wife says the trunk lid wont stay up ...just went all of a sudden..is that how those piston go..and is it a big job to replace $$$$ and time???

Just a reminder: you must replace both of them.
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95 850, 88 245

It's easy to replace them. The end attached to the lid has a metal clip that you pry off and the end slides off. The end that is attached to the car has no metal clip, it just prys off the ball stud anchor point with a long screwdriver. You should support the trunk lid open with a 2x4 or something (a second person helping hold it helps too...). You can lower the rear seat seatbacks to give you more room and light while you work on it. Just make sure you order the correct supports from www.FCPGroton.com . Its different if you have a spoiler or not.


Mike
'95 850T

If there is no support at all, you probably had one weak piston and then the other one failed completely. That happened on my wagon and when I replaced both, the hatch just about pops up, where before you had to lift the hatch all the way up. The pistons are either $18.00 or $28.00 each from FCP Groton (you can check other sites as well) depending if you have a spoiler on the trunk lid or not. The spoiler obviously adds weight and requires a different piston. In the sedan, the pistons are exposed (unlike the wagon) so replacing them should not require much time and very basic tools. Definitely a DIY job.