Great write up !! This took me about 15 minutes as well and solved my hatch issues :tiphat:. All this time fumbling with things trying to open my hatch because of a 2 1/2lb weight. lol

Ditto. I'll agree with the OP; this is very easy and you'd be a fool to pay someone to do this. Thanks for the write up!

I've got a brand-new '13, and the weight was there. Gone now.

The design of the weight, an elastic heavy rubber puck dynamically mounted in a metal frame suggests it is there to prevent rattling, which hatchbacks in general are notorious for. No squeaks/ rattles in 1000 miles now.

And while we are on the subject of weight reduction, do you really need TWO horns? I don't...........

That's so random... Now I can't tell what years do and don't have the weight...
And my car only has 1 horn... Not sure where you're seeing the second

I found out what was rattling, the rubber/plastic backing on the carpet was rattling against the sub grill/cover

There's one in the grille area near the radiator (low tone), and another behind the driver's side wheelwell.(high tone)

Nice to remove a couple of pounds and have the back open properly.....

Thanks! I Will look for the other lumps.

Fritz

I hope the weight is there for you!
A few members with various years have said that it's not there (2012, and it was Omm370Z's, [if you're reading this] maybe they took the weight out when they installed the Amuse wing???)

added thanks

Slightly off topic perhaps, but my dealer comped me some stronger hatch springs out of warranty. I just had to ask nice.

I'm still going to pop out the weight though (kinda on principal...what kind of f'ed up engeneer ADDS weight to a sport?)

I wonder how the horn will sound from now on. Let's hope is not near a Klaxon horn making the familiar "Aoogha" sound. :eek:
Anyway, back to the subject. I pulled the "weight" and It looks more of a dampener than a weight. Could it be possible that it actually absorbs vibrations? I remember, on the helicopters I used to work, you could place a hand anywhere on acft and no (out of the ordinary) vibrations could be felt, except on one spot close to the overhead area. I could tell when the tail rotor system needed to be "balanced" by just placing my hand on that spot.
Relax people, that is just an opinion.

Good point

Welllllllll... The adding of weight was (and again I ASSume) for petit women back in Japan.

And it looks like a dampener, kind of, it looks more like the weight itself is dampened.
I haven't noticed any ill-effects from removing it, and if it was just a dampener I assume it would be more rubber, less metal

sweet man thanx. i wish all DIY's were this detailed and easy

Thanks! :tiphat:
I try to make it dumb àss proof and with too many pictures just so there really is no confusion
(I know that sometimes I feel like a dumb àss when going through a DIY, and I'm sure others feel that way too)