's photo, the lining flap is not flush and the side panel is caught in its lower section.

Too much tension can cause the same problem too, I found. So a bit of incremental experimentation is definitely needed.

Hope it goes well!

So sorry for the very, very late feedback, but........................

Ah yes, just another Aussie ingenuity post.

It is no wonder our countries are and always have been as one in war and in peace.



100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3

 

[voxmagna]

This is a good thread because I have read that the roof system can get jammed up and damaged by these flaps not working properly.

Incidentally these 'strings' are a black woven nylon. I must try and source some, you never know when you might need to replace a length.

Anybody know if the stopper itself can be released and pressed back in a new position?

I shall take a hard look at mine and see if this is one place where you could put a light tension spring in the nylon line. That would make sure you always got some tension but not too much.

 

[airforcebj]

Replacing a String

I ran into a similar problem today. Not only was my wing flap getting caught on one side, I checked the other and found one string was snapped all together!! I cringed to know what the dealer would charge, so I went home, semi-opened the roof and took a look. I compared the broken string to the other side, where the string was still good. So, I grabbed a slim shoestring out of a pair of shoes, and ran the new string identically to the one on the other side. It worked like a charm! On the actual cloth flap where the sting ran, I tied a knot like in the above pictures. When the line ended on the frame, I used one of those electrical eyelets in the attached picture. Its a perfect fit because if the line sags over time, I can pull it through and tie another knot. I actually noticed a few other lines are frayed, so I'm gonna stock up on strings just in case they break. Since my Eos is an 07, those lines are probably reaching the end of their service life.

 

[voxmagna]

Thanks for posting. I haven't had a problem yet, but I was thinking of looking around for the black nylon they use. Boot laces are often cotton and I suspect they won't last long rubbing across pulleys.

I have a couple of other ideas too. I have recently been working with 1.5mm stainless steel wire and crimps (used a lot on gym equipment AND my EOS window lifter!)

This wire is natural silver color and if you get the right sort (7/7) it is very flexible and will wrap around 30mm diameter.

The other possibility may be fishing pike line. That too is very thin multi stranded stainless wire, but comes with a black or green nylon over coating. The fishing shops sell all the ferrules and end stops. If that is a solution and there are no safety issues, stainless wire will not stretch so there is no need for adjusters once you get the length correct.

 

[helios]

Roof maintenance/repair tool

I have found this item to be invaluable when working on the roof...prevents roof segments from collapsing back into trunk.

 

[voxmagna]

I have found this item to be invaluable when working on the roof...prevents roof segments from collapsing back into trunk.

You make an important point often overlooked that the roof will not stay held up by the motor and hydraulics for that long.

It is stressed in the VW manuals that 'props' are used to support the roof during service ops. Not only does it prevent the roof parts twisting, but it is an essential safety tool when you are working on it and sticking your hands in the gaps.

I made my own supports using 2X2 timber. Your photo shows quite a pro looking tool. Is this something genuine you bought with deep pokets, or something aftermarket you found, often Chinese made and cheap?

I have several cheap Chinese tools. Often their design copy starts o.k, but their execution to the final product falls short. But with some simple workshop tools you can often fix the bad points.

 

[helios]

Inexpensive hinge supports from,,,

Snap-On Tools, Volkswagen Special Tools and Equipment Program: http://vw.snapon.com/Home.aspx

Consider the cost of this tool ($103 CDN) as inconsequential when compared against the cost of your Eos and shop service rates ($140/hour here)!

The Audi/VW tools from Snap-On are manufactured in Germany and are of the highest quality. Enjoy.

 

[theblue]

consider the cost of a 2x4, that's what I used.

 

[helios]

2x4s certainly are inexpensive, but...

they are not stable whereas these supports have a better margin of safety. If your piece of wood falls away from a roof hinge the whole roof assembly is torqued as it sags to the unsupported side. Damaged linkages are the result. These German-made stands cannot be knocked away from a hinge due to a small saddle on the extension end.

 

[[email protected]]

I will try that?

 

[Blacknige]

Hi All,

I have read this thread with interest, as our Eos has the same problem, albeit intermittently. Although I accept that shortening the cords may seem to solve the issue, I am inclined to think that we are missing something here, and I'd rather not go down that route just yet. Looking at the material that these cords are made from, I am reluctant to believe that they will stretch by 3cm or more over a few years. However, looking at the route that the cords take, I see that they pass through an eyelet, which is attached to the end of another (elasticated) cord, and this runs horizontally accross the roof section. I am unable to tell if this elasticated cord is one continuous piece or two shorter lengths, as the majority of it is enclosed, but by the very nature of it, surely this is more likely to have stretched over time and be the root of the problem?

We are coming into winter in the UK now, and I'm unlikey to be spending any more time investigating this now until next spring. I would therefore be very grateful to hear anyone else's thoughts or comments on the matter, and hopefully we can find a better solution. I must stress though, that I am also very grateful to the people who have posted already, as they have certainly found a fix that works, and if all else fails then I will be taking their advice and doing the same myself.

Looking forward to your replies, hopefully.

 

[voxmagna]

I don't have this problem yet, but I have bought some super flexible stainless steel wire and crimp wire stops which I will try when the weather warms up. Initially I will use electrical choc. strip terminals as screw down adjustable stops to get the length correct, then put a crimp stop on the wire.

 

[Atl]

... I am inclined to think that we are missing something here...

Perhaps we are. I just discovered this video:

https://youtu.be/tRjqNZrmYXI

It appears you can adjust the flap/wing itself. Just pop the top of the flap off, loosen three nuts, slide the flap outward/downward and retighten the nuts.

I haven't tried it myself, since the problem in my eos last summer went away all by itself. (or maybe the dealer did something without mentioning it??)

Thought I'd post it here since I haven't seen this adjustment mentioned anywhere before. If anyone tries it, let us all know how it goes.

 

[spanamike]

Yeah!

I've been trying to solve my flap hanging up on the fabric for over a year now. It started with the passenger flap last year and then the drivers this spring. Tried lubing mechanicals and shortening cords to no avail. Just made this adjustment to both sides in under ten minutes. Works like a charm. Quite a bit of adjustment available on the bolts, I took about half of it. Smart top install next, I didn't do it before because of the flap hang up problem.
Thank you for posting this here!

 

[Atl]

I've been trying to solve my flap hanging up on the fabric for over a year now. It started with the passenger flap last year and then the drivers this spring. Tried lubing mechanicals and shortening cords to no avail. Just made this adjustment to both sides in under ten minutes. Works like a charm. Quite a bit of adjustment available on the bolts, I took about half of it. Smart top install next, I didn't do it before because of the flap hang up problem.
Thank you for posting this here!

Glad it helped.

I'm going to try this myself next time the roof's down. Not because it needs adjustment right now. Just because I like taking stuff apart to see how it works.