Tailgate won’t lock

[discomarsh]

When I close my tailgate, it locks. BUT about 5 seconds later it releases. The the entire time, the dash “tailgate open” warning light stays on, as does the interior dome light.


Since this has occurred, when I open the tailgate, using either the dash button, the remote, or the tailgate switch, the latch makes a rapid-fire clicking sound.


All my local mechanics are flat-chat. Unfortunately, the tailgate can open on the road (i.e. stuff can fall out onto the road), so I have to tie the tailgate shut from the inside. Because the car thinks the tailgate is open, central locking is disabled.


Do you think it’s the latch? If so, where can I get a spare in the greater Sydney region?

[haydent]

sound more like a sensor but it could be the latch, as i imagine there is some way the car tells the boot is ready to be latched, as you can just softly put it closed and the mechanism then pulls it in tighter and latches it.

[haydent]

alternatively maybe your release switch is stuck open... here are the 2 switches involved in detection and opening

[discomarsh]

alternatively maybe your release switch is stuck open... here are the 2 switches involved in detection and opening


Thanks for this. How do I use this information? (Please excuse my inexperience.)

[haydent]

firstly just check if the latch stays close with the door "open" using a screw driver to flick the little latch in the gate mechanism as the "metal loop" on the body would. it should just stay closed, and press button to open again, if that is good, then it might just be the "metal loop" on the lower body that need adjustment.

otherwise you should be getting the back door trim off near the lower latch so you can get to wiring connection for that latch, and assuming you can get to it to reconnect it while the door is closed via the back seats (as glass door cant be opened if main door detected as open), try closing the back door with it disconnected. and see if it will latch and stay closed. this will help in that it will keep the door closed temporarily for you.

i think it will still think the door is open, it may not even latch, not sure if it can latch without power or not... also not sure if you could open it without power so.... though possibly you can open it by hand an the mechanism cable.

now you can use a multimeter/continuity meter with the door open or close on the latchs plug connections to test the switch inside it, looking at the schematic the pink with red strip switch wire is either switched to ground or not depending on if the door is open or not, you can test for this, assuming its broken and there will be no change if door open or closed, maybe you can take latch out and apart, maybe fix or replace.

for testing or temporarily you could even try taking the pink/red wire out of the connector and switching it to ground manually while you await parts, if needed, maybe the door will just stay closed without power, i think so.

[haydent]

1 is the electrical connector
2 is the bit you can try flicking with screw driver instead of closing door to see if behaviour different.