I use my liftgate almost daily for hauling this and that. For the last month or so, I've heard a noise like a loose bolt rattling in the back and couldn't figure out what it was. My liftgate has also been hesitating when opening like the struts needed to be checked or the rubber seal needed to be lubed. Well, you're gonna love this.

I went to Home Depot to pickup some more stuff. When I got home and raised the liftgate, the cover for the opening where the lever goes to the motor was off and the side didn't look right. As I looked, I discovered the motor's top bracket bolt had came out and the lower one was loosening so the whole motor bracket was shifting trying to come out of the plastic covering. So, I got a hammer and carefully pounded it back into place for now, opened the glass and carefully closed the door manually. I'm going to pickup replacement bolts and Permatech them in to keep this from happening again.

So, I started thinking "I know I'll hit that button again before remembering" so I pressed the Cancel button on the side before closing the glass. After testing, I discovered the Cancel button totally disables the Motor. The latch still works, unless using the key fob, so the door will unlatch but the motor will not run so it's all manual. So, if your liftgate motor ever stops working, check to make sure that the Cancel button isn't pressed down.

Good info Pops!

So, I started thinking "I know I'll hit that button again before remembering" so I pressed the Cancel button on the side before closing the glass. After testing, I discovered the Cancel button totally disables the Motor. The latch still works, unless using the key fob, so the door will unlatch but the motor will not run so it's all manual. So, if your liftgate motor ever stops working, check to make sure that the Cancel button isn't pressed down.

I need to double check this, but I think that when the Cancel button is pressed down, the button on the dash still works (makes the power liftgate operate). Reason I know this is I figured that when I had the bike-rack on, I didn't want the liftgate to work, so I decided to check this. Was surprised to find out that the dash button still worked; the back handle didn't, neither did the remote. Didn't make sense to me.:confused: ....

Keith

That could be Keith, I don't use the button on the dash so I didn't test it because closing that thing was a real bear since it's 1/2 apart right now. I have plastic shavings everywhere so that thing was doing some damage. IMO, everyone should consider thread locking those bracket bolts just like the latch because it really tears some stuff up when they do come out.

I read a post somewhere hear about a liftgate problem and not even a week later ours went out. My wife was at the grocery store with our 8 month old daughter, loaded the groceries and could not close the liftgate. It was a big mess. She was out in the parking lot for 2 hours waiting for someone to get there and try to get it to close. I couldnt due to I work in the oilfield and I was on a job 4 hours away. They had to disconnect the bar connected to the motor so they could close it and my wife had to take it to the dealer the next day. They found a BOLT inside the motor. I'm assuming the same problem you had Pops. So I wonder whats going on with these bolts and is it gonna happen again, and why can't you open the liftgate without using the motor? I think when I get home next time I'm gonna take apart that back panel and take a look at it. Do you all have any suggestions from keeping this from happening again?

Yep, I'm going to use the Blue Permatech Thread Locker on mine to lock them in. I picked it up from Autozone and used it on my PRG Lift install and on the liftgate latch by removing one bolt, put it back in, then the second bolt because llajumpvid had posted that those bolts had came undone and everything fell down into the frame. It couldn't be retrieved so he had to buy a whole new latch and figure out how to get the underside parts in there and said it was tough so locking those threads sounded like a smart thing to do.

Welcome to CA Famous227!

It is a rare situation even though you find a few posts on it here. We have alomst 6000 members and there have been less that a handfull of the liftgate motor bolts talked about. Since the Mrs. has taken it to the dealer, hopefully it has been fixed. You have to take it for what it is worth, but I think Pops original post noting using the Cancel button and going manual may help in the interim until after you have to dig into it IF it happens again!

I haven't opened mine again yet because if it's fully extended, that motor will pop out again and it'll be a bear and require using a hammer to push back in to close. I'm just using the tilt glass until my replacement bolts come in.

My lift gate was not working right before I could drive my Armada LE off the lot...I returned the next day. It took four days and three motors and a factory rep. to figure out that it was a bad sensor in the seal around the rear hatch.

the cover for the opening where the lever goes to the motor was off

Pops,

How does this cover snap off, ie where are the "pins" located. I want to go some prophylactic probing to head off the problem. Also could we do this manually or do we need to purchase some of those "trim tools" in order to get the cover off?

thx

Michael

Mine just popped off on it's own and I removed the door weatherstrip and started pulling the plastic away. I still need to pickup the bolts and fix mine so I'll look at it further then.

I finally had time to pickup the new bolts and dig in last night and the bolts aren't my problem at all. There's a Rivet (part# 97096P in the pic) that's threaded like a nut for the bolt to go into. This stupid rivet is made of aluminum and the threads are totally stripped out. Since I don't have any tool to press a new rivet in, I scheduled it in to be replaced under extended warranty next week. I don't like the fact that the dealer won't tell me if it's covered under warranty until after the repair, I might start looking for another Service Dept because of that. The bolts for the motor can be accessed through the Jack area and are kinda tough to get to. The one at the top of the bracket that attaches to the Rivet is a total PITA to get to. This is no task for the timid, that's for sure.


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Ouch sorry to hear that POPS...