Button release tailgate wiring
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 17
Likes: 3
Button release tailgate wiring
Forgive the novel…
Late last night I was up, but in bed and at 1:35am my phone alerted me that my tailgate was opened (I left my truck unlocked from the night before). I went to the window and the area with the truck is really dark as we live in a rural area. So I put on the all zone lighting, and indeed saw the tailgate down. I put it back up via the key fob, and went to investigate it this morning. After trying to duplicate what happened, I thought it was related to the CSP of unintentional tailgate opening and turned off power tailgate as precaution.
A few hours later, something didn’t seem right to me about this so I went to investigate a bit more and noticed I could not open my tailgate via the release button. The key fob was in my pocket, and plus the doors were unlocked. So I then re-enabled the power tailgate, and played with it a bit more… opening via remote, closing with remote, using the dash button, disabling and re-enabling the power tailgate, restarting the APIM… same issue. The manual button would not work.
So while the tailgate was down, I opened the step area so I can take a look at the button connectors, and as I touched the wiring, it made a beeping noise. I touched again, and the same thing. So I shined a light through the hole on the side, and saw a bunch of stranded copper and realized that by touching that area, I made the connection it needed (like the release button) and tried to bring up the tailgate. So now I need to bring it to the dealership for a new wiring harness unless they can “fix” the current one.
Has anyone else had the same issue with broken wiring near the tailgate? I only have 6K on the truck and I bought it in 12/21.
Late last night I was up, but in bed and at 1:35am my phone alerted me that my tailgate was opened (I left my truck unlocked from the night before). I went to the window and the area with the truck is really dark as we live in a rural area. So I put on the all zone lighting, and indeed saw the tailgate down. I put it back up via the key fob, and went to investigate it this morning. After trying to duplicate what happened, I thought it was related to the CSP of unintentional tailgate opening and turned off power tailgate as precaution.
A few hours later, something didn’t seem right to me about this so I went to investigate a bit more and noticed I could not open my tailgate via the release button. The key fob was in my pocket, and plus the doors were unlocked. So I then re-enabled the power tailgate, and played with it a bit more… opening via remote, closing with remote, using the dash button, disabling and re-enabling the power tailgate, restarting the APIM… same issue. The manual button would not work.
So while the tailgate was down, I opened the step area so I can take a look at the button connectors, and as I touched the wiring, it made a beeping noise. I touched again, and the same thing. So I shined a light through the hole on the side, and saw a bunch of stranded copper and realized that by touching that area, I made the connection it needed (like the release button) and tried to bring up the tailgate. So now I need to bring it to the dealership for a new wiring harness unless they can “fix” the current one.
Has anyone else had the same issue with broken wiring near the tailgate? I only have 6K on the truck and I bought it in 12/21.
Last edited by SmoothJ; Jul 5, 2022 at 12:08 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 340
Likes: 144
From: Canada
I drive a 2018 plat. Have had 3 tailgate recalls. First one got a new actuator. 2nd one new wiring harness. Now I have the third one booked in for August. New latches will be installed.
The endgait flopped open numerous times in the first couple of years from new seemingly at random. Many times after the actuator replacement. The wiring harness replacement did seem to correct the problem. So maybe that is your issue from what you said.
As for the new latches recall, I hope they are better than the sticky latches that are on it now. In -20 or -30 C they stick and the tailgate won’t open or worse yet, will not close, Yeah it gets cold up here.
Two good things in all this. Even though I keep a pile of tools handy in the rear of the truck behind the divider, none ever fell out on the highway or city with the tailgate down. And Ford does back up the F150 with recalls when new tech gets glitchy.
I had the cam phasers upgraded as well on recall but never experienced a problem with them.
Funny the old style hand latch on the 1990 F 150 I owned worked perfect!
The endgait flopped open numerous times in the first couple of years from new seemingly at random. Many times after the actuator replacement. The wiring harness replacement did seem to correct the problem. So maybe that is your issue from what you said.
As for the new latches recall, I hope they are better than the sticky latches that are on it now. In -20 or -30 C they stick and the tailgate won’t open or worse yet, will not close, Yeah it gets cold up here.
Two good things in all this. Even though I keep a pile of tools handy in the rear of the truck behind the divider, none ever fell out on the highway or city with the tailgate down. And Ford does back up the F150 with recalls when new tech gets glitchy.
I had the cam phasers upgraded as well on recall but never experienced a problem with them.
