Vertical Stay-lift cabinet door not staying lifted

Question

I'm currently in a foreign country visiting an elderly relative and she has a cabinet door that is supposed to be able to stay in an upright position, but continually falls down, preventing her from really using her only oven except with difficulty.

The door is supposed to be able to stay in this position:

But instead falls down to its normal resting position:

I think the problem is with the black tube in this picture of hinges, maybe a spring?pneumatic or hydraulic?

And because this might also be relevant, this is the other side of the hinges:

Help from the experts here would be much appreciated. Ways to fix this, especially with a minimum of tools seeing as I'm in a country halfway across the globe would be especially appreciated.

Answer 1

That black cylinder is a "Gas Lift", "Gas Spring" or "Gas Strut" (all the same thing, just different names).
They're not typically serviceable or fixable, so when they wear out you need to replace them.
To remove that one it looks like you'll just need a Philips screwdriver.

To find a replacement, you'll need to know the length when it's fully compressed and fully extended, and the approximate weight of the door it's holding up.
Pick a new one which is the same or shorter in the 'compressed' dimension, the same or slightly longer in the 'extended' dimension, and has a weight spec that's about 25%-50% more than the weight of the door.
They come with a variety of different mounting methods, so you need to look for one that just has those simple flat ends with a hole through for your screws.

These items are commonly available in the usual online retailers, so hopefully you can source something in your relative's location.

Answer 2

I think you're absolutely right that this tube is the problem. These are quite commonly used to lift car trunks and do have to be periodically replaced.

Try finding a model number or just run a search for "Hydraulic Rod Lift" or "Hydraulic Lift Bar" and get something that matches in size.

Also, it looks like one is missing from the other side so get two of them.

Answer 3

That is indeed a gas strut as others have stated. Looking through your pics it appears that the opposite side has mounting points for an additional strut so they act as a pair. There are even screws in the mounting points which look to have open shafts where another strut would be mounted. Perhaps the issue is the one strut has broken and fallen off. It may be wise to order a new "Pair" of struts. I have found when trying to do repairs for elderly relatives that 100% of the info is missing until I get into it then I hear; "Oh yes, I forgot that ...happened"