P38A Tailgate release button (Simple) repair.

Hi guys, don't know if this has been suggested or posted up before but it's so easy to do, it seemed a shame not to share.
The tailgate release button is notorious for failing usually at the most inopportune times and invariably when the top half is shut.
I tackled my failed button today and the solution was ludicrously simple and free.
The culprit for failure was the internal spring had rusted to almost nothing and filled the button up with rust particles.
The repair I used was simply to fashion another spring out of galvanised garden wire using a broom handle of the appropriate diameter In this case the wire was 1.4mm thick and the broom handle 26mm. The wire is I believe a little thicker than standard and by a bit of trial and error I found I had to reduce the number of coils from 5 to 4 due to the thickness, otherwise the push button wasn't so easy to press in. In this case 4 coils is virtually perfect.
While I was at it, I gave the microswitch a good dose of contact cleaner cleaned the component parts of the switch as best I could and gave all the sliding contact parts a coat of silicon grease.

Martin H said:

Hi guys, don't know if this has been suggested or posted up before but it's so easy to do, it seemed a shame not to share.
The tailgate release button is notorious for failing usually at the most inopportune times and invariably when the top half is shut.
I tackled my failed button today and the solution was ludicrously simple and free.
The culprit for failure was the internal spring had rusted to almost nothing and filled the button up with rust particles.
The repair I used was simply to fashion another spring out of galvanised garden wire using a broom handle of the appropriate diameter In this case the wire was 1.4mm thick and the broom handle 26mm. The wire is I believe a little thicker than standard and by a bit of trial and error I found I had to reduce the number of coils from 5 to 4 due to the thickness, otherwise the push button wasn't so easy to press in. In this case 4 coils is virtually perfect.
While I was at it, I gave the microswitch a good dose of contact cleaner cleaned the component parts of the switch as best I could and gave all the sliding contact parts a coat of silicon grease.

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It has been covered before, I used piano wire which has more spring. The micro switch also fails, I posted a cheap alternative to the OEM part that is water and ice proof unlike the original.

Datatek said:

It has been covered before, I used piano wire which has more spring. The micro switch also fails, I posted a cheap alternative to the OEM part that is water and ice proof unlike the original.

Click to expand...

I plan on fitting that switch once mine fails. I know I should do it before it fails, but I really can't be bothered. I'm also wiring in a bypass switch because why not? Ideally it'll be on the dash, but odds are it won't.

Bix said:

I'm also wiring in a bypass switch because why not? Ideally it'll be on the dash, but odds are it won't.

Click to expand...

Now that's an idea worth stealing!

Grrrrrr said:

Now that's an idea worth stealing!

Click to expand...

I got the idea when I was giving mate a lift to the airport and it was too cold to get out. He couldn't work out how to press a big black button so I had to get out and do it for him.

The proper LR rubber grommet for it is only a few quid and always worth replacing I think if only for cosmetics but probably doesn't harm to keep more water out too.