How does one notice the electric trunk lifters start to go bad?

[mbgar]

Hello all,

 

the electric struts of the S2 sometimes tend to die.

 

How does one notice they start to go bad and are there signs or do they die suddenly without warning?

Is it a slow process and only noticeable when the lifters are compared to a car with good lifters?

 

As there are now aftermarket electric lifters do you have suggestions which one to choose?

(specifically no change to mechanical lifters)

 

 

€dit:

Are there ways to maintain them?

Grease them? Oil them?

Edited 21 March by mbgar

[Lutz]

There is only one working solution, open them and repair them to last long time. 
I have made video about repair process:

 

There is no way to maintain struts, without opening them.

Edited 21 March by Lutz

[xtp77]

On 21/03/2024 at 07:57, mbgar said:

 

 

How does one notice they start to go bad and are there signs or do they die suddenly without warning?

 

 

Mine just didn't work one day. I hadn´t noticed anything. At that point the car was 5years old, 160k km. Minor caveat, performance may have degraded and I had missed it.  I had the car for less than a year at that point, so maybe there had been some degradation. At the same time, part of the beauty of having an electric opening is that I pay no attention. I often press the button from the inside or far away, and it is opened when I get to it. So maybe it was taking 2x time and I didn't notice. However, once it was fixed, it moved exactly as it did before breaking down. So I don't think you can notice.

 

The only maintenance advice I received, to make them last longer: always use the electric system and don't lower it yourself by force or lift if faster (unless it no longer works, and then, who cares).