On Sun, 1 Feb 2004, David Brodbeck wrote:

> The manual for my van suggests pushing in on the back of the door as it
> reaches the end of its travel.  If you try to just fling the door shut
> with sheer momentum, you'll eventually break something.

I second that opinion.  When I first got my van, some friends of mine
hopped in the back -- and when it wouldn't shut, they just slammed it
harder and harder (as I looked on in horror) until it finally shut.  And
didn't open for the rest of the evening.

They'd thrown it around hard enough that they'd actually gotten the middle
slider to jump its track.  Needless to say I was not happy...

I find that with some experimentation, you can usually get the door to
shut properly using exactly the right momentum, just hard enough to engage
the latch, but too soft to cause the door to bounce back before it
latches.  And if you're taking friends places -- make sure you're the one
closing the door. :)

ian Butler / ian@bluemoon.hplx.net
'88 Scirocco 16v
'87 Vanagon Syncro
'77 Mercury "Lord, why did I buy this?" Marquis