Failed Electronic Tailgate Release On 2016 T6

[rogersibe]

Thanks Pauly. The external button was probably frozen, but not now, it's much warmer. And quite likely got wet, but I would expect it to have dried out by now.
But also the "open boot" button on the remote does not work - this used to work. Just as for CaptainZag "If I try to open it using the keyring (either the open van or open tailgate buttons) the indicators flash. The doors all open, but the tailgate doesn't."

 

[rogersibe]

I did post that this was solved in another post, with part numbers and a few photographs. Please look here. Also some useful tips from @Pauly about shorting the connections etc. Have a read of this post - should help quite a bit:

https://www.t6forum.com/threads/tai...-but-not-the-outside.18759/page-2#post-264289

Thanks, I hadn't seen that. Very helpful.

 

[Montecha]

I thought I had the same issue, as I couldn't open the tailgate with the external switch/handle this week.

I thought I'd add to the thread, as my issue was the actuator.

I've no internal switch as I had a California rear door trim fitted. As this contains the window blind and two folding chairs, and the standard switch location would normally be inaccessible due to the bed VW thought it was a good idea to remove the internal switch from the door. I did eventually manage to get the tailgate open by going through from inside the van and opening the zip of the chair compartment, releasing the bottom push trim clips and removing the rubber bung that covers the 'emergency' access. Then having just enough room to push down on the lock to release the door. If this sounds like a pain in the proverbial, it definitely was.

The Cali trim is great with the chairs stowed and the integrated blind, but isn't very helpful in this instance. It makes it very hard to access the lock actuator and switch handle wiring. The Cali trim basically has a fibre board that covers the entire tailgate which makes access really difficult. I released all the torx and clips that I could see and was finally able to get to the plug for the external switch/handle. I shorted it but it didn't trigger the actuator.

I then took the plug of the actuator, closed the lock so the micro switch on the lock itself thinks the door is closed and managed to jam the probes from my meter into the plug while I tried the external switch/handle. I was getting a pulse of 12 volts every time I squeezed the handle, so that looks very likely my solenoid / actuator has died.

I've just been over to the VW dealer to order a replacement, there's none in the UK so got to come from Germany. I'm leaving the chairs out and the chair compartment unzipped, so at least I can open the door if I need to.

I'll have a look over the weekend and see if I can cut the board around the lock mechanism to make an access hole, so that its not such a faff to get to the lock, actuator and the switches.

 

[Montecha]

I'm still stuck.

Bought the new actuator, but still doesn't work.

I'm getting a pulse of 12v to the actuator, when I press the external tailgate handle. But it doesn't seem to be enough to operate the solenoid.

The rest of the logic seems to be working, so the lock itself show's the correct open and closed on the MFD, I only get the 12v pulse with the lock in the 'locked' position and showing closed on the MFD (and I don't get the pulse with the lock open).

Baffled isn't the word. Any thoughts on what to try next?

 

[rogersibe]

I only get the 12v pulse with the lock in the 'locked' position

I think that's normal. With my "remote switch on a wire", see my post https://www.t6forum.com/threads/tailgate-opens-from-the-inside-but-not-the-outside.18759/post-366190, I can hear the noise of the actuator when I close the switch with the tailgate closed, but no actuator noise when the tailgate is open.

 

[Montecha]

I have tried it with the tailgate lock open and closed, I see the 12V on the actuator plug when the lock is closed, but its only a short pulse, maybe its too short to open the actuator?

I can get the actuator to work, if I just tap 12 V across from a separate power source, but it doesn't trigger with the length of 12V that it gets through the van wiring

If its the length of the signal, then I don't know where that why that would suddenly change.

 

[rogersibe]

I have tried it with the tailgate lock open and closed, I see the 12V on the actuator plug when the lock is closed, but its only a short pulse, maybe its too short to open the actuator?

I can get the actuator to work, if I just tap 12 V across from a separate power source, but it doesn't trigger with the length of 12V that it gets through the van wiring

If its the length of the signal, then I don't know where that why that would suddenly change.

Could it be that there is too much resistance in the circuit somewhere, so that as soon as current starts to flow the voltage drops, and not enough current flows to open the actuator? This would explain both why it doesn't open and why the pulse looks short.