Member Since: 12 Aug 2014
Location: Southampton
Posts: 1833
Upper tailgate emergency release mod
After lots of chat recently on the upper tailgate failing to open and the various fixes I thought i'd have a go at a simple emergency cable release mod so you don't get caught out if your actuator / switch stops working and you need to get the upper tailgate open. This easy mod is well worth doing before the actuator goes and leaves you trying to get that trim out of the way
After getting all the parts in (mainly the rope clamps) I did this easy mod in less than an hour this afternoon with just tools in the garage and a bike break cable. I've got 16 rope clamps left over if you want a couple send me an SAE
Steps below
1. Tools
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2. Remove screw covers and unscrew top panel - lifts straight off
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3. Hold lower boot up with tripod or similar and remove pully bolts with 13mm spanner
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4. Prise off lower boot trim with trim removal tool
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5. With 10mm drive socket unscrew the actuator unit from the boot
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6. With T10 Torx remove covers from actuator unit
7. Add the rope clamp to the boot cable and feed through the casing once re-assembled
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8. Drill where you want the cable to come out of the boot
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9. Feed cable back through drilled hole, (test) and clip everything back in
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10. Create loop and job done - you can see the loop in the top tools pics and also here is mod hidden under my hatchbag cover to show how neat it is
This has been a bad day for technology so far, so maybe there is something here I am not understanding.
How does one get to the wire loop to pull the emergency release if the top tailgate will not open?A vaccine does not stop you catching a virus, or passing it on, or getting ill from it, really ill. It does reduce the likelyhood of you dying when really, really ill. Stay Alive - KEEP AWAY FROM PEOPLE.
15th Jun 2020 1:00 pm
Famousfive
Member Since: 12 Aug 2014
Location: Southampton
Posts: 1833
darrind wrote:
Might be a bit greedy but I now have 3 Discoveries to carry this out on if you have enough spare
yes for the clamps - no to the bike cable
Navigator wrote:
How does one get to the wire loop to pull the emergency release if the top tailgate will not open?
Because it actually connects to the wire that opens the top tailgate latch before it hits the actuator - detailed here:
If the top tailgate will not open I can't reach in to pull the loop to open the top tailgate to reach the loop.A vaccine does not stop you catching a virus, or passing it on, or getting ill from it, really ill. It does reduce the likelyhood of you dying when really, really ill. Stay Alive - KEEP AWAY FROM PEOPLE.
15th Jun 2020 1:51 pm
Famousfive
Member Since: 12 Aug 2014
Location: Southampton
Posts: 1833
thread title wrote:
I thought i'd have a go at a simple emergency cable release mod so you don't get caught out if your actuator
The mod is for an emergency release that i'd access from the boot. This would then allow me to repair the actuator / issue rather than having to take all the trim apart.
I got caught out with 2 dogs in which were not easy to manoeuvre under the dog guard and out of the rear seats (and in again after the walk ) so this just makes opening possible
edit - I think user hardware was looking a mod that took this further with a cable to pull via handle on front seats Stolen - D4 Loire Blue
D4 Bali Blue
I would have even more trouble than the dogs with a full height cargo barrier, cargo, a lower boot basket ratched down, and a dislike of crawing into awkward spaces. A much longer cable coming to below the second row seats would be a better idea for my situation.A vaccine does not stop you catching a virus, or passing it on, or getting ill from it, really ill. It does reduce the likelyhood of you dying when really, really ill. Stay Alive - KEEP AWAY FROM PEOPLE.
15th Jun 2020 2:21 pm
Famousfive
Member Since: 12 Aug 2014
Location: Southampton
Posts: 1833
Think I'll use a bit of different methods. Don't see me needing it that often to justify a fancy handle. A loop somewhere under the back floor will do fine.A vaccine does not stop you catching a virus, or passing it on, or getting ill from it, really ill. It does reduce the likelyhood of you dying when really, really ill. Stay Alive - KEEP AWAY FROM PEOPLE.
17th Jun 2020 3:32 pm
z1234567890
Member Since: 30 Nov 2015
Location: Dubai
Posts: 165
Re: Upper tailgate emergency release mod
Famousfive wrote:
Click image to enlarge
Thanks for the post, very helpful, may I know the size of egg shape wire join/clamp? I am planning to do the same
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