CADguy

So do you guys lube the rear spoiler pivot points on a regular basis (once or twice a year)?

What kind of lubricant do you use, and is there an aid to show where to apply the lube?

Thanks for any help!

davesnothere

Curious to see the answer to this, as I am still trying to track down the source of my spoiler noise, which is not caused by the gear drive mechanism or the motor or the plastic spoiler wall. That pretty much leaves the pivot points.

- Dave

KLSpeed27

I have found that the little cable between the motor and the gear gets dryed out and starts to growl. I just removed it at the motor end and dripped some 3-in-1 oil down the housing. This does the trick for about 6 months or so...I need to do mine again, its starting to make noise.

CADguy

Thanks KLSpeed27, I'll look into that part of it.

jhummel68

For the pivot points I would suggest removing the shoulder bolts and using a silicone grease or someting that will not "melt" the plastic to lube those spots. Petroleum products can soften the plastic over time so I wouldn't use motor oil or regular grease. When I do this it lasts for a long while. As far as the cable goes, the 3 in 1 is about the best you can do unless you are replacing the bearing in the gear drive. If you are doing the bearing, the cable pulls right out of the sleeve and can be coated with a thin coat of moly grease (the stuff Pelican sells for CV joints). The type of grease used here is not as critical since it is a metal cable in a metal sleeve. It should run smoothly after that.

CADguy

Thanks for the advise. I have some Lithium grease, maybe I could use it for the cable (only talks about using it on metal). I have 3 in 1 oil, not sure if it would be ok for pivot points that might include plastic. Things get pretty hot right above the engine, so heat is a factor.
In Adrian Streathers book, he mentions "light graphite grease", but I couldn't find it in the local Ace hardware store.

Still not sure what are all the places to lube, anybody?

2Many Cars

Look for graphite lock lubricant at a good locksmth's store, it's the same stuff. It's much better for cables than any oil or wet lube. Oil attracts dirt and hardens up over time which will eventually cause the cable to fail. Also in hot weather the oil will migrate to the lowest point leaving the rest of the cable dry. Graphite tends to stay put. The best way to lube a cable is to remove the core, wipe it clean and apply the graphite as you reinsert it. If you can't remove the cable core then remove the whole cable and hold it vertically while shooting the graphite into the top as you spin the cable. Done right the lube should last for years.

jhummel68

There are 4 shoulder allen bolts that hold the actual spoiler panel on (5mm). You can take them loose one at a time and put a little lube on them (silicone grease).

Fro the lower mounts, there are 4 shoulder bolts on the engine side (inside) of the rear deck lid. The lower ones are accessed by opening the lid. I just looked at mine. You can get to the driver's side by removing the 2 philips head screws on the drive cover.

The forward one on the passenger side is pretty easy to get to; the rear on the pax side is a little harder and I personally wouldn't try try to get to it unless I knew that that was the one that was binding. I know it is half-*** but it looks to be a little more involved just to say all points were lubed.

The graphite is probably a better lube on the cable. I've always used a very thin coat of the CV grease on any cable. By no means should the grease be put on thick. I hope this helps.

CADguy

I do have some dry graphite lubricant, so I'll give it a try on the cable. Thanks!

Yes, it should help a lot. I also have silicone spray lubricant, wasn't sure if it was OK to use. Since I haven't lubed the spoiler yet, I just want to make sure I don't use the wrong lubricant or miss any place to be lubed. Thanks a lot

jhummel68

The spray will work but may not last that long. The good part about using the spray is it is very quick to apply.