How to you close rear hatch?
 

should i let it fall and slam close? or press it down while hatch is resting on the car body?

what do u guys do?

I pull the hatch about halfway down and just let go of it.

It closes a lot easier than it opens sometimes .... If cold out, it doesn't always pop open enough and requires a few clicks of the button so I can grab it and get it past the latch.

used to halfway and let go, but seems a lil harsh. so wonder if push close is gentler on the whole hatch..

Gentler maybe, but I'm pretty ham fisted and wouldn't put it past myself to end up putting a dent in the hatch from pushing down to "make sure" it's closed.

The hatch has springs and rubber stoppers. I just let 'er drop.

i grab the outer edges of the hatch (not to put smears on the finish) and pull it down, drop it from about 1/4 to close. and push gently down on the spoiler as it closes. shouldn't need much force.

it's the hood that needs to be dropped from pretty high inorder to get both latches to lock correctly. :icon14:

I grab the metal latch and yank it down

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ewww... no one grabs that.

Pull the hatch down to the last 15-20cm,& let it fell.

I put my hands on the lid and close it like a baws

Medium pressure on the spoiler all the way to close.

pressure on the spoiler won't cause it to flex? and put more pressure on the screw mountings of the spoiler-hatch?

i dont really apply pressure, just a gentle assist in the fall really from about 1/4 open. (10" drop?)

That's what I do :ugh2:

Manual says explicitly to NOT push down on the spoiler, only the hatch door itself. It's in there, I read it.

Your guy's hatches must close easier than mine. I can't drop it from any height. It doesn't close all the way even form the highest point. I have to give it quite a slam to get it to close, more than I would like. :confused:

To be sure I apply even pressure I use the edge of my palm on the top back edge of the door, centered side to side, and give it a downward swhoosh. I release my hand from the door prior to it actually stopping and closing.

I don't think I'm doing any physical harm to the door, but I am worried about unnecessary scratches, especially when the wife does it with her ring on etc.

I have some extra clear bra material left over and have considered cutting a chunk and applying it back there.

I let it swing close with a thud. Much like I'd close a door. It'd be weird to let a door almost close and then push it that last cm to close. Same for the hatch in my head. There are those spring rubber stops to protect it.

Sounds like your hatch might be slightly out of alignment.

I guess I'm a weirdo, because that's how I usually close doors lol

that's why on your car it specifically says not to push down on the spoiler. :icon17:

btw, if you're referring to my post, i dont PUSH down on it. i just gently keep the momentum going downward. i have the mine's cf lip on the spoiler. i press on that which means, i dont PUSH it down hard at all.

it's hard to grab just the edge of that hatch anyway. i rather not risk scratching the finish.

I don't think so, but I could be wrong. :confused:

But I don't understand how all yours just close from the weight. My shocks must be stronger than yours or something. If I have my front doors & windows closed, I have to swhoosh my trunk with quite some effort; it does not just "plunk" shut from a light push and gravity.

Now if the front door or windows are open, not so much.

Could this be a 2012 thing? I also must manually push it closed as dropping it won't close it completely. Oh, and I never touch the spoiler upon closing.

Ah, my car's tush lacks a spoiler, so this is a non issue. If it doesn't close tight when I bring it down, I just put my palm on the deck lid and gently push down.

I use the inside of my knuckle to apply some pressure on the outside lip of the spoiler and have had no issues with flex or anything even remotely damaging the body. I am sure there is more force from the wind when driving at high speeds than there is from my 2-3 fingers I use.

The manual prints things like that to avoid liability when some sasquatch rips the spoiler off.

I bring it down gently, then let it come on down on her own ;)

1) Manual says DO NOT PRESS DOWN ON SPOILER.
2) If latch is a bit misaligned, slamming or dropping can cause hatch to warp a little. I think this happened to the hood of my Infiniti when I was selling it and let a guy drive it around for a half hour. I didn't notice till next morning.

3) The auto body experts I asked say to lower hood or hatch, make sure the latches are aligned, and then press down over the latch areas.

I cross-body block the entire hatch Jimmy Superfly Snuka style!

that's because dumbarses will put their weight on the spoiler... :ugh2: let's use some common sense here...

also, i would never do the 'make sure the latches are aligned, press down on the hood' on the Z. you will risk bending the hood. :ugh2:

sailfree- it is time you rely on experience and not just data. :icon17:

If I recall, I think the manual says not to use it at all, even to touch it, because it could loosen up the way it's attached or something. Crap I don't remember from back in December.

I don't "PUSH" on anything either. I hate when people lightly drop their hood then push latch it shut. Guy at the dealer did it to the Z he was trying to sell me and I cringed. Or when their door doesn't close all the way they push on it to close it. No no, not for me. I reopen then close it properly.

I totally agree. That's why I'd love to do it differently, but mine seems to be harder than yours. I can not lightly just help gravity.

I'll have to go out and test when my shocks start to grab and pull up.

yah, im just preventing the hatch from bouncing off the stops when it closes really. no real force needed at all. ive not noticed anything change on mine. i do the same on the G as well. she's 8yrs old (original owner) and no issue.

Just drive. The downforce will close it for you.

So how hard is yours to lift?

I'm sure these things are designed to be balanced just right so it's possible if its off it makes a difference. We've got Lamborghini Countach doors here.

I know Nissan made a big deal about how the original Murano hatch door was designed and produced from special materials to allow for (basically) old women to be able to both open and close it easily. The door is very light going up, and when coming down, you pull it lightly to a certain point, let go, and it basically closes itself from there. My Z hatch does NOT work like that.

:ughdance: I guess I'm unique in that way... :p

But seriously, what's wrong with using the metal latch? I just prefer not to ever touch my paint.

I let my trunk monkey close the hatch. Best investment ever!

not hard at all to lift on mine. i can use one finger and lift it up.

doesnt that have grease on it? :ugh2: i dont mind oil/grease while working on my cars, but not when im not. i like to keep my hands clean.

^^^This.

Also, none the less, I tried it once on mine, and I'm telling you, I can't do it this way even if I wanted. Not unless I want a smashed hand. I have to swoosh hard and long enough that there isn't time to get my hand out of harms way. I think if Nissan thought we would wanted this and could do it, they would have added a small purposeful handle to grab.

Bottom line, gravity doesn't close mine like yours. :confused:

yah, that's wierd... your dampers are probably higher rate than mine.

that's interesting. I'm thinking that the rear cargo hatch cover has something to do with requiring more force to close.

Anyways, I usually use the metal latch and no grease on mine... at least not anymore. :ugh2: If it's supposed to be greased, I definitely shouldn't be pulling on it.

Hi, Kenchan,

Some day, if I live long enough, I'll have all the experience I need. Be 71 this month.

I always liked the following:

"Experience is a great teacher--and a fool will have no other..."

I've also thought I could learn from the experience of others, not just my own, such as the body shop guys and the local car club folks, both of whom told me never to drop or slam a hood, always make sure the latch is aligned and then press it closed. I note that none of them had bent hoods. I'll let you know in 7-8 years...

--SailFree

Shoulda thought of that!
 

I feel like an idiot--that is a great idea!

I know, it was a bad joke, but I loved those little videos...

Mine definitely does not close as easily as most of yours

I go get fairlady badges and let the homage close it for me!