Cargo Cover Repairs - Another DIY

[Eddystone]

I think there are a number of posts concerning how to fix a cargo cover that won't retract. I walked into a Pick-A-Part, went to the first V70 on my list, and found a cargo cover exactly the right color just sitting there. Unfortunately, it did not retract, but they sold it to me for only $10 (which I consider dirt cheap). After reading a number of other helpful posts and edumacating myself, here's what I did.

The original parts perform their function a little differently than the repairs I have seen including this one. There is a metal repair piece that you can buy that looks like the perfect solution, but it's about $50 and has to be ordered from Europe. Search the web for "Skandix Repair Kit Load Cover" to see this part. I recommend you read the installation directions available where this part is listed to see how to do any disassembly of the cargo cover shade mechanism. NOTE that the plastic "ear" part is retained by a small plastic rod that pushes into it for a friction fit.

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First of all, these are the plastic pieces that break due the limited lifespan of the plastic.

These things interface between the end of the "window shade" and the external end covers that fit into the wall of the cargo area in such a way as to not rotate when you pull on the shade. This loads the internal spring which pulls the shade back in. I believe they are identical at both ends. HOWEVER, the spring only really loads from the left side (looking toward the windscreen). Keep this in mind for later.

So, here we go. I bought two of this item at Home Depot. I think they were $1.77 each. (I experimented with a brass part, but the plastic tee was much easier to work with and perfectly adequate.)

Next, I cut them down to this shape. I used a Dremel cut-off wheel which was messy but worked fine.

Why is it cut like that? Well, the slot is where the "ears" on the spring-loaded center bar go, and they move around some. The perpendicular part at the bottom is made as shallow as possible because the cargo cover will be too wide to install unless you do this. The original part was designed to work more cleverly than mine is, but they could mold anything they wanted. I'm working like McGiver, here. Unless you cut this down, you will be adding over 1/2" at each end of the shade. You'll have a bear of a time fitting that between the walls, and a bear and a half trying to get it out. What I did increased the length about 1/4" at one end and no increase at the other end.

I cut it down as shown above, and it looked a little bit weak to me. It also has to be longer at one end so that it would fit into the sharp end of the outer cover and not to spin as you try to load the spring. I used JB Weld and part of a long screw to make the piece stronger and lengthen one end.

Here's why one end must be longer than the other. This is looking into the end cap that actually fits into the wall of the car.

There is a black plastic piece that fits in between the outer end cover and the end of the shade roll. The end of the roller fits into this black piece, and the ears on the central spring-loaded bar fit into the slots in the white plastic piece. Remember, the white plastic piece cannot rotate because of the way it fits into the outer cover, so when you pull on the shade, the spring will load up. Here's the photo:

Now, I did exactly what I have shown on the left end (looking forward) which is actually spring-loaded. At the right end, I basically made a slotted section with a bit of tube but without the perpendicular ears so as to limit how much length was added to the shade. Believe me, a little bit makes a difference. It has to be long enough to fit into the black piece and act as an "axle support" in a manner of speaking. Don't make it any longer than necessary because when you install the unit in the car, it will be a tight fit length-wise. Mine was not quite a force-fit, but it is very snug. It still comes out with little trouble.

The end result of this repair is that the shade is fully functional and as taut as it should be. Looks great. Extension and retraction feels a little bit lumpy because my home made parts are not a precision fit, but I'm very pleased with the result. If I had a machine shop, I could have made something nicer. If I had $50, I'd just buy the Skandix part which looks very well designed.