I did the above process with slight varation. Unbolt the whole Lid/Spoiler combination and flip it upside down on a padded portable work bench right behind the car. Remove cover and zipties and plug the wing back into the car and use the car to actuate the wing. this makes the banjo bolts on the cylinders the high point. I also lifted the wing from retracted position by hand and shimmed it up with rolled towels on each side, topped the system up with Lucas, closed the system, removed the towels creating pressure on the fluid and cracked the banjo bolts bleeding excess oil/air from the system. (like a brake system) You may have to repeat the process till the wing fully deploys. Flip it over and bolt it back up. The great part is no worries with the 12v power source. It has worked flawlessly for the last 2 years.

 

Are you getting "failure" alerts?

Have an assistant work the inside button after you pull the wires to the pump. Check for 12v with key on with button pushed. you can also remove the microswitch pack and meter the switches for operation. check fuse too.

 

No failure alerts. I'll meter the micro switches. Since it worked on the bench and the dash button was never an issue I suspect it is the switches or fuse. Thanks.

 

Is there any reason the spoiler was not designed with an electric driven gear screw mechanism on each side instead of hydraulics. Similar to the electric seat drive which can lift 2-300lb. Lighter, cheaper, no oil, no seals and probably no failures.

 

It's German!

 

So is the seat. LOL

 

My spoiler is acting up and I need to do something in the next few months. It may be the micro switches or the bleeding. Just a thought for those who have seen the banjo bolt: is it there enough room to machine and mount a brake bleeder axially to the bolt, so it can be bled like a brake? Or am I making too much of the bleeding process?

 

I just redid mine for the first time in January. The banjo bolt seems too small to fit a bleeder nipple and I think you may be making too much out of the bleeding process. It will help if you can get a reliable assistant, but it is totally doable by yourself with some patience. I did mine alone, but could have certainly used the extra hands to keep the lines submerged and to help remove the pump and lines from the engine lid. If you can get a buddy to help, you should.

Tips: I used a 2 mason jars. One to premix my pentosin/Lucas Stop Leak and the other to blow out the old fluid into. Like every one says, it doesn't take a lot of fluid, but you need enough in the mason jar to submerge to hose ends... About a 1/2 of the jar. I flushed out the pump and lines a few times until I was certain the system was cleaned out. I had a little left over that I disposed of. I used a few 9v household batteries to operate the pump during the flushing cycles because my trickle charger wouldn't do it for whatever reason. Cycling the pump back and forth kills the small 9v quick, hence I had to use a few. Also, I replaced all of the crush washers - took the stock ones to my local metric motorcycle shop and matched them to some in their inventory. I think the part ended up being for a Vespa brake line. I can't verify the exact Vespa part number because I am out of town on business right now. If you're like me you probably don't want to wait for me to get back in town to verify (Wednesday 3/23)

 

You guys have been very helpful. Some great hints here from guys (and gals?) who have endured. Thanks.

 

Just went through this and successfully fixed mine. I went with the Lucas ps stop leak and ps fluid mix. When I put it back together I was still getting driver side lag and partial deployment. If you take the pump apart you will see that the syringes hold a small amount of fluid, and if both chambers are not equally filled you will have partial deployment. Run it and fill it a few times and they should equalize. I cracked the banjo bolt on laggy side with spoiler up and although under pressure I got the air out. Just have some towels handy. Then I refilled and spoiler operates perfectly.

 

Good luck. Exactly what I did a few years ago. Lasted a few months then blew. Pentosin all over the back bumper. Ruined my paint a bit.

 

my 2nd re-bleed is still working perfectly. its just getting the fluid levels "even" btw L/R that's the "trick". my last rebleed lasted several years. i'd like not to have to mess with it again, but it seems more daunting that it actually is in terms of labor intensity.

it IS though very rewarding to go from lagging or inoperable spoiler to full and normal functionality with a just few MM's of some pentosin and lucas. i will say that given the options mean replacing parts which is quite often wholly unnecessary.

 

You have to be careful when you are filling the system. The system got an electric motor that move a black plastic block and this block push two pistons via rods and if one cylinder is empty there is a risk of breaking the block because of uneven pressure..... I just completed the overhaul of a complete system and it is under test now....The seals used by the manufacturer were of a very bad quality especially the ones inside the two actuators.

 

so many things that can fail...and this just the motor and plungers! ;-)

djcooper@rennkit.com

 

Where is the smaller banjo bolt from?