All that is now good. However I still have a problem with the lower tailgate not opening when I press the button. While I was working on the upper tailgate issue, the lower tailgate would happily pop open. . Then when I finally shut the lower tailgate and tested the upper tailgate it just stopped working.
To fix the upper tailgate I replaced the actuator, which was on it's way out and replaced the lock and cable due to it having a cheap Ikea key fix several years ago. That meant disconnecting two power connectors, one for the actuator and one for the tailgate lock and plugging it all back in
As soon as I fixed the upper tailgate issue the bottom tailgate stopped working.
I cut both cables to the lower tailgate switch and held them together. That didn't work, so not the switch. I rejoined them using blue spade connectors.
I've had a chance to have another look a it and use a multimeter across the cables. One cable is black and grey the other is all black.
When I put the multimeter across:
black + grey to all black = 11.95V
black + grey to Earth (boot lock) = 11.77V
All black to Earth = 0V
black + grey to all black and then pressing the lower tailgate button voltage drops down from 11.95V to 0V in around half a second.
To my untrained eyes, the lower tailgate switch looks to be working but no power is going to either of the two lower tailgate actuators.
(1) Do the voltages look reasonable?
(2) So, there must be a break in a common cable somewhere because neither actuator is working?
(3) Is it possible to open the lower tailgate in any other way? It's difficult to see and work on it when it is in a vertical position.
4th Apr 2020 2:36 pm
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10551
I don't understand discos fully.
But if the car doesn't see the top part open, it won't attempt to open the bottom ?
So check interior lights and dash warnings happen when upper part open
4th Apr 2020 2:41 pm
Trucks
Member Since: 30 Nov 2019
Location: south newton
Posts: 375
I had the same problem with upper tailgate catch stuck closed(with the upper tailgate open)and the lower tailgate would not open after after doing a parrasitic drain test.
The answer was to hold the lock and unlock buttons down on the fascia for three second or untill you hear a loud clonking of the locks on the rear tailgate,it worked and the upper tailgate catch was free and just needed to be moved to its open position and the lower tailgate opened as usual.
Thought it might help but as to the wiring I can't help sorry.
5th Apr 2020 8:23 am
Martin Site Admin and Owner
Member Since: 06 Nov 2004
Location: Hook Norton
Posts: 18508
I think you may have left off the connector to the "tailgate open" switch, C0616
So the car thinks the top tailgate is still closed and won't allow the bottom to open.
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5th Apr 2020 9:26 am
Globetrotter448
Member Since: 21 Mar 2017
Location: Londonderry NSW
Posts: 1798
Quote:
When I put the multimeter across:
black + grey to all black = 11.95V
black + grey to Earth (boot lock) = 11.77V
All black to Earth = 0V
What you are measuring is the "request" to open. It take a ground (0v) and sends it to the controller on the in car fuse box. There is a Black/purple wire that supplies 12 volts (via a FET) to both actuator motors which is turned on when you press the button. So if you can find the Black/Purple wire and see whether you are getting 12 volts. If so problem is either an earth or a motor.
But I would say that as it was working originally the problem may be at the connectors you disconnected.
5th Apr 2020 9:28 am
Daf
Member Since: 21 Aug 2007
Location: Wales, mun ;-)
Posts: 164
Trucks wrote:
I had the same problem with upper tailgate catch stuck closed(with the upper tailgate open)and the lower tailgate would not open after after doing a parrasitic drain test.
The answer was to hold the lock and unlock buttons down on the fascia for three second or untill you hear a loud clonking of the locks on the rear tailgate,it worked and the upper tailgate catch was free and just needed to be moved to its open position and the lower tailgate opened as usual.
Thought it might help but as to the wiring I can't help sorry.
Sorry for the late replies. Been busier than Dominic Cummings on the A1 over the past month.
The upper tailgate works fine. It locks and unlocks when needed to. The bottom tailgate just won't open.
25th May 2020 2:35 pm
Daf
Member Since: 21 Aug 2007
Location: Wales, mun ;-)
Posts: 164
Martin wrote:
I think you may have left off the connector to the "tailgate open" switch, C0616
So the car thinks the top tailgate is still closed and won't allow the bottom to open.
This looks like a possibility. If so, where is the switch located? Upper tailgate or lower tailgate? When I replaced the upper tailgate switch, all I did was snip the wires to the switch and use some spade connectors to put the new one it. I didn't dismantle anything else. That seems to work fine? DId I disturb something when I carried out the work perhaps?
25th May 2020 2:37 pm
Daf
Member Since: 21 Aug 2007
Location: Wales, mun ;-)
Posts: 164
Globetrotter448 wrote:
Quote:
When I put the multimeter across:
black + grey to all black = 11.95V
black + grey to Earth (boot lock) = 11.77V
All black to Earth = 0V
What you are measuring is the "request" to open. It take a ground (0v) and sends it to the controller on the in car fuse box. There is a Black/purple wire that supplies 12 volts (via a FET) to both actuator motors which is turned on when you press the button. So if you can find the Black/Purple wire and see whether you are getting 12 volts. If so problem is either an earth or a motor.
But I would say that as it was working originally the problem may be at the connectors you disconnected.
The only connectors I disconnected were to the actuator and upper tailgate lock, located in the lower tailgate section. One block for the actuator and one for the lock. The upper tailgate open switch was just snipped out of the loom and then a new one connected using spade connectors. It seemed to fix that problem.
I'll hunt out the black and purple wires. I think I can see them. What's the best way to test them? Try and remove the connector block form the actuator and jam in a multimerer cable or snip the wire somewhere and test it at that point?
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