Thread: Manual tailgate release D3

Well the one that just broke was alloy, I didn't see the first one!
Yeah I wanted to make sure that there is no chance of it happening again!
Pickies to come.

Lots of the threads around the interweb thingy...

or here in AULRO... http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/...te-jammed.html

Here is what I used:
A 3mm Allen key, I trimmed 5 mm off the short end before fitting.


One of these connectors.


I left the Alloy end on the cable and fed that through the connector first, then the Allen key. You can see the end of the Allen key poking through the hole on the bottom.


The end of the connector and end of the Alloy end are pushed close together before tightening the screws on the connector up real tight!

Note the Alloy end located above where it used to be pushed down in and now occupied by the Alley key. Add some cable ties to ensure it all stays where you want it and put it back together.

Thanks Rich for the post as I have just done mine with a slight change.
I have run a 80Kg lure line directly from the lock so that irrespective of where the OE cable/fitting lets go I will always be able to manually open the lock.
I have drilled a 2mm hole through the cam arm of the lock and then used a 3mm drill to de-burr and bevell the hole both sides (turn by hand as you only need to take the edge off)
You need to remove the lock assembly to successfully drill the hole and make sure you clear out all the drill turnings.
Works a treat
I have attached a photo of the lock asembly with the cable attached (I hope)

Nice job!

Where do you locate the other end of the wire so you can get to it if it does happen to jam?

How do you undo the tailgate support cables ? - do they pop off or do you undo the nut ?
thanks

When I did my repair, I suppose that you could just un thread the nut at the hex but instead I popped off the curved spring metal clip from the top of the ball portion of the hex.

This allows release of the cable from the hex. The thing to watch is that you do not let the loose cable ends wrap back into the windup mechanism. I used a fuel hose squeeze clamp on each of the cables to keep the cable ends from sucking back into the windups.

Re-clipping the C shaped spring metal clip back into the two little slots that it resides in was not all that easy. I later decided that with practice, it would not be that difficult. The main concern was not to loose the spring clips as that is what they did - spring.

Yes, you need to be careful with the cables as they will retract all the way and the only way to then retrieve the ends would to be remove the cargo bay lining.
When you disconnect the cables the tailgate will drop onto the bumper, put a towel down to cushion the tailgate to prevent any scratching and don't lean or sit on the tailgate or you will bend something!
I also took the clips off (carefully) but also removed the pins as it is easier to remove the trims. Mine were actually loose so I would suggest that these may need regular checking like the upper arm struts.
I ran the cable across to the right and ended in a loop like bbyer. Somewhere in the forums someone who has drawers fitted has run a cable back to the rear doors which makes sense.