Stuck Tailgate

My tailgate is stuck closed. It also prevents the solenoid from opening using the button. I can open it with the key. It looks like the cable that opens the gate straight out is frayed and jammed thus preventing me from popping it open. How can I go about disconnecting said cable and replacing it. Or at least disconnecting it so I can open the gate up and down.

The gate may not be shut completely as a door. If it is not shut properly, the other function will not work. If you have the gate interior off, you can get to the internals. To remove the interior, you have to remove the spare cover, and the storage compartment panel. There may or may not be screws under the corners of the carpet on the gate interior. Once you get the interior cover and the inspection panels off, you should be able to manipulate the internals. There may be broken wire clips, or other parts as well as the cable.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

The gate may not be shut completely as a door. If it is not shut properly, the other function will not work. If you have the gate interior off, you can get to the internals. To remove the interior, you have to remove the spare cover, and the storage compartment panel. There may or may not be screws under the corners of the carpet on the gate interior. Once you get the interior cover and the inspection panels off, you should be able to manipulate the internals. There may be broken wire clips, or other parts as well as the cable.

The gate is shut completely. Lights are off. Access panels are already removed. And that brings me to HOW to remove the damaged cable.

Your locking rod to the upper right lock may be disconnected, jammed, or not moving far enough to unlock the right upper lock.

The cable to the door release handle is held in the handle base by a grommet in a figure 8 slot. The end in the upper lock is probably similar.

The latch block out rod across the top of the gate, on the right side, may be disconnected as well. There is a slotted whole in a bellcrank that is supposed to hold it, and the wire end clip may be broken.

Unfortunately the FSM does not show all of the rods, cables, and bellcranks in the tailgate.

Fixt. Well, solved. Need to find a part.

Cadet57 wrote:

Fixt. Well, solved. Need to find a part.

Sent you a PM.

It seems I have the same problem on my two wagons. Could you walk me through the fix that you did?
I can feel (but can't see) the various rods inside the RH tailgate area.
I was able to unblock the rods for the center latch to-day (fold-down tailgate) and have oiled all the moving parts.
I'd like to be able to do the same thing for the RH latch rods!
It's funny that the tailgate latches should have "died" yesterday. They worked fine throughout the 9,000 mile cross-country trip we just completed!

Cadet57 wrote:

Fixt. Well, solved. Need to find a part.

You have to remove the cover plate to get to the wires on the right side. You may have a broken wire clip. Check them all. If it is a clip in a slot, I have some of the clips.

I solved my "stuck" tailgate latch problems with WD40 and a white grease spray. I removed the inner back panel and the the two aluminum "protection" (?) plates (RH and LH sides), then I liberally sprayed any and all moving parts I could see with (first) WD40, then a few days later with Wal-Mart white-grease spray. All latches gradually began to work again ... but for how long? It seems there were no broken cables or rods. I still haven't figured out how to post pics ... even with the explanations kindly provided by others on this forum. Note that althpough BOTH my wagons are 1994 models, the pull-rods on the central tailgate are NOT identical. Obne kept slipping off and I devised a method to prevent it. If I find a way to post pics, I will.

Another trial run for some images of our 1995 Roadmaster Estate wagon /tailgate problems)

Still no images !!! I tried to follow the "Photobucket" site ... but apparently to no avail. !!!

veesixteen wrote:

Still no images !!! I tried to follow the "Photobucket" site ... but apparently to no avail. !!!

Fixt.

Next time this happens, use the “Direct” copy feature on Photobucket and use the image button or add the [IMG] brackets manually.

(Might want to consider breaking up the sheer volume of pics into a couple of separate posts for easier reading, too.)

Another trial run for some images of our 1995 Roadmaster Estate wagon /tailgate problems)

Somebody sticky this post!!

Thanks Jay. Sorry for the "sudden shower" of photos. I'll use a different approach next time.
I see the Photobucket "titles" don't show up. I may need to add some comments about the snapshots I sent.
They are all from "inside" the tailgate, which is nearly impossible to access other than with a hand mirror and a small digital camera.