Tailgate not unlocking

R

rogersibe

Member
(Started a new thread as seems to be a different issue than others reported)
Over 2 to 3 weeks, tailgate latch stopped responding to remote. Initially it would respond if bottom of tailgate was pushed in hard, but that doesn't happen now. So it looks like a poor connection, it acts as if it doesn't respond to unlock signal from remote because it doesn't think that it is closed.

How does the tailgate know whether it is closed?

Any help appreciated.

Roger
 
Not sure but I think there’s a microswitch in the door lock. Does it show as open on the dash and are the interior lights going out ??
 
Thanks for your reply, that's a very good question.
Dash shows tailgate as closed, and interior light go out.
So it is detecting the tailgate closed. But no sound from the tailgate latch when you unlock the vehicle using the remote.
 
rogersibe said:
no sound from the tailgate latch when you unlock the vehicle using the remote.
Click to expand...
That no sound is correct. The unlock just enables outside handle to operate - nothing more.
On locked van, pressing the middle button, do the indicators flash, and can you open the tailgate by using the handle?
 
Oh, so I remembered that wrongly. Outside handle doesn't do anything after unlocking or pressing middle button. Nor using the internal switch on the tailgate. No sound of the motor unlocking the tailgate when the outside handle is pulled up or the internal switch operated.

Yesterday I took off the lining panel from the inside of the tailgate, and opened the tailgate manually. Same problem when it was closed. (Not very accessible as we have caging for our dogs built in to the vehicle.) Then during the day it opened once, but that was the only time in several days.

Quite a problem for us in this hot weather as if we take our dogs out (maybe for a dip in a river) we can't leave the tailgate open for ventilation.

And yes, the indicators flash when the middle button is pressed, but the tailgate won't open.
 
I'm hoping that these points give some clue as to the cause:
(1) Neither the extenal handle nor the internal switch open the tailgate.
(2) Occasionally it opens uing the extennal handle.

(Mind you, last year I had a different problem, internal switch worked but not the external handle. Booked it in to my local VW place, asked them to change the part in the external handle which contains the pressure operated switch. They did this, still didn't work. Eventually traced it to a cable fault. Ended up paying for the new switch as well. My fault, should have just asked them to fix it.)
 
rogersibe said:
(1) Neither the extenal handle nor the internal switch open the tailgate.
(2) Occasionally it opens uing the extennal handle.
Click to expand...
rogersibe said:
new switch
Click to expand...
The first suspect is damaged wiring.
Would be a easy to diagnose with VCDS or OBDeleven - to check operation of the external and internal switches individually, as well as the operation of the latch motor.
 
Thanks, that's very helpful - except that I'm a novice, I don't have either of those. Where can I find out about them, which are simplest to install and use, and cheapest?
 
rogersibe said:
Thanks, that's very helpful - except that I'm a novice, I don't have either of those. Where can I find out about them, which are simplest to install and use, and cheapest?
Click to expand...
I had exactly the same problem with my tailgate, VW had it back under warranty but refused to cover it as the van had been converted & VW claimed the issue was due to condensation in the tailgate from us living in the van. Long story short, I changed the locking mechanism myself, pretty easy straightforward job. The microswitches were corroded, this turned out to be due to a leaking high level brake light, but that’s another story. I lathered the new mechanism in protective wax, 4 years on, all still good.
The new mechanism was about £80 from TPS.
 
rogersibe said:
Thanks, couldn't find the part on TPS, do you have a part number or name of the part that I can search for?
Click to expand...
Sorry, my mate who runs a local independent garage got it for me on his TPS account. He just used the reg number & “tailgate release mechanism” afaik.
 
Before replacing any parts, you want to whip the boot trim off and bridge the connection for the outside handle and see if it opens.
I would suspect the outer boot handle to be at fault, as these are a common failing point.

The other way to diagnose, would be with a DTM test / output test to operate the boot lock using VCDS, as this would tell you all the wiring / lock etc is ok, if the boot then opened when carrying out the command.
 
rogersibe said:
Maybe that's a bit too cheap. But some of the VW parts are very overpriced.
Click to expand...
That’s fair enough,
But at the same time you get parts warranty, and much less chance of it breaking in a weeks time.

Then you end up not knowing if it’s still the same issue as originally, or because of something you’ve fitted on the cheap.
 
Now my tailgate is behaving normally, opens fine for the last couple of days.

Maybe it's because the weather has changed, the hot dry spell has ended for now (we're in North East Scotland).

Any suggestions? Does this give a clue? Lubrication?
 
Hi Everyone, I have a T6 kombi with a tailgate, it has stopped openeing from the inside yesterday and I can't get access from inside as I have a bulkhead behind the seats on the middle. Does anyone have any idea how I could open. Thanks in advance
 
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