Luggage Compartment Cover/Peg Broken

[smallandmoody]

I apologize if I have posted this in the wrong place. I need some help! My husband broke the plastic peg that the luggage compartment cover rests on. How do I fix this? Can I replace the plastic peg? Are there any other type of luggage compartment covers for the 2011 Mazda 2? I am pretty upset about this since my car is only 3 months old!!! The right side peg was snapped off flush to the side panel. The peg is hollow on the inside which really surprised me. I am going to call the dealer and see if they can be any help. I don't know the proper name of the part. I hope this can be fixed.

 

[Joker2]

It can be fixed. The easiest way is to go to a hobby shop and look for 2 things: A plastic dowel sized to the inner diameter of the broken peg and, 15 minute epoxy. If you are unsure about what I am trying here, let me iterate some steps and if that fails, find a hobbyist and pay him/her to fix this for you:
1. Measure the length of dowel you need (the dowel you bought should be long enough to span both sides of the crack by as much as possible;
2. Cut dowel to desired length (hobby saw is fine, bread knife may work in a pinch);
3. Prepare surfaces by cleaning all grease and fingerprints with denatured alcohol (do not use acetone here as it may melt the plastic);
4. Prepare some 15 minute epoxy (if 2 part, mix per instructions);
5. Coat the outside of the dowel, and the inside of the peg, coat the cracked mating faces, and using tweezers attach the parts holding them aligned and with very light pressure;
6. After about 15 minutes, visually inspect for alignment and let sit a bit more also holding a bit of pressure.

Repair completed. Post results and pictures of the repaired part.

 

[smallandmoody]

THANK YOU!!! I will post pictures of the before, during and after. I do have one question. I have a 1/4" diameter stainless steel dowel pin that fits inside of the broken peg perfectly. I found it in my husband's toolbox. Can I use this metal dowel to epoxy or am I much better off using the wooden dowel instead?

 

[Joker2]

Check with the hobby shop. There are some epoxies that bond metal and plastics but I do not know which of the top of my head.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...E3E02LECIE20SOG5_nid=SCS5VQSJFHbe1K3HXBTMF8gl

Something like this. Buy only a small bottle or kit just a bit more than what you need 50 ml should be plenty, 200 ml is max I would buy.
Yes, steel to plastic can be bonded well, just clean surface well and follow instructions from manufacturer. Even 15 minute epoxy needs some 12-24 hours to fully cure.

Caution: if you buy CA (cyanoacrylate) AKA Crazy Glue family, watch your hands as that kind of stuff can only be surgically removed. 15 minute stuff works better with gloves and is easier as you have more working time.

Good luck.

 

[smallandmoody]

I did it!!! THANK YOU for your help!!! I will post pictures later tonight.

I used a black fiberglass dowel that fit the inner diameter of the peg perfectly. I coudn't find a regular plastic dowel at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. I got the rod from a kite store. I cut the length of the fiberglass rod to fit inside the broken off peg part through to the side panel of the car. The rod spanned about 1" to 1-1/2" inside the right side panel of the car. The problem that I ran into was that the side panel only has a lip of about 1/2" or so and then it opens up all the way to the exterior panel of the car. I didn't want the rod to be too long since I feared this would make the peg unstable. I used rough sand paper on the fiberglass rod to give the glue something to grab and then I used the denatured alcohol to clean all of the parts. I put epoxy on the inside of the the broken peg, the outside of the fiberglass rod, fit them together and let them set. I waited a few days and then I repeated the procedure to fit the fiberglass rod with the attached peg to the side panel of the car. I waited a few more days and tested it out. It works with the luggage cover perfectly and you cannot even tell that the peg was ever broken! If feels very strong. I bet this peg will last longer than the the unbroken one!!!