Panic - tailgate wouldn't close.

[Deleted User 4737]

If rust from water ingress is the problem then any fluid like WD40 should help. If premature mechanical fatigue is the cause it unfortunately can't do a lot!!

[Stuber]

What is inside the struts as they are electrically operated?

[Deleted User 4737]

Not taken one apart, it will be electrically operated but my guess then to some sort of worm winding screw thingy. On balance, self-opening struts are more trouble than their convenient worth, and very expensive when, not if, they fail.

[Stuber]

Is this easy to get this strut apart as I might grease mine with waterproof yacht grease if it's a simple job.

[ChrisLF]

I think you might be the first on here and probably not easy as not designed to be repaired etc.

The post a few pages back showing the exposed spring I think was the early plastic tubed type.

[Stuber]

I have also done what bravem01 suggested, about two months ago. Happy to report my grating noise has finally gone. Obviously takes time for oil to creep round all the spring. Looks like two springs within the strut that screw within each other, if that makes sense. Fingers crossed.

[bravem01]

Unfortunately the wd40 trick did not cure it and th rh one became very noisy. The dealer replaced them last week and volvo contributed 70%. I had the stop start auxiliary battery replaced as well as that had failed. Not good on a car less than 4 years old and 25k miles.
Poor design and manufacture?
I also had the windscreenwasher pump fail 3 months ago.
What next?

[eugen61]

Struts and support battery on MY2020 are faulty parts acknowledged by Volvo. It’s uncommon for the widescreen washer pump to fail, it can happen when dirty liquid is used or water freezes in the pump.

[Stuber]

Mine are quiet now with oil added a few times. Evidence of rust in oil residue so it is working. I'm going to keep doing it for now

[jonathan66]

Hi, my 2019 XC40 has old struts but has been garaged except when on holiday etc and not out in too much rain. I noticed a small amount of water with rust the other day coming down the strut when the boot was open. To confirm the issue I poured water onto the roof using a watering can. The water goes down the gap between roof and top of boot. This test confirmed that the water tracks down the struts in and into the mechanism via the annular gap between the two moving parts, between the metal inner tube and the rubber cover of the boot attached component. In an attempt to preserve the struts for the life of the car, I have created a protective cover per attached photos which the boot attached component will slide up into when the boot is closed. The photos are of the drivers side strut. A re-test with water showed no water on the struts when the boot is open. The orange sleeve is a piece of old 3mm thick vinyl flooring 60mm x 118mm. The white plastic part is cut up milk bottle about 60mm x 200mm. I also placed a cable tie on the rubber of the boot attached component per photos. This is because when the boot is opened, the boot attached part has water on it which then tracks back into my protective cover. When the boot is closed again that water could potentially run down and enter the mechanism. The cable tie forces the water to drip off the tie when the boot is open, rather than carry on into the protective cover. I may look to improve on this arrangement with self amalgamating tape in due course to create an OEM lookalike version.