Discovery Tailgate Lock Problem

Hi... I'm a newbie around here but have owned this vehicle ('95 ES Tdi Auto) for ten years. She's 12 years old and various bits are starting to 'creak' a little. Wondered if anyone might be able to help me.

When I lock or unlock the car with the key, everything locks or unlocks just fine. When I lock the car with the key fob, everything locks fine.

However, when I unlock the car with the key fob, the tailgate lock button raises (not to its full height) but the falls back into the locked position as I use the door handle. I then have to open it using the key.

I can still get into the rear but it's just a pain having to remember to use the key.

Anyone else experienced this and if so, did you manage to fix it?

Many thanks in advance for any ideas.

Hi

How stupid do I feel? Just done a search and found lots of similar posts. Will plough through them and see if I find something there. If not, I'll request ideas again. Sorry guys.

its the actuator, or thew spring, springs are about a fiver on ebay and actuators are about the same from a scrappy. the ones off meastro's and montego's are exactly the same

Thanks for that. Is the actuator also known as the servo? I've tried replacing the servo and that makes no difference.

Land over Discovery door lock repair springs tailgate on eBay, also, Land Rover, Car Parts, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 26-Jan-08 23:36:02 GMT)
As Yella says, these should do the trick. Worked ok on my '95

Many thanks. Springs ordered. Will report back on progress.

Spring arrived, is fitted and everything works fine again. Thanks for the help everyone.

I've been procrastinating over doing this job for a while now. Is it quite straightforward? good instructions etc? Can you come round and do mine too?

ffs it must be difficult, its took him nearly 3 days ter do it

Hardest bit has to be getting the door card off without snapping all the trim clips!

stageonesimmo said:

Hardest bit has to be getting the door card off without snapping all the trim clips!

Click to expand...

buy or make a door card tool..

if you want to make one look in machine mart to see how they look then cut the same shape into some strong thin flat bar(end look's like a v cut with a 4-8mm hole driled in at the top of the v)

the secret to door card pin's is even pressure which you don't tend to get with a flat blade screw driver...

Cheers spudy - I've got one - I was only saying that as not everyone has and yer man was wanting to know about the job..........

I broke all but 3 pins. The card was a bit tatty anyway so thinking of putting an ally checker plate on instead.

revjames said:

I've been procrastinating over doing this job for a while now. Is it quite straightforward? good instructions etc? Can you come round and do mine too?

Click to expand...

I have a Haynes Guide and this, along with the instructions that came with the spring helped me to get there in the end.

What the job did, more than anything else, was reinforce in me the belief that when manufacturers put their products together (at the design stage) they give scant regard to the poor owner who needs to take them apart at some future stage.

Apart from the dreaded plastic pins that snap on removal, the lock unit itself is an awkward shape in a tight spot. It takes a little bit of 'juggling' to get it to an angle where it can be extracted readily. It reminds of the many times I have to move a piece of furniture through a door frame that's too small... you know what I mean... upside down & sideways is the only way to get it through

On the plus side, the nylon plugs that take the linkage rods are brilliant and make removal of that elemnt very easy and straightforward. If only some of the other bits were as well thought out.

It took me about an hour and a half and that included rounding up quite a selection of different sized screw drivers, a 'star' bit for the lock bolts and the socket set for the handle bolts. Given I've never tackled the job before I believe that puts the job into the category of 'untrained amateur'.

The guy who I bought the spring from was also very helpful and I'm sure he'd be able to 'mentor' you if required.

Best of luck...

Thanks
I have ordered the spring from the link you provided and apparently it comes with instructions. Its a pain having to olean over the back seat every time I need to open the back door so It will be good to get it done!

Ok success but what a job! I think I preferred changine the head gasket! The instructions were vague and Mr Haynes not much help. I thought the spring was located in the outside catch assemble but it was in the bit on the latch. Anyway all done now and oily fingers.