Body - Upper Tailgate Difficult to Close
No: LA-501-003Issue: 1
Date: 18 Mar 2005
SECTION: LA 501
TAILGATE OPERATION DIFFICULTIES
AFFECTED VEHICLE RANGE:
Land Rover LR3 (LA)
VIN: 5A000383 - 5A300241
CONDITION SUMMARY:
UPPER TAILGATE DIFFICULT TO CLOSE
Incorrect tailgate alignment or fitment can result in high resistance between the plastic wear plates, the tailgate waist seal or between the actual tailgate and the body opening. Upon customer complaint of this condition, perform the adjustment steps in this bulletin.
PARTS:
TOOLS:
Locally Sourced
Plastic vernier scale (metric measure is best) Available from www.rDelectronics.com
WARRANTY:
DDW requires the use of causal part numbers. Labor only claims must show the causal part number with a quantity of zero.
Normal warranty policy and procedures apply.
Material allowance is included in labor operation.
REPAIR PROCEDURE
INSPECT, EVALUATE AND ADJUST UPPER TAILGATE CLOSING EFFORT
NOTE:
Retailer technicians must use experience and judgment to assess the shut quality. Evaluations should be done with all windows, sunroof and doors closed.
1. Visually inspect the plastic wear-plates on the upper tailgate striker, rubber-buffer. (Figure 1)
2. Verify the wear-plates have a cambered surface (Figure 2) rather than a large flat plain surface.
NOTE:
The correct wear plates have been installed on production vehicles from VIN 5A000383.
3. If the surface is flat (early production specification) replace with new part (DIC501360).
NOTE:
The correct waist seal has been installed on production vehicles from VIN 5A300241.
4. Inspect the upper tailgate waist seal for 2mm vent holes every 150 mm on the underside edge.
5. If vent hoses are not present, replace the waist seal with the new part. (CKE000033)
NOTE:
Seal compression during the few days after new seal installation will reduce tailgate closure load by up to 20%.
NOTE:
Correct evaluation of the tailgate striker is made from underneath the upper tailgate with the lower tailgate open. The striker pin should enter the latch centrally and straight.
6. Inspect the interaction position and angle of the upper tailgate striker into the latch.
7. Adjust the striker if necessary.
EVALUATION AND ADJUST TAILGATE BODY GAPS
CAUTION:
Care must be taken when using measuring equipment to avoid paint damage. A plastic vernier scale is well suited for this purpose.
NOTE:
The gaps referred to in the text as "A", "B" and "C" are in the following locations:
^ Gap "A" is vertically in line with the hinge joint of the upper and lower tailgate. (Figure 3)
^ Gap "B" is in line with the end of the wiper arm. (Figure 3)
^ Gap "C" is the cosmetic gap on the angle of the tailgate below the wiper arm. (Figure 4)
1. Measure gaps "A", "B" & "C", using a plastic digital vernier as follows:
^ Insert the jaws of the vernier to the end of the cambered edge of the lower tailgate inner panel.
^ Extend the jaws to contact the lower edge of the upper tailgate. (Inset Figure 3)
Measure gap "C" with the vernier perpendicular to the angled gap under the rear wiper.
NOTE:
Gap "C" needs to be maintained at or above 6 mm (0.236 inch). Gap "C" maximum design limit is 9 mm (0.354 inch). However, The "C" dimension should be within 1 mm plus or minus of the gap at measurement locations "A" and "A" to keep the overall gap between the upper and lower tailgate the same.
2. If the gap is less than 6 mm at "C," increase it to the correct measurement as follows:
^ Adjust the lower tailgate to the left in the horizontal plane by 1 mm.
^ Verify that the gap to the left-hand tail-lamp is greater than 3 mm.
NOTE:
The left-hand tail-lamp can sometimes be set too far inboard. Additional clearance can be obtained by adjusting the lamp position.
^ If additional space is required, the lamp securing fasteners can be slackened, the lamp held to the left (outboard) and re-tightened to increase the gap to the lower tailgate.
^ Adjust the lower tailgate downwards in the vertical plane by 1 mm.
CAUTION:
Adjusting the upper tailgate should only be attempted if absolutely necessary due to the difficulty of achieving good alignment.
^ Adjust the upper tailgate upwards in the vertical plane by 1 mm.
NOTE:
A difference in measurements between the gap of the upper tailgate/tail-lamp and the gap of the lower tailgate/tail-lamp, can indicate that the lower tailgate is incorrectly set in the horizontal plane.
3. Adjust the lower tailgate to re-align. (Figure 5)
NOTE:
The lower tailgate could be set too far forward on its strikers, requiring the upper tailgate to travel further inboard than necessary in order to latch.
4. Check for alignment of the lower tailgate with the tail lamps in the fore-aft direction on both sides.
5. Check for correct alignment between upper and lower tailgate as follows: (Figure 6)
^ Using a suitable implement, measure the gap between the upper and lower tailgate across the area of the latch.
^ Verify that the protrusion of the upper tailgate over the lower tailgate when closed is +1 mm, with a tolerance or +/1 mm.
CAUTION:
Adjusting the upper tailgate should only be attempted if absolutely necessary due to the difficulty of achieving good alignment.
6. If the above actions have not improved the upper tailgate closure, increase the gaps at locations "A" and "B" between the upper and lower tailgates in the vertical plane as follows:
^ Lift the upper tailgate.
^ Lower the lower tailgate.
^ Verify the Gap at "C" does not exceed the 9 mm limit.
^ Maintain equal gaps between the upper tailgate and the E-pillars. (Figure 7).
Disclaimer