Weird problem with Honda boot opening & closing - ideas?

[Heisenberg]

We have a 2006 Honda Civic.

If you open the boot with the latch in the car, then it's very hard to close the boot. In other words, it won't relatch. If you keep slamming the boot it eventually relatches, but it's far from ideal.

OTOH, if you open the boot with the button on the key, it works perfectly, and relatches first time.

Any ideas? The key button obviously unltaches it electronically, but what about the latch in the car? Would it be cable operated? In which case would it just need an adjustment, and if so where would the adjustment be?

Does anyone have any experience with this particulr problem on a Honda (or any other car with a similar mechanism)?

[V Williamson]

One might be tempted to irrigate the latch with a bit of WD-40 (and help your arthritic fingers as well ). But I understand that only graphite powder is to be used inside lock mechanisms. WD-40 can eventually gunk it up even worse. You can get graphite powder for locks from any hardware store.

I would, firstly, put powder into the lock which probably means using the key or flat bladed screwdriver to hold the little flap on the lock open while you squirt some powder in. After, work the key in and out of the lock to spread it and you can usually feel the lock mechanism becoming lubricated. Then give the latch a try and see whether the lock lubrication was the problem. If nothing improves from the original problem, try getting some graphite powder down the outside of the latch and work it in. Graphite acts as a dry lubricant and perhaps use it in preference to WD-40 in that area. It just sounds like the latch has gone dry and sticky.

Beyond that, I think you will have to start opening things up and applying grease to springs etc.

[Heisenberg]

Yep, WD40 fixed it. And then we sold it (which is why we needed to fix it)

[V Williamson]

^^^ where's the emoticon of someone banging their head against a wall?....

[BigDutchy]

Well,....what to say....

[V Williamson]

Actually, most importantly, did yer get a good price for the Honda?

[Heisenberg]

I don't know. It was the wife's car. She was happy with the price, which is all I care about. She's got a bit of an eye for bargains so she'd bought it really cheap, simply because it was filthy and the bloke that sold it didn't even bother wiping a chamois over it

Actually it wasn't just the WD40 - the latvh has a two way mechanism - push it the other way and it opens the fuel cap. So the technique is (after the WD40) when yoiu've unlatched it, push the lever the other way to return the cable yto its original position and allow the latch to catch