Rear Hatch Gas Struts

[RubenTheRogue]

Temp just got into the lower 20s here, rear hatch will not raise on its own anymore...only stays at about forehead level (ask me how I know)...I have to push it all the way up & hold it or else it falls about 6inches...dealer WILL replace them at next oil change service or I will NOT be happy.

[duckhunter08]

Same thing is happening to my Rogue. I noticed it started happening to me when the temp fell below 40 degrees. Have you also noticed your gas mileage getting worse once the temp. falls below a certain level? I have noticed when it is colder than 50 or 55 degrees i get 22 - 23 mpg and when it is warmer i get 25 - 26 mpg.

[Nick 568]

My tailgate doesn't raise on it's own, but it doesn't fall down either. And yeah, I too banged my head into it, expecting it to raise all the way, lol. It's around 15 degrees on average here now.

You will always gets worse mileage in the winter. There's a myriad of reasons as to why. If you use snow tires, those will contribute some. Then if you have to let it idle and defrost, that will contribute too. Another big part of it is that in the colder areas at least, they use different 'blends' of fuel that aren't as good for mileage or performance as the summer blends. This is because they add anti-gels to the fuel and other things to prevent it from gelling up if you have your car sitting outside all the time. (I think they put some other things in there too, but am not sure what exactly.)This was especially noticeable on my big truck where I'd be getting 8 mpg in the winter around town, and then 12 in the summer. It was also ALWAYS outside (too tall to fit in the garage) and would sometimes spend almost 30 minutes warming up in the mornings.

[kerrton]

Hmm, I didn't think the hatch was supposed to raise totally on its own anyway, it was my understanding that it needed a little guidance to get it fully raised, because if it raised on its own this could almost be a safety issue, as the gate could hit you in the face!

The way I would evaluate the proper function of the gate pistons is if the gate is held fully open after the gate reaches its full height. So the function is to help raise the gate and then to hold it in the fully upright position. If the gate isn't held fully upright then I'd say there is a problem, but I wouldn't expect the gate to pop into an upright position on its own the moment I press the latch release button, it definately requires some lifting to assist. But the fact that once it's opened it falls 6 inches is unacceptable, I'd definately complain about that, you can't have the hatch falling on your head.

And regarding gas mileage and temperature, of course you will get significantly worse gas mileage when the temperature drops, that is how all vehicles work, it is just a matter of physics and energy efficiency!

[cdmuile]

We've just had a couple nights in the single digits. The tailgate definitely noticed the temp change. I just went out and wiped down the struts, then applied a silicone lubricant spray........works great. Did the same with our new tC (now that's a hatchback). Both car's liftgates are now working 'as designed'.

[philipa_240sx]

It is normal for the struts to loose their 'lifting power' as temperature decreases. Also, as temperatures decrease, the tolerances decrease as well causing some sticking.

Warning: I do not recommend lubing the strut shaft(s) with any lubricant. You risk damaging the seals causing the strut to fail ie. no lift capability.

[RubenTheRogue]

I had a 2001 Escape that did not lose the strut capacity even in Lake Placid at -20F...and the gate was heavier

[Nick 568]

You risk damaging the seals causing the strut to fail ie. no lift capability.

Yeah, no bueno when it falls and smacks you in the head. The strut actually fell off one time while the glass window on the back of my truck was up. It was a big window, but not has heavy as the hatch of the Rogue. Definitely wouldn't want that falling on me...

Hmm, I didn't think the hatch was supposed to raise totally on its own anyway, it was my understanding that it needed a little guidance to get it fully raised, because if it raised on its own this could almost be a safety issue, as the gate could hit you in the face!

I don't think anyone's pops open as soon as you hit the button. What we were referring to was after you pressed the button, and lifted the gate up that initial amount, then the struts would lift it the rest of the way up on their own slowly so it wouldn't surprise you and hit you in the face like you mentioned.

[kerrton]

RubentheRogue:

I'm curious, did the dealer replace your rear hatch struts? Mine really suck and I was wondering if all Rogue's hatch's perform this way, particularily when it's cold, or if it's possible with a new pair to get better performance?

I think this is pretty straight forward technology and shouldn't be hard for them to provide a set that works properly. I drive all kinds of vehicles at work such as Jeep Compass, Dodge Nitro, Ford Escape, new Chevy Van (can't remmber the name), and few others, all with hatch backs, and none of them have this problem, not even at -30 (however, the Rogue is still better than all of these overall). The hatch gets a little sluggish to open but nothing like the Rogue experiences. On top of it, one of my struts makes a squeek, almost honking noise when it's cold out, which is why I'm tempted to lube it a little bit, but I guess I won't as Philip warned that it could damage the seals (thanks for the warning Philip!). Any thoughts are appreciated.