Funny the old style hand latch on the 1990 F 150 I owned worked perfect!
Last edited by RP1K9; Jul 5, 2022 at 02:52 AM.
Forgive the novel…
Late last night I was up, but in bed and at 1:35am my phone alerted me that my tailgate was opened (I left my car unlocked from the night before). I went to the window and the area with the car is really dark as we live in a rural area. So I put on the all zone lighting, and indeed saw the tailgate down. I put it back up via the key fob, and went to investigate it this morning. After trying to duplicate what happened, I thought it was related to the CSP of unintentional tailgate opening and turned off power tailgate as precaution.
A few hours later, something didn’t seem right to me about this so I went to investigate a bit more and noticed I could not open my tailgate via the release button. The key fob was in my pocket, and plus the doors were unlocked. So I then re-enabled the power tailgate, and played with it a bit more… opening via remote, closing with remote, using the dash button, disabling and re-enabling the power tailgate, restarting the APIM… same issue. The manual button would not work.
So while the tailgate was down, I opened the step area so I can take a look at the button connectors, and as I touched the wiring, it made a beeping noise. I touched again, and the same thing. So I shined a light through the hole on the side, and saw a bunch of stranded copper and realized that by touching that area, I made the connection it needed (like the release button) and tried to bring up the tailgate. So now I need to bring it to the dealership for a new wiring harness unless they can “fix” the current one.
Has anyone else had the same issue with broken wiring near the tailgate? I only have 6K on the truck and I bought it in 12/21.
Late last night I was up, but in bed and at 1:35am my phone alerted me that my tailgate was opened (I left my car unlocked from the night before). I went to the window and the area with the car is really dark as we live in a rural area. So I put on the all zone lighting, and indeed saw the tailgate down. I put it back up via the key fob, and went to investigate it this morning. After trying to duplicate what happened, I thought it was related to the CSP of unintentional tailgate opening and turned off power tailgate as precaution.
A few hours later, something didn’t seem right to me about this so I went to investigate a bit more and noticed I could not open my tailgate via the release button. The key fob was in my pocket, and plus the doors were unlocked. So I then re-enabled the power tailgate, and played with it a bit more… opening via remote, closing with remote, using the dash button, disabling and re-enabling the power tailgate, restarting the APIM… same issue. The manual button would not work.
So while the tailgate was down, I opened the step area so I can take a look at the button connectors, and as I touched the wiring, it made a beeping noise. I touched again, and the same thing. So I shined a light through the hole on the side, and saw a bunch of stranded copper and realized that by touching that area, I made the connection it needed (like the release button) and tried to bring up the tailgate. So now I need to bring it to the dealership for a new wiring harness unless they can “fix” the current one.
Has anyone else had the same issue with broken wiring near the tailgate? I only have 6K on the truck and I bought it in 12/21.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 17
Likes: 3
I drive a 2018 plat. Have had 3 tailgate recalls. First one got a new actuator. 2nd one new wiring harness. Now I have the third one booked in for August. New latches will be installed.
The endgait flopped open numerous times in the first couple of years from new seemingly at random. Many times after the actuator replacement. The wiring harness replacement did seem to correct the problem. So maybe that is your issue from what you said.
As for the new latches recall, I hope they are better than the sticky latches that are on it now. In -20 or -30 C they stick and the tailgate won’t open or worse yet, will not close, Yeah it gets cold up here.
Two good things in all this. Even though I keep a pile of tools handy in the rear of the truck behind the divider, none ever fell out on the highway or city with the tailgate down. And Ford does back up the F150 with recalls when new tech gets glitchy.
I had the cam phasers upgraded as well on recall but never experienced a problem with them.
Funny the old style hand latch on the 1990 F 150 I owned worked perfect!
The endgait flopped open numerous times in the first couple of years from new seemingly at random. Many times after the actuator replacement. The wiring harness replacement did seem to correct the problem. So maybe that is your issue from what you said.
As for the new latches recall, I hope they are better than the sticky latches that are on it now. In -20 or -30 C they stick and the tailgate won’t open or worse yet, will not close, Yeah it gets cold up here.
Two good things in all this. Even though I keep a pile of tools handy in the rear of the truck behind the divider, none ever fell out on the highway or city with the tailgate down. And Ford does back up the F150 with recalls when new tech gets glitchy.
I had the cam phasers upgraded as well on recall but never experienced a problem with them.
Funny the old style hand latch on the 1990 F 150 I owned worked perfect!
