how to rewind cargo cover shade?

[BrucePL]

My 99 XLT cargo shade won't rewind. I tried to follow the manual for my 99 Explorer (page 102) and really can't figure out this sequence as described. Any success out there? It was working fine until I pulled it out of the car yesterday.

The manual is unclear about winding direction (CW, CCW) and which is front, back, left, right etc. (this web manual for 2001 is the same as 1999). Any help?

http://www.manualowl.com/am/Ford/2001-Explorer/Manual/1324?page=74

I looked on UTube for someone who posted a solution - no luck.
I would rather not disassemble it - saw those posts, but try to figure out the instruction manual fix.

On EBay saw one for $75. Would like to avoid that and try to fix myself.

Thanks
New User, BrucePL

 

[J_C]

I have never rewound mine, but loosely based on that manual what I'm thinking you need to do is this -

With it fully extended/open, you're just wrapping it around the roller tube so that when you fold the ends to make the width narrower than the end caps' distance, you have some play in it and a way to tape or rubber band it so that while winding it stays narrow enough to rotate around and between the end caps instead of feeding into the slot in the end caps. I don't think it matters which direction you wrap it twice around the roller tube but it's probably easier to wrap it the same direction it will be going when winding the spring in the next step, so wrap it by rotating the tube twice in the direction in turns when opening it (it will be going on backwards but this is ok).

Next, the direction that the roller tube spins when you pull the shade out (in normal use) is the direction you will be turning the roller tube 14 revolutions to wind the spring. Push in the right end cap a distance of 1/4th its width, then rotate the roller tube 14 times (this is going to wrap the vinyl around it backwards but never mind that, then holding it there let the right end cap return to its fully extended position.

Next, unwrap the vinyl from the tube, un-tape or rubber band it, then unfold the folded ends and insert them back into the end cap slots.

Rather than eBay you might find one cheaper at a junkyard if all else fails.

 

[BrucePL]

Thanks Wannabee in KY.

Your explanation is a bit more clear than the manual. I also thought that winding the end cap might work if wound in the opposite direction than the roller.

It only mentions the right end cap and not the left. Curious.

Do you know how I would tell if the spring was broken?

Ciao

 

[J_C]

If after you wind it the 14 turns, there is then no tension on it after you let the right side cap extend out to normal length, then it's a sign either the spring might be broken, or whatever it hooks into might be. or I suppose it's possible you just didn't have the right end cap pushed in far enough to release the clutch (or whatever they called it - I forget).

You might be able to wind the end cap, I don't know, it seems like if turning it causes the center roller to spin then it should work - but if you can, I think you might need to hold in the right end cap and rotate the left one. In my prior post when I wrote "Unwrap the vinyl from the tube", I meant hold the tube still when you do that, don't let the vinyl unwrap by letting the tube (or the end caps) spin.

 

[Ranglorer]

What "engineer" wrote those instructions....totally worthless

 

[FIND]

This is an engineering/tech writer joke if it helps you understand the origin of those instructions.