HowTo: Improving a plastic latch on the 2010 BMW X5 35d
Posted By RichC on December 13, 2018
The design of the storage lid and latch on my2010 BMW X5 35d SUV leave a lot to be desired and now that I have new NON-run flat tires, I’m actually using the space under the rear deck for the temporary tire … so it was time to fix the deck lid latch.
The plastic mechanism in general seems to be over-designed and far more complicated than necessary. Unfortunately the plastic material choice that clamshells together and snaps together to lift and lock the rather heavy lid is a weak point. It has been broken since I’ve owned the vehicle, but still sort of snaps back together with broken tabs. The screws which are tapped into the bottom half of the plastic clamshell is a definite weak point.
My first thought was epoxy, but knew it would not hold up to regular pulling on the handle. Eventually I removed all the broken ‘guts’ of the plastic locking mechanism and snipped off the worthless pieces. I then drilled and countersunk 2 holes under the spring loaded handle and added two 3/4" long #8 screws with washers and nuts on the back (or underside). The washer and nuts slipped nicely into the openings and countersunk screw head sit flush under the spring loaded handle. Once the clamshell mechanism is snapped back into the fitted position (little nubs in the lid keep it aligned), the screw can be tightened down to keep the clamshell latch from pulling apart when the handle is grabbed and deck lid lifted. All that is missing is the "silly" plastic latch that locks the storage area with the almost never used BMW key (hidden in the key fob).
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