Bateman

Hi Gentlemen,

The hatch on my 944S has gone from bad to worse...it creaks quite loudly and it's getting obtrusive. Do you have any general tips for what I could check out? I'm going to have my mechanic take a look at it while he's doing some other things, but before he has the chance to tell me "The hatch creaks because you need a new engine, and that new engine must come from a GT2 and be installed by me", I figured I'd try the list! : )

Have any of you had to replace the entire hatch? Any miracle cures, like tightening a bolt here and there?

Many thanks,

Patrick Bateman

Micah

Patrick,

Check underneath the two catches for the pins on your hatch (the holes where the pins latch when the hatch is closed). There are two bolts that mount upwards into the catch. The catch itself is actually a loose part and can be removed entirely by taking out both bolts. You have to actually feel around up underneath to find the bolts.

These can become very loose and will allow a lot of play in the hatch even when it is closed and the pins are latched.

Micah

Bateman

Thanks Micah. Are you referring to the black (plastic) apparatus on the underside of the interior ledge? I saw some bolts there, but they appeared tight. Keep in mind also that the hatch fits/aligns tightly and doesn't "feel" loose- However, when I drive, it creaks loudly. Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Patrick

GrantC

Hey Patrick -

I've fought with mine and here's what I found:

The metal pins on the hatch have a locknut that you can loosen, then lengthen or shorten the pin, then re-lock. I shortened my pins little-by-little until the hatch wouldn't shut, then I lengthened a hair. It's a little more difficult to shut now, but it killed the squeaks for 6 months like magic.

So 6 months later the squeak re-appeared. After experimenting a bit, turned out it wasn't the hatch this time - it was the spare tire. The jack handle was squeaking (just take it out and throw in the backseat to test if that was it), plus the spare tire was also. Where the middle of the rim touches the car was rubbing. I adjusted the bolt and rotated the tire until everything felt solid and no more squeaks.

So could be the hatch, but first make sure it's not something else that's easy!

Bateman

Hi Grant,

Thanks very much for the info- I'll give it a try (Actually I did try the jack handle already). However, I"m definitely going to try your fix concerning the pins, because when I had my engineer buddy (who is a DIY guy, unlike me) look at the hatch, his solution was to actually lengthen one of the pins, to the point where it's a bit harder to open now (He did that because he could tell one side wasn't quite fitting as tightly as the other). Sounds like we should try shortening the two equally....thanks again!

IceShark

Patrick, try the hatch pins as suggested. Be careful about those if you can't turn them easy as you will then bend the hatch frame and be in real trouble.

The other items. How new is your hatch weather strip rubber? If it is original you should probably replace it. And then go through the pin adjustment again for the new rubber profile.

The big and nasty problem is if your hatch glass has delaminated from the frame. Get your engineering buddy to help you out and check that possible problem. There are a bunch of threads in the archives that go over how to reglue the glass and the special chants you have to make each and every night to the Hatch Gods hoping it hangs together.

panzer grey

Try the Pelican-Parts Tech Tip - "944 Rear Hatch Glass Repair".


http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...ss_repair2.htm


or the 9xauto.com Rear hatch clinic.

Some say that the 944 rear hatch will ALWAYS make noise no matter what you do...mine's as quiet as a mouse and always has been.

If nothing else, try lubricating the weatherstripping.

Good luck !