We are used to some things just working. A simple move like opening the car’s front door or the liftgate never seems like something that should go wrong – well, at least if you have the key.
It’s been so very long since your trunk and doors are mechanical with electric locks. It’s almost impossible for the door not to swing open as long as you have unlocked it.
With more and more cars shipping with automatic (power) liftgates, the once manual but seamless process is developing different problems.
To begin with, we are going to assume your vehicle has a power liftgate. We will also assume that the locking mechanism is fine. The tailgate or liftgate unlocks, but the powerful motor doesn’t open it.
If you have a manual liftgate or your power gate isn’t unlocking, scroll down to the section addressing bad or failing tailgate lock system problems.
Why is My Power Liftgate Not Working?
Power tailgates and liftgates use an electronic motor to actuate the opening and closing. This gives you the freedom to press a button on the trunk or key fob and wait for it to whirr open. Some also open when you ‘wave’ your foot under the car.
Some of the most common things that will make your power tailgate fail to open include:
There is an Obstacle Close to the Tailgate
Even though your power liftgate might seem like it opens mindlessly, they do have a couple of sensors that detect obstructions and stop the tailgate from operating.
The sensor system is a safety construct to ensure that the tailgate does not open onto a wall or knock against you when you open it standing too close.
Move your car off any obstacles like walls, trees, or a high or long stack of cargo. It would help if you also stood some distance from the trunk after pressing the unlock button to ensure that you don’t become an obstruction.
The Car is Not in Park
Another safety feature on most power tailgate cars is an inhibitor circuit that keeps the tailgate locked as long as the car is not in park.
The idea is opening the liftgate or tailgate with a car in gear isn’t favorable. The car could be moving or about to move, making it more susceptible to damage.
Luckily, such circuits are also implemented in non-automatic liftgates. You will get constant beeps when you try to open the boot, or the lock won’t unlatch.
Confirm if Your Car Has a Master Override/Disable Button
Another common circuit that disables a power liftgate is a master override or disable button. A mechanical switch in the cabin (or a software switch in the car’s setting menu) disables the power tailgate.
Clicking the unlock button on the fob or on the tailgate will unlatch the tailgate but won’t activate the motor. This might make you believe nothing happened, especially if you activated the override accidentally.
Your Car Battery is Low
Since your power liftgate uses an electric motor, a dead battery will do more than just disable your car’s starter.
If the voltage is low, but within tolerances, the tailgate will open very slowly. If the power is way below what your tailgate motor needs to work, you won’t get any reaction. This shouldn’t be a problem if the car is already running since the alternator will be producing sufficient power to run the tailgate.
Note that central locking won’t work if you have a dead battery. You will have to open your car with a mechanical key as the keyfob button combination won’t let you in.
ProTip: If your tailgate opens slowly or doesn’t open with the car’s engine running, chances are the motor has a problem. It could also mean your starter isn’t generating the right running voltage. Either way, have a professional look into it.
A Blown Fuse or Relay
Every electric component in your car runs through a fuse. This means a good place to start after any electrical component failure is checking your fuse box. You have to check your fusebox layout guide to identify the right fuse for your power tailgate motor.
Pull out the fuse and check it for continuity. If it is blown, get a replacement fuse of a similar rating and plug it in.
The power gate should work again if that were the problem. Monitor it for a while, though. Fuses don’t just blow for no reason. If your power gate circuitry keeps blowing fuses, have it inspected.
There could be a fault in the wiring, or the actuator motor could fail and draw more power.
Modern cars rarely send all the required current to operate components through your operation switch. They use relays, especially when controlling high current components like high beam headlights and power tailgate motors.
Consult your manual again to identify the location of your power liftgate relay and confirm that it is working fine. Replace it if it is damaged.
A Damaged Motor
Even though your power liftgate’s motor is meant to last for a lifetime, things can go wrong sooner than you think.
It could be due to a fender bender or just a faulty factory component. If the motor fails, the liftgate won’t work.
- You will hear the lock unlatch
- The motor won’t engage or whirr
- It might try to engage and fail instantly
If your car is still on warranty, take it to the dealership for closer inspection. If it isn’t, get an expert to test your motor and ascertain the problem. You could do this yourself if you are handy with a multimeter and understand basic car electronics.
Testing is as easy as confirming that the motor terminals receive 12V power when the tailgate activates. If it receives power and doesn’t turn, then the motor has a problem.
