Help? Can't get my tailgate open :redbrick:

[Lamancha55]

Can anyone help. My tailgate decided to stop opening about 2 weeks. Of course it was the day before i went on vacation (real fun loading everything through the rear doors).

When I press the lever I can hear the lock motor run (is sounds normal) but when I go to pull the gate it is totally locked down.

Here are the things that I have done so far:

1. Pushed down on the tailgate (as hard as I can) when the lock motor is opening...nothing.
2. Taken the rear panel off and pressed up and down on the small manual release lever...nothing.

# 2 really worries me. does this mean I'm totally screwed.


forgot to mention. 05 Sport Edition

 

[gaterose]

I know this is simple and probably not it, but once I got either a strap from a backpack or a piece of paper stuck right where the mechanism latches and I thought I was screwed before I found the strap/paper and tried pushing really hard... May have kicked/or pushed with my feet from the inside after pulling the manual release...

 

[Lamancha55]

thanks

Thanks for the idea. I'm running out of options so I'll be trying that first thing tomorrow.

If anyone else has ideas... I'm all ears

 

[riceandpho]

in the fuse box engine compartment, theres a fuse label spare, take that out and it will reset everything, even radio. hope that works for u, take it out and wait a min, turn on the light to discharge some electricity. after that put it back in and do all the window automation, on tailgate do it on the switch and with a key.

 

[Lamancha55]

Fixed it

I was able to get my head into tailgate and see that the manual tailgate release was in fact working fine. However, when the release was open the door still wouldn't budge. I did notice that the tailgate was now moving a little (maybe a 1/16th of an inch).

So...I zip-tied the manual release up (open) and started to push from the inside. I pushed as hard as I could without bending the frame. I was mindful of the fact that the rear window slide in and out of that space so getting over aggressive could really bollox things even more. After that I got outside and started puling. I was able to put my fingers underneath the bottom of the tailgate and really pull and...it opened.

:banana::banana::girl:arty::guitar3::thumb3::frog: :bigok:

I had doused the area with WD-40 and I think that helped also.

So what happened. As I was inspecting the lock I noticed there was a washer that had slid perfectly into place under the lock and jammed that gate closed. It must have slipped into place when I was getting things in and out of the back. It had been floating around the trunk from when I was building a trailer and using the back as a work bench. Note to self...don't leave loose items flowing around in the back. That electric motor is really strong and it will pull the gate closed with a lot of force.

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[R.A.]

As I was inspecting the lock I noticed there was a washer that had slid perfectly into place under the lock and jammed that gate closed. It must have slipped into place when I was getting things in and out of the back. It had been floating around the trunk from when I was building a trailer and using the back as a work bench. Note to self...don't leave loose items flowing around in the back. That electric motor is really strong and it will pull the gate closed with a lot of force.

Thanks for all the help guys.

A stupid little washer! All I can say is WOW! I've made a mental note to myself to always check that area when closing the liftgate.

Glad it worked out positive in the end.