powered tailgate problems

[a wood]

my 56 reg vectra estate has a powered tailgate, i have recently begun to experence a problem that when i press the key fob to close the tailgate it closes about 2/3 of the way down then the motor stops and re opens the tailgate , i found the only way to get it closed is to allow it to close as far as it will then push it down until the motor then cuts in and closes the last 30 mm or so and locks it closed. on the odd occasation it will close on its own.can anyone shed any light on this problem.

[barney490]

This is a common problem with estates and as yet there is no definatefive fix. Mine does the same, sometimes it does the half close thing, then reopens after about 15 seconds, try again with the fob or button on the door and it stops 2/3 down. Only thing to do is push carefully to close. Next day it might be fine for ages, then it happens again. It has been suggested that its either teeth stripping off the motor gears or the potentiometer on the motor. I am tempted to remove the power motor completly on mine and operate it manually, as i understand the motor has no connection to the central locking.

[bafoo]

This is a strange one isn't it??

I have had the same problems. When I bought the car ( Jan this year), it was working fine.

A few months later I experienced the same kind of fault you described and it was intermittent for at least a few months, however, in the last 2-3 months, it has closed first time, every time........weird eh?

I have not done anything to it to try and rectify the fault, it just seems to have cured itself..........just a pity my inlet manifold didn't cure itself!!!

One thing I did think may have caused the problem was the introduction of an aftermarket boot liner, maybe interfering with a sensor but it was playing up with or without the boot liner.

Just hope yours fixes itself!!

[klesniks]

Mine's just started doing this over the last few months as well

[peterb11]

Had this when bought car 2nd hand, so had fixed under warranty. Potentiometer p/n V0093190877 £43+vat, with 0.7hr = £50+vat labour (dealer price). So far has fixed it - touch wood till next time...? Power tailgate seems a particularly silly feature - unnecessary and likely to fail. I'm expecting at some time to be finding out how to remove it and revert to manual.

Pete

[barney490]

how long ago was the potentiometer fitted peter?

[Das]

I'm expecting at some time to be finding out how to remove it and revert to manual.

Pete

Now way, IMO this has to be one of the coolest things ever, its very rare to see this feature in the car park of a supermarket, only seen it once and that was on a Lexus 4x4.

[peterb11]

Barney490, not long ;-) about 3months, 3k miles.

DasArab, it depends on your choice. My choice is for things that work, don't need to look cool... There's a lot in this Vectra that is "form over function", ie poor working design.

Peter

[kenp]

Im about to retrofit power tailgate as i just want it

[Ian-Highlander]

Got it one mine and love it. I added it as an option specifically because I used the car to run a mobile disco. Sometimes we had to do discos in very dodgy areas, you didn't want to leave the car open while you ran in and out loading stuff in, so walk out of the venue carrying a 15" speaker cab, keys in one hand under the speaker, you can pop the boot while you're walking over to it, speaker in, press the button on the boot and it closes behind you as you walk back in to get the next bit... fantastic.

Mine suffered from the occasional bad close from brand new and still does occasionally, but the majority of the time it works perfectly and is well worth the occasional irritation to me.

And yeah, it does have a sort of "cool" factor to it when you're in Tesco car park shopping and the boot's open and waiting for you before you get to the car with your shopping lol, especially if it's raining.