How to replace a gummy/melted rear hatch handle

So I bought my 4Runner last week and almost immediately got annoyed by the gross gummy hatch button/handle thing. It seems like it melted into a weird rubbery tarred up mess.

Quick Amazon search led me to a $9 aftermarket replacement part, there were a couple dozen different options. Mine came with a mostly useless “s” shaped screwdriver, too.

So to start:

1) put a piece or two of painters tape above your license plate to protect your paint as you unscrew the two screws

2) unscrew the two screws. I used a 1/4” #2 phillips bit in a 1/4” box wrench. this is where the tape comes in, you’ll scratch your paint with the base of whatever you use to unscrew those screws. They’re in there at a very unfortunate angle.



3) One you have the two screws out, you need to pry out the button assembly. There are two clips where the screws came out that are wedging it in there. Be firm but careful not to break anything.




4) once you have the assembly out, use an angled pic, flat edge, screwdriver, whatever to scrape off all the old crap. There is a ridge in the center of the button you need to clean out as well as some locating bumps on the back that need to get cleaned off for the new piece to fit correctly.

5) once it’s clean (ish), slip your new piece over the whole thing, aligning it in the center of the button and onto the bumps in the back

6) assemble in reverse.


That gummy crap is gross and sticky, highly recommend gloves for this. I didn’t wear any, but got most of it off with some orange goop hand cleaner.

Overall it was a two beer job, mainly because scraping off the old crap took so long.

Hope this helps someone

 

When I purchased my ‘07 6 months ago I discovered the previous owner covered the gooey stuff with a really good electrical type tape. Has worked so far.

 

I had seen folks doing that on other forums, but had also seen that depending on the gooey level, it had a chance of freezing up in the winter. We get sub freezing and occasionally sub-zero temps and I figured a $9 part was worth avoiding that chance.

 

Can you give us the link for the aftermarket part you bought?

 

Absolutely, sorry, original post was from my phone and it wasn't giving me a clean link to provide it back then and I forgot to go in and add it.

Here it is: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DHL3LTC

 

THANKS!