tailgate stuck locked

[91yota-sr5]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to get the tailgate down on my second generation 4runner but the bas**** is jammed. I have power locks, and when I hit the unlock button I can hear what I'm assuming is the solenoid attempting to push the locking mechanism, but it just won't go, when I drop the window and try to lift the lock mechanism manually, it's jammed, same thing when I turn the key and pull/push on the lock mechanism. Any thoughts?

Thanks guys

 

[CodeButcher]

You will have to open the tailgate panel and see what's wrong. It sound like the plastic retainer clips has broken, but you won't know until you get that panel open.

 

[91yota-sr5]

Gotcha, I'm going to have a look at it later on this afternoon, if I get that panel off and have no idea what I'm looking at I'll probably be back on here. Thanks for the tips.

 

[91yota-sr5]

So I removed the upholstery panel and the service panel from the tailgate, and peeled back the rubberized seal over the lock/window mechanisms. The problem I'm seeing is that when the tailgate lever and the latch aren't synced properly. I can physically disengage the lock, and the tailgate opens and closes fine. If I lock the doors using the button, the tailgate remains unlocked. Only when I put the window up, or push the tailgate latch down does the tailgate lock. Guess I need to pull up a schematic and see what I'm missing.

 

[CodeButcher]

You can't unlock the tail gate without lowering the window first. The door locks should have no effect on the tailgate lock, since it can't unlock if the window is up.

Does the tailgate lock, when you raise the window? That's the normal function. If it does not then the lever it's attached to does not pull it down to lock when you raise the window.

 

[91yota-sr5]

Ok, that makes sense, the tailgate does lock when the window goes up, but I cannot get the tailgate to unlock once the window is down.

 

[CodeButcher]

So it won't unlock unlock with the window fully down. When you opened the panel can you help it unlock?

I was thinking it may be the lever, if one side of the pull/lift lever is detached it won't open. It's very similar to a pickup/Tacoma tailgate, except with a lock.

 

[Endev0ur]

Where are we on this? Is there a link to a solved issue?

Even with the window all the way down, my tailgate on my 1993 4Runner will not unlock. With all the covers off. I have to manually twist the cable pull mechanism so that the white bushing lines up where it needs to so I can unlock the tailgate. What is missing that it does not do it itself???