Faulty Wiring or Loose Terminals
Another common problem that could disable your power liftgate is faulty wiring or loose terminals.
Identify the motor location and test that the wiring harness receives 12V to the ground when you activate the tailgate. If it doesn’t, you could be having other issues like:
- An enabled override switch or feature
- A damaged control module
- A faulty relay
- A blown fuse
- Faulty wiring
If there is power, try unplugging the wires, cleaning the terminals, and attaching them again. Sometimes, corrosion – especially on old cars- could prevent the terminals from making the perfect contact the power liftgate needs to operate.
Why Won’t My Power Tailgate Close?
While opening the power tailgate could be the main problem, sometimes, closing it could be an issue.
The biggest reason why your tailgate isn’t closing or closing fully is that there s an obstacle on the way. A fail-safe is designed to ensure that the tailgate doesn’t squish your neck or bang on your kid when someone closes it without noticing their presence.
Sometimes, this safety feature could be triggered by another obstacle. For instance, any badly packed cargo that’s in the way could prevent your tailgate from closing fully.
Accumulated snow on the edges if you had the tailgate open with snow falling could also prevent it from latching fully.
ProTip: Some pickup trucks with power tailgates won’t let you operate it if your car moves more than two mph. Other SUVs or hatchbacks with a power liftgate won’t let you operate it unless the car’s transmission is in park.
How Do You Fix a Tailgate that Won’t Latch?
Sometimes your power tailgate might be raising and lowering perfectly, but it doesn’t finish the motion and latch-up.
The closing safety system might be detecting more than expected resistance towards the end and stopping deducing that there must be an obstacle it can’t squish.
If firmly pushing down the tailgate latches it, this might be the problem. Fixing it should be easy.
Inspect the area around the seams of the tailgate and ensure there are no unusual protruding pieces of debris. Even an out-of-place weather flashing could be a culprit.
Additionally, take the time to clean the actual latch and ensure that it is well-aligned.
ProTip: If you were involved in a minor fender bender or were hit from behind, chances are the tailgate is warped and partially damaged. You will have to get it straightened and fixed – or even replaced at times.
How Do You Reset an Electric Tailgate?
Resetting a tailgate is a great way to restore memory features like lift height to factory default. Resetting could also help you get rid of some hiccups in opening and closing the tailgate.
The reset procedure varies from one car to another. Please consult your user manual to get a guide specific to your car’s model and year.
How Do You Manually Open a Power Liftgate
While using some force could move a power liftgate, it isn’t recommended. Forcefully moving the unactivated system could damage the power motor and its accompanying components.
This makes fixing any problem on the liftgate paramount as you will only access your boot via the back seats once your power liftgate fails.
Some cars are more forgiving and only use the power liftgate parallel to manual operation. You can open and close such cars without activating the power option.
Other cars allow you to fully disengage the power tailgate option and operate your trunk manually.
Ensure that you consult your user manual and confirm if these features exist. If they don’t, and your power tailgate is constantly engaged, please refrain from operating it manually as this could damage it.
Why is My Electric Powergate Not Opening Fully?
Virtually all cars with an electric power liftgate let you adjust the opening height. This is a perfect feature to help you avoid hitting the liftgate on a low garage or bumping your head when accessing the boot.
The setting could be as easy as a button in the cabin or a menu in the infotainment system or car setup menu. Check the configuration to ensure that it is set to the maximum opening location to open fully.
Pro Tip: Some cars have a sensor to control their opening. It prevents the liftgate from bumping against any low-lying obstacles, such as a low garage roof.
Are Power Lift Gates Worth It?
Power lift gates are getting more common by the day. They make cars feel luxurious. You don’t have to lift it on your own or set down your groceries to access your trunk.
While they are a practical solution to an existing problem, their complexity also introduces another possible failure point to your car.
I feel like they are a fun thing to have but not worth paying extra on it. This means that I will take it if it’s part of the car trim I am buying but will never pay extra for it. There’s nothing wrong with manually opening or closing my on the tailgate, especially if the alternative is paying an additional premium for a powered one.
Moreover, if I buy a high mileage used car, I will steer clear of such extras, especially if they are additionals, and I can get an almost similar trim of the car without the power liftgate.
Bottom Line
Your powered liftgate is a great convenience to your car. Taking good care of it and operating it the right way will ensure it keeps serving you safely for longer. Please don’t force it to move manually. Have it serviced or fixed while you can to avoid catastrophic failure when you least expect it.