Tailgate malfunction
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New User
Joined: Aug 2018
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Tailgate malfunction
2018 F350 diesel SRW crew cab 6’7” bed.
Has anyone else experienced the tail gate opening when the vehicle is stationary or moving? This has become a problem for the last few weeks. I close the tailgate with moderate force and shake it. It’s closed until it’s not.
Has anyone else experienced the tail gate opening when the vehicle is stationary or moving? This has become a problem for the last few weeks. I close the tailgate with moderate force and shake it. It’s closed until it’s not.
More Turbo
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 564
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Had it happen once to me. Unfortunately I had my 5er in tow and punched a small hole in the belly door, but thankfully the Demco Autosalide moves it out when I turn or I would have ended up with half the tailgate in the belly door. Now it sports a sticker covering up the hole. To be fair though, the FOB was in my pocket and quite possible that I inadvertently released it after checking in at the office when I was putting my son in his car seat, or when I was getting in. Definitely a bad FOB design at a minimum.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 128
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Find the 2 connectors for the tailgate behind the spare tire, in front of the rear bumper. Most likely you have moisture in the connections. Use an air gun, blow them dry, then stuff each connector full of dilectric grease. Connect, disconnect, fill, repeat. My tailgate would drop in the middle of night, key fobs sitting in a drawer. This coincided with driving in the rain, sometimes not until a couple days after. The connectors would hold water that long.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,529
Likes: 390
From: SEVA
To open the tailgate with the key fob remote control, the default already is to double-click the tailgate button.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 939
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Ok thanks for the heads up, when the new truck gets here I'll know how that works.
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Junior User
Joined: Aug 2018
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Can someone please post a pic of the connectors mentioned above that may have water in them causing the malfunction? My tailgate will not open and wondering if this may be the cause as we just had a ton of rain here in South Texas. Worked fine prior to the rain event. Gracias!
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 166
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It is a real stupid design IMO, all of the cameras and sensors on the truck you would think Ford could have put a safety in place to not allow it to go down if there is something behind you, or simply putting a speed control on it.
I am not a fan of this tailgate and am waiting till it malfunctions
I am not a fan of this tailgate and am waiting till it malfunctions
Logistics Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,529
Likes: 390
From: SEVA
There are a few pix in this forum, but I don't have one handy. Basically, crawl under the rear of your truck and look up at the inboard side of the passenger-side frame rail, to the right right of and slightly aft of your spare tire. You'll see two electrical connectors up there and the large gray one is the suspect connector. May as well treat them both while you're at it.
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 89
Likes: 1
There are a few pix in this forum, but I don't have one handy. Basically, crawl under the rear of your truck and look up at the inboard side of the passenger-side frame rail, to the right right of and slightly aft of your spare tire. You'll see two electrical connectors up there and the large gray one is the suspect connector. May as well treat them both while you're at it.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,352
Likes: 4
It is a real stupid design IMO, all of the cameras and sensors on the truck you would think Ford could have put a safety in place to not allow it to go down if there is something behind you, or simply putting a speed control on it.
I am not a fan of this tailgate and am waiting till it malfunctions
I am not a fan of this tailgate and am waiting till it malfunctions
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
It is a STUPID and useless feature!!!!
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,352
Likes: 4
Yes it would, if the truck is not in Park, the electronic motor would be disabled. So it does not matter if you hit it on the fob, the button on the dash or an electrical issue, there would be no power to the motor until it is in park. That would solve everything.