If the adjustment can be done with just moving the glass around in the oversized bolt holes, it should take about 60 to 100 minutes for a competent DIYer to tackle. If there's not enough leeway in the bolt holes, then it will require a roof side primary hinge adjustment which will require removing the primary struts, the glass roof, and then loosening the primary hinges on the top of the roof (which is why you need to remove the roof entirely). In this case, I'd give a good 8 hours if this is your first time. You'll need a shop hoist and it would be good to have a helper. You'll be lowering the entire door manually with the primary struts completely removed. You'll also want to mask off the everything around the FWD and the FWD itself on the edges.
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My FWD door is stuck open due to a botched DIY adjustment
- Thread starter sorka
- Start date
If the adjustment can be done with just moving the glass around in the oversized bolt holes, it should take about 60 to 100 minutes for a competent DIYer to tackle. If there's not enough leeway in the bolt holes, then it will require a roof side primary hinge adjustment which will require removing the primary struts, the glass roof, and then loosening the primary hinges on the top of the roof (which is why you need to remove the roof entirely). In this case, I'd give a good 8 hours if this is your first time. You'll need a shop hoist and it would be good to have a helper. You'll be lowering the entire door manually with the primary struts completely removed. You'll also want to mask off the everything around the FWD and the FWD itself on the edges.
Considering I only need to move one side about 1-2 MM, I’d hope there’s that level of leeway in the bolts. I think I’ll try and tackle it this weekend. Thanks for all your help!
Hey @sorka - really nice job posting all the steps to the door's alignment. I just bought a used Model X and the rear passenger door is somehow misaligned - I managed to quickly solve what could be done from the latch / striker, and now I have the height adjusted pretty decent. However, still can't fix the rear part of the door that is way too out and the front part way too in. I removed the upper glass and tried the magic with the secondary hinges but everything I do seems not to matter. I'll try again when I'll have some more time available...
However, I noticed you mentioned you have adjusted the roof mounted bump stops and I realized my door is doing the same movement (going lower, then coming back in an upper position when it's pulled by the latch) so I'd really like to see the video you mentioned to have some reference. Did you had the chance to finish and publish it?
However, I noticed you mentioned you have adjusted the roof mounted bump stops and I realized my door is doing the same movement (going lower, then coming back in an upper position when it's pulled by the latch) so I'd really like to see the video you mentioned to have some reference. Did you had the chance to finish and publish it?
I never did publish them. Ended up selling the MXP back after all the issues even though I'd finally gotten a perfect alignment on all the doors doing it myself. Is till hae all the raw footage. My daughter bugs me about once a month to finish them and post them.
Can you post pictures showing your issue? I think I understand but want to confirm with photos.
There's two ways to bring the back of the door further in(flush) with the rear quarter panel. First is removing the secondary strut and loosening the door side secondary hinge bolts which allow you to move the door up/down and in/out. The second method involves removing both primary and secondary struts, removing the glass roof, and then the roof top bolts of the secondary hinge. With those loose, you can move the door in/out and forward/back (not forward/back unless you also do the same thing to the front secondary hinge). So if you are also trying to change the height on the rear, then the secondary hinge door side bolts are the way to go.
But I need to see pictures. If the rear of the door is just out but not out at the roof, then you most likely need to adjust the front door strike to move the front door in and the lower receiver for the latch moved in to move the entire door in.
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So first, the entire door is just a bit too low. The rear of the door if flush when you go low enough but it also looks horizontally flush with the rear hatch. How does the rear hatch on the left compared to the right with respect to each rear quarter panel. Sometimes the rear hatch needs to be adjusted left or right a little.
Also, I'd adjust the height of the door with the latch on the bottom of the FWD itself and the recheck the flushness. Also, the height from the latch needs to be done before you adjust the bump stops on the roof.
Also, I'd adjust the height of the door with the latch on the bottom of the FWD itself and the recheck the flushness. Also, the height from the latch needs to be done before you adjust the bump stops on the roof.
I could live with some uneven gaps (like different gap size between front fender-door compared with front-rear door, rear door - rear fender), but it drives me crazy when I see a door which seems it's not closed or heavily misaligned
Drives me nuts too. I'm totally OCD over it.
I think some adjustments to the hatch will follow, but first I want to see the rear door aligned with the fixed parts of the body. What I did (apart of the latch / striker adjustments) was to remove the upper glass, remove only the top part of both struts on the rear side while holding the door with my shoulder, and then I tried to tight the bolts of the rear side secondary hinge in the position where the lower part of the door was in its most inner position. However, after doing this, when I close it, still was way too out, like before. I'll have to buy a underhoist or ask somebody to help since it's not easy to DIY without proper tools...
I had about the same trouble but not exactly, I think. The door was front inwards and rear out a few mm:s and about some mm low.
The "low" was adjusted with the striker lowered in the door itself. The "in and out" by moving the the latch a little bit forward with some minor adjustings in or out
The "low" was adjusted with the striker lowered in the door itself. The "in and out" by moving the the latch a little bit forward with some minor adjustings in or out
You mean you rotated the latch? Or just moving it forward in/out made the alignment?
In my case, I moved the latch in all possible positions: out-left, out-right, out-middle, in-left, in-right, in-middle, center-middle with no visible effect..... I preferred not to rotate it, though. (by left-right I mean forward-backward of the vehicle as it's the rear right door)
I think he means twisting the latch on the lower FWD door itself clockwise or counter clockwise to force the lower FWD to rotate slightly in the opposite direction. If this makes a difference then the real issue is the top of the door isn't level with the rest of the roof or the bump stops are not correctly adjusted.
Backwards. The latch has the actual latching hook that grabs onto the striker bar. The latch is on the door itself. The striker is under the sill....just like a regular car door.
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