Discovery 3 tailgate

paul 1811 · Apr 24, 2019

Hi guys, I have read lots of posts about changing locks and switches for a problematic tail gate. My tail gate wouldn’t open but with the aid of a second person holding the two buttons in on the dash, I can always get in. I replaced the door handle with the micro switch but nothing changed. I then bought a cheap second hand lock on eBay and it worked for a day before packing up. I then bought an expensive 2nd hand lock and that worked for a day and packed up. I’ve taken the handle out and snipped the two black wires to the micro switch and touched them together thinking it would show if micro switch was playing up, but nothing works. The tail gate never fails to open when using dash buttons. Am I missing something stupid like a blown fuse? Any help would be great guys. I know it’s not a serious problem but it really does p*** you off

1988smithy · Apr 24, 2019

The upper or lower tailgate?

My upper one wouldn't open at all. I changed the electric lock actuator for the upper tailgate that lives in the lower tailgate and problem solved. It's a bugger to do if its jammed shut but if you can definitely open yours it's a piece of pìss.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/232700679711

I've got a couple of pics somewhere of when I did it and there's a yank on yootoob goes thru it

lynall · Apr 24, 2019

As Smithy says almost certainly the actuator.
If you look on the D3 forum some people have added an emergency pull cable to should the actuator fail you can manually open it, one guy went one better and fitted an internal release handle, quite smart it was to.

paul 1811 · Apr 25, 2019

Hi guys, thanks for reply’s. I worded my post wrong, when I said I replaced the lock I should have said the lock and actuator. Both second hand units that I put on worked for a day then started to play up until complete fail. Maybe I have been unlucky and bought 2 second hand units that were on the way out but it would seem strange. I don’t want to go to the expense of buying a new actuator to find something else is causing the problem. If the actuator is working from the master lock buttons on the dash why won’t it work from the tailgate handle? The two wires that go to the actuator obviously operate the little electric motor but the two wires that plug into the lock assembly, are they part of the master lock/unlock system from the dash buttons or are they just to send a warning message to let you know on the dash screen that the tailgate is open or closed the same as the doors or bonnet. I’ve had Land rovers for 30 years plus and the newer they are the more temperamental they become. At least with the old one you could knock seven bells out of it with a hammer to fix it

lynall · Apr 25, 2019

paul 1811 said:
Hi guys, thanks for reply’s. I worded my post wrong, when I said I replaced the lock I should have said the lock and actuator. Both second hand units that I put on worked for a day then started to play up until complete fail. Maybe I have been unlucky and bought 2 second hand units that were on the way out but it would seem strange. I don’t want to go to the expense of buying a new actuator to find something else is causing the problem. If the actuator is working from the master lock buttons on the dash why won’t it work from the tailgate handle? The two wires that go to the actuator obviously operate the little electric motor but the two wires that plug into the lock assembly, are they part of the master lock/unlock system from the dash buttons or are they just to send a warning message to let you know on the dash screen that the tailgate is open or closed the same as the doors or bonnet. I’ve had Land rovers for 30 years plus and the newer they are the more temperamental they become. At least with the old one you could knock seven bells out of it with a hammer to fix it

The actuators get weak with age, I found mine would work once then get weaker with every subsequent press of the button.

You can bench test it with a 12 volt battery which will show if its faulty pdq.

Discovery 3 tailgate

paul 1811

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1988smithy

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lynall

Well-Known Member

paul 1811

Member

lynall

Well-Known Member

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