ceb

My hatch is periodically making a groaning/moaning noise and I'm wondering if there is any preventative maintenance I can/should be doing? Lube the struts? With what?

The thing groans the most the first three or four times after it reverses after something is in the way. I have the trunk liner with the fold out flap and periodically (seldom) somebody (usually not me but it has happened), pushed the close button with the flap out. The hatch reverses and opens and the next handful of times it will groan pretty regularly. It also groans "just because" periodically.

I'm still under extended warranty but of course the hatch was dead quiet the last time I was at the dealership.

WheelMcCoy

My 2012 wagon has the manual hatch, and over time, it started to moan and groan too. I wiped the struts clean and applied a thin layer of silicon grease. Now it's as quiet as when it was new.

ceb

Thanks. I was thinking as much but didn't quite know what to use. I also noticed that the attachment point has a bit of topical rust, but everything has always been bone dry.

cu2wagon

Is this a job for the ubiquitous Shin Etsu grease that Honda loves?

I bet it is.

ceb

Good idea. I just ordered a tube from Amazon. It'll be here next year....

2012wagon

Is it weather related? My 12 has the auto hatch, and its probably opened on average 2 times a day. That is 2 open 2 close. 4x 2920 days (age of car) = 11,680 times operated. No squeak or groan has started. Will keep an eye out.

CEB hope you gets your fixed.

ceb

Now that you mention it, I don't think it has anything to do with weather. I open mine a couple of times as well (sometimes more if the dog is along - which is often) and it isn't repeatable UNLESS something is in the way of the door closing and then it'll groan the next couple of times. Normally, it'll do it randomly every couple of months.

With COVID-19, Amazon isn't shipping anything quickly, so the grease probably won't get here for a while. I'll keep y'all posted.

2012wagon

keep us posted. No pets or food allowed in my car. Need to keep it mint condition.

ceb

No food or kids allowed in mine....

ceb

I finally got the Shin Etsu grease in the mail today, wiped down the struts and applied a very thin coating.

I did notice something odd as I was cleaning the struts. Both struts are firmly attached, but the left one wobbles a bit (almost as if there was a worn or missing gasket or something inside the strut. The right side has just a hint of a bit of play.

Could a wagon owner check their struts please and see if they wobble?

ceb

Just to clarify, the "wobble" is in the middle of the strut where the shiny bit fits into the lower black housing.

If you grab the assembly right at the top of the "housing" (right under the shiny part), then the left side has noticeable play while the right side barely moves.

I wonder if this is covered under the extended Acura warranty - I don't see it specifically excluded.

cu2wagon

Well, I just checked mine. I expected to have no idea what you were talking about, but sure enough the left strut (driver side) has a little bit if wiggle whereas the right side (passenger) does not.

Not being a hatch strut expert, I can't say if that's normal or not, but it didn't seem obviously "wrong". I have noticed that my struts are a little sad and the hatch doesn't always open 100%. I figured I was due for a replacement sometime in the next couple years... So maybe it is a sign of them on the way out?

ceb

Interesting.

I'm going to show my mechanical ignorance here, but are the struts the same between the manual (non-tech) and the auto opening (tech) hatches?

cu2wagon

I'd really expect them to be, but Acura shows 2 different part numbers:

74820-TL7-306 for the Power hatch and
74820-TL7-305 for the Regular hatch.

I can check tomorrow to see if there's any additional info on the strut itself, maybe a pressure or force rating?

forward

Interesting. Which years (s) are those part numbers for? I just checked my 120k mile non-Tech 2011, and found no jiggle, and I've yet to hear any groaning or noise from either one.

Both of mine are a different part number than those I quoted, and match what Acura shows in multiple places online:

Stay Assembly, Tailgate Open
74820-TL4-G01




HTH

2012wagon

Checked my power hatch

no wobble. No groans. No noise

we use the power feature few times a day. As good as it was in 2012 when brand new

ceb

Hmmmm, so the wobble is not universal.

In the big scheme of things this is really a little nit. It could be the Jeep death wobble....

2012wagon

Definitely NOT