Replacing electric tailgate strut with gas strut

[plennon]

Hi,
My right electric tailgate strut is failing on my Karoq 2018. The price to replace it is €800, which seems very expensive for opening a boot so I was thinking of replacing the electric strut with a gas strut. Has anyone tried this? Getting to the connector for the electric strut seems very awkward, but if I could swap it for a gas strut, it would be fairly easy,

Has anyone tried this, or know if the struts are the same dimensions?

Paul

[Soup]

I’d have a look on AUTODOC.

Put in your car’s details and look for tailgate struts in the appropriate parts category. I think it’s in the interior and comfort section.

When I did the same for my 2021 Sportline - which also has powered struts - it gave me a couple of options for gas strut replacements, though not the electric ones.

That doesn’t matter, because you don’t want another electric one anyway.

Crucially it also gives you the eject force, the length of stroke and, if you follow your nose a bit further, the OEM Skoda part numbers.

I don’t know this for a fact, but I would presume that the stroke length (and therefore the physical length) of the gas strut and the electric strut are the same.

If that is true, then I would have thought that replacing the electric struts (both, not one, obvs) was perfectly feasible.

And, as you said yourself, a sh*t load cheaper.

[kodiaq]

All Karoq tailgates are the same size.
The only difference may be the locating points on tailgate and D pillar. Measure yours, pop into your local Skoda dealer and measure the points on a manual lift Karoq.
Have a look here>>>>>https://www.google.com/search?q=Karoq+t ... e&ie=UTF-8

ELECTRIC STRUT (Volvo) £185. Might be cheaper than buying two ordinary?

[LancashireLad]

Paul, I have the left hand electric strut fail twice.
See my post detailing my experience:
viewtopic.php?t=958

It might help you.

[kodiaq]

As I said on Nov 22nd '23 (I had forgotten I had commented...old age strikes again! )
SIMPLY CLEVER? NOT!!
It is this sort of persistent, niggly, annoying problem that forced me into the arms of Kia via Honda- also not what they used to be! Kia so far absolutely faultless and it's coming up for 3 years old.
Sadly VAG reliability appears to have declined across all makes according to a trade friend of mine.

[plennon]

Thanks for all the help and advice. I swapped out the electronic struts with two gas struts, costing €15 each and it works perfectly.

[Cornelius C]

Hi there plennon,
I am in the same boat as you with failed electric struts.
Everyone I ask including Skoda insist you cannot swap gas for electric struts and if you try the ecu will throw a hissy fit.
How is your swap working out and were there any complications such as the tailgate not know its limits or not knowing if it was open or closed ?
Any info/ updates would be greatly appreciated.