Range rover p38 tailgate

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Karl Hammond

New Member
Posts
4
Location
Margate Kent uk
Hi. I've recently purchased my P38 and being 16 years old it has a few age problems. My main concern at the moment is my tailgate lock. Well it doesn't. All 4 doors lock on the fob but only with a clunk. No alarm sounds. I can open my tailgate and shut it again and all I get is flashing hazard lights. Have tried key locking it and that only operates the drivers door. Have also sat inside and locked the doors and no warnings are displayed. Is this the actuator? Thanks
 
Hi. I've recently purchased my P38 and being 16 years old it has a few age problems. My main concern at the moment is my tailgate lock. Well it doesn't. All 4 doors lock on the fob but only with a clunk. No alarm sounds. I can open my tailgate and shut it again and all I get is flashing hazard lights. Have tried key locking it and that only operates the drivers door. Have also sat inside and locked the doors and no warnings are displayed. Is this the actuator? Thanks

Check fuse 15 in BECM.
 
If F15 is OK, then it is likely that the CDL switch (Central Door Locking) switch in the drivers door latch is faulty. If it thinks the door is always unlocked, then the tailgate will be openable all the time as the ground path for the tailgate motor is through the CDL switch in the drivers door latch.

The fact that you can lock the drivers door manually and none of the other doors also points towards the door latch being faulty, as if the switch was changing state, the BECM would then lock the other doors.

If you don't get a door open warning or the interior lights don't come on when you open the door, then it points to the latch aswell, as the Door Ajar switch is used to trigger the BECM when the door is opened.
 
If you need/want a set of door latch microswitch tests/expected results then drop me a PM with your email address and I'll send through a PDF I drew up a couple of years ago for testing them.
 
I might be on the wrong track here (not unheard of!) but - have you checked the operation of the tailgate latch? Is there a clunk when you press the button? Does the top open on one press of the button and the tailgate need another? the button on the tailgate I mean.
Checking the tailgate latch/button is an easier first step than driver's door latch I think...
 
The reason I'm going with the drivers door latch is because he says he can open the tailgate all the time, even when the vehicle is locked.

Unless someone has messed about with the tailgate wiring (not unheard of, to bypass a faulty CDL switch in the drivers latch, so you can still open the tailgate) - then the CDL switch in the drivers door latch is the ground path for the tailgate latch. The tailgate is 'locked' when the drivers door is locked and the CDL switch is open circuit. When the drivers door is unlocked, the CDL is closed circuit to ground, which aswell as telling the outstation/BECM the door is unlocked, also provides the ground path for the tailgate unlocking motor.

The only reason the tailgate will unlock all the time is if there is a permanent connection to ground, either through a faulty CDL switch/door latch or someone has wired it so it is permanently grounded - possibly to work around a faulty door latch.
 
I was just thinking that maybe the tailgate (or flap) is never really properly 'shut' ie. latched. It will stay closed even when the latch isn't engaged.
Hence checking that the unlatching clunk is heard when button is pressed...
I'm a great believer in doin the easier stuff first!;)
 
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