R Class tailgate issue

[sweeper]

Bit of an issue with my tailgate on Saturday, I opened with the key but stopped it with the key when it was half way, then it wouldn’t shut, just kept opening as it tried to latch, few up and downs and eventually it shut but didn’t sound right as the latch did whirrr and pull down as it would normally, then it wouldn’t open and this is when I found out the latch inside doesn’t work by pulling it up but pushing it across, I was in the process of attempting to get the panel off with the door shut. So now it would open and close but when it shut there was no whirrr of the motor although it felt tightly shut, I tried resetting using the door mounted switch, still the same, then I operated the latch with a screwdriver and it motored fully shut, tried again and all back to working as it did before, I really don’t know what happened but glad I now know how to open from inside, slide lever to the left rather than pull up which appears to do nothing, maybe it unlocks it if it’s locked? Thing is it does have an arrow pointing that way but also it looks and feels like you should pull it up and it does hinge. I don’t think I’ll stop the tailgate half way again as I’m sure this had something to do with it.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Sounds like the latch is on its way out. Relatively common that they fail, and they usually open, ie the latch doesn’t secure the tailgate when closed.

 

[sweeper]

Mmm! I did think this may be the case, but odd that I could hear it as I went to close it, mine, and I guess they all do, releases the catch before it starts to close (I guess just in case it isn’t open for some reason) but it just kept opening as it reached fully shut, as if it didn’t know where it was, hence trying to recalibrate it using the door control, I think I read this somewhere, as it has a linear potentiometer on the right hinge so it knows where it is, I think if the latch is a known issue I’ll change it anyway