:liebe011: I have to replace the severed wires that thread through the top hinges on the tailgate of my 240 wagon, and believe I have to remove part of the headliner to get at those wires. I also think I have to remove some of the tailgate trim to get at the other half of the problem.

What I would like some help with is how to remove that headliner and trim without destroying any of it or making it impossible to be re-fastened once I've replaced the wires. If anyone can help with this, I would be extremely grateful.

Hello sronk

I'm working on solving the exact problem in my 1991 240 station wagon. I haven't yet solved it...

The is attached to a rigid plastic rim that is then tucked above a metal strip going around the top of the car. Open the tailgate and look at where the headliner meets the roof of the car. Working from a corner, simply pull the headliner horizontally away and it'll slip right off. You'll have no problems putting it back on.

As for the trim on the tailgate. There's the large piece at the bottom the tailgate that can be removed. First removed the plastic cover on the handle on the inside of the car, and then the plastic cover behind it. The portion of the wall can then be pulled straight off. It's held down by small plastic clips which pop in and out easily.

You'll see the wire bundles travel up the sides of the window. There is a plastic trim that runs around the window. Don't remove this. I needed to find torx drivers and broke a piece only to find that you can't access the wires from there. These only cover the bonding points for the rear demister to their wires.

The wire bundles travel through the structural metal, which is too narrow to fit your hands into. I can't get the wires out because they're quite thoroughly stuck, and I'm not sure that the plastic binding posts will fit through the hinge.

I'm not sure what to do from here.

Cheers
Cedric

The wire terminals and electrical connectors are handy for when the manufacturer is assembling a new car. However, years later when re-doing the wiring, the terminals and connectors can be a pain unless you have the correct tools and parts.

So I cut off all wire terminals and connectors. The connectors will not fit through the tailgate channel or hinge channel anyway. I also had an old electrical connector get stuck in the tailgate wiring channel. I ran a 12" length of wooden dowel down through the access hole at the top of the tailgate and freed the connector. I tossed it into the landfill where it belongs.

Once I had threaded the wires through the hinge and down through the tailgate, and under the headliner, I stripped 1/4" of insulation from each wire and crimped each to a red butt connector (18 gauge). Use a decent crimping tool. The other side of each butt connector is crimped to its corresponding wire to complete the circuit.

Or you can solder if you prefer. Soldering makes for a better electrical connection. Crimping makes for a better mechanical connection.