When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Has anyone tackled replacing the seals or the unit with a rebuilt one? My tailgate will crack open on its own, but not lift up at the initial attempt, but will continue opening on its own after a bit of manual assistance. Same result after refilling the unit.
there are a few services online (link below) that will rebuild your pump for you but they are pricey.
do you see leakage below the pump to indicate that all the oil is leaking out? or perhaps you have internal leakage allowing the fluid to mix between the pressurized lines.
it's also possible to replace the motorized unit with a manual strut.
There was visible leakage when I filled it up a year ago, but it did not improve performance of the gate opening up on its own all the way. Would (and still) hangs right at the initial pop of the latch, after that it's slow to lift up (and back down).
There was visible leakage when I filled it up a year ago, but it did not improve performance of the gate opening up on its own all the way. Would (and still) hangs right at the initial pop of the latch, after that it's slow to lift up (and back down).
Maybe your pump motor itself is bad but if you have leakage from the pump, it sounds like you have bad internal seals. I don't know much about the internals of these units and it's very hard to find information or parts diagrams. I've emailed the manufacturer (Hoerbiger) on several occasions and never gotten a response. I dont know if a rebuild kit is even available but someone must have this info if a rebuild service is available online.
Are you certain that the top end of the hydraulic strut arm has not popped off the ball near the top of the liftgate?
If you want to retail the auto liftgate function, perhaps you should order a rebuilt unit from one of those links I provided and then send back your unit as the core exchange.
Any chance that the manual strut on the passenger side isn't providing enough assistance anymore? I sort of doubt that because I think you would have the opposite problem where it could start on its own but then it would give up further up the stroke.
Any chance that the manual strut on the passenger side isn't providing enough assistance anymore? I sort of doubt that because I think you would have the opposite problem where it could start on its own but then it would give up further up the stroke.
it certainly won’t hurt to replace it. Very simple job and even before I diagnose the hydraulic side I had a faster tailgate open and higher max open angle.
My Ride: 2010 535xiT Touring, N54, Individual Audio
Model Year: 2010
Engine: N54 3.0L Twin Turbo
The right side in the photo is the accumulator spring and piston. The piston is hydrostatically locked until you separate the pump side (left) from the accumulator / valve side (right). There are a few allen head screws holding the two halves together, and about 5 small o-rings. Once you separate the two halves, the piston will drop right out.
FWIW, there's an even easier way to top off the fluid. I just drilled a small hole in the plastic reservoir, and capped it with a small screw. Fill it with a syringe, and the whole process took under an hour, including doing the video of the process.
I should note that I did get a comment on the video telling me that one of the hex screws is actually a fill port, but I've never, ever seen any kind of reference to a fill port other than the one on the bottom (thanks, BMW!) of the reservoir.
FWIW, there's an even easier way to top off the fluid. I just drilled a small hole in the plastic reservoir, and capped it with a small screw. Fill it with a syringe, and the whole process took under an hour, including doing the video of the process.
I should note that I did get a comment on the video telling me that one of the hex screws is actually a fill port, but I've never, ever seen any kind of reference to a fill port other than the one on the bottom (thanks, BMW!) of the reservoir.
great video. what you have done is definitely the quickest and easiest way to refill the reservoir. one thing to note, it is possible to invert the pump without removing the hydraulic lines. it's a PITA, but can you remove the bolts holding it to the body of the vehicle and manipulate it enough to remove the fill plug. however, one of the bolts on the pump is really challenging to reach.
the option that i went with was to remove the factory clamp holding the reservoir to the pump body. I used a dremel to cut the band on the clamp. once that was removed. the plastic reservoir comes off pretty easily. i then used a standard band clamp to secure it back to the pump housing. mine had a slow leak so i had to top off fluid every 12-18 months.
01-10-2020, 05:54 AM
