rear strut issues

[DavidL]

I've just changed my hatch struts for the pattern parts Promax sell.
For the first time ever the hatch pops up on its own!

But now my alarm goes off within 10 secs and I can't seem to get the interior and boot lights to work properly. They will go on but won't go off with the doors shut.
I imagine, but haven't tried, that the rear screen won't be working either.

So do I just have a duff strut/struts or is there anything else?
I did have to reattach one of the connectors that fits onto the drivers side strut but it was just a bit of crimping.

Prior to this it all worked fine.

Thoughts?

 

[geoffbateman]

The switch for the load compartment light is part of the offside hatch gas strut. When you removed the struts you should have disconnected the wire to it. But you've obviously seen this. Mine didn't work properly for a while and it was because the strut cylinder wasn't fully contacting the contact in the rod end where the wire is connected. I just had to play about with that a bit to get a good contact.

 

[robwright]

Got mine from promax mate and yes it is good to watch the boot majetically rise when operated from inside the car[] I got the cheaper struts and they worked just fine. It must be a contact issue. There is a little finger contact on the offside one that operates the courtesy lights. The nearside one is wired to the deimster. Have you got them the right way around??? That would make sense as it would think the boot was permanently open and hence the lights wouldn't go out and your alarm would also think it was open.

 

[DavidL]

Makes sense Rob.
I didn't think I could mix the 2 struts up as the design is slightly different but I'll have a look tomorrow.
Otherwise its great!

 

[944 man]

Theyre handed, so unless you fit the OS and NS struts in their correct positions then electrical problems always follow.

 

[DavidL]

Sorted now.
It seems that although the original parts are numbered 048 for R and 049 for L the actual design of the new strut isn't the same. The one that looks like the old R actually has L on it ( and that assumes you decide the drivers side is R).
Out of interest I pulled the boot light out whilst testing - at the switch end there is one wire connected which completes the on/off mechanism, a clear off position in the middle where nothing makes contact and apparently another off on the 3rd position.
So what's that for?