Posts : 488 Join date : 2009-03-03 Age : 61 Location : Princeton NC 27569
Subject: tailgate woes Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:27 pm
I'm stuck and need help. yesterday the tailgate on my 95 would only lay down - would not swing open. Today it has decided do do opposite - it now swings open but won't lay down. The big problem is that the tailgate ajar light won't go out now. Any ideas are appreciated!
convert2diesel
Posts : 958 Join date : 2009-01-05 Age : 72 Location : Manotick, Ontario
Subject: Re: tailgate woes Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:18 pm
This is a fairly typical probem with these cars. To correct it temporarily, your going to have to use some "English" when you close the gate. There is a bunch of levers and rods that have to fall into place in order for one or the other function to operate. As these age it takes more and more force to get them to drop into place.
Your going to have to take the cover panels off the gate and get in there with some PB Blaster (or equivalent) and really go after all the latches (two on the top and one on the passenger side bottom). Clean and lubricate all mechanisms and all the rods that attach to them. A special note. The actuator rods run through some plastic clips on the sheet metal. It is common for these rods to slip out of these clips, causing the same kind of problems.
Welcome to the tailgate club .
Bill
94X2
Posts : 488 Join date : 2009-03-03 Age : 61 Location : Princeton NC 27569
Subject: Re: tailgate woes Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:51 pm
Thanks. i have been fighting this one all morning. I sprayed all the linkage and just can't figure out whats binding. I know problems don't fix themselves but since this one changed overnite I think I'll put it back together and see what happens tomorrow. if I can get it soon enough I'll post pictures. Just got this one yesterday - a 95 Limited.
jayoldschool
Posts : 2728 Join date : 2009-06-14
Subject: Re: tailgate woes Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:35 pm
My Caprice started to do this last night. Since I have bought it, I have to do the "Super Slam" when it swings open to get the gate light to go off. Yesterday, the "drop" latch wouldn't really work, so when I tried the "swing" latch, the gate wanted to do both at once! I have it closed now, but I need to sort this out before winter.
I'm going to have to get Diesel Bill to perform some gate magic on it...
convert2diesel
Posts : 958 Join date : 2009-01-05 Age : 72 Location : Manotick, Ontario
Subject: Re: tailgate woes Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:53 pm
jayoldschool wrote:
My Caprice started to do this last night. Since I have bought it, I have to do the "Super Slam" when it swings open to get the gate light to go off. Yesterday, the "drop" latch wouldn't really work, so when I tried the "swing" latch, the gate wanted to do both at once! I have it closed now, but I need to sort this out before winter.
I'm going to have to get Diesel Bill to perform some gate magic on it...
Its going to cost you some electronic engine gauge circuit design time . Have articulated fingers...will travel.
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Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:27 pm
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. Have articulated fingers...will travel.