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Tourer Manual Tailgate Not Opening on Frosty Mornings - Switch?

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RickRandom

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Accord Tourer
On my 2012 Tourer, the manual tailgate would not open via the button above the number plate on recent frosty mornings, and I've had to open it with the manual lever from the inside via the rear seats. (There's no other way to open it, no button on remote, no switch on driver's door.)

The wife isn't happy when she's about to take the dogs out, and the dogs get confused when it won't open!

It opens fine when the weather is not freezing. I think the feel of the switch is different when it won't open, so I'm thinking the switch not the lock, but I might be kidding myself. And I'm thinking moisture being frozen, as the rubber seal is slightly damaged or not seated correctly, and of couse there's plenty of road spray on a tailgate. I've sprayed WD40 and then contact cleaner, but only from the outside, so I suspect I haven't fixed it. The weather isn't freezing at the moment, so I can't tell yet.

Anyone had similar issues? Most tailgate posts here seem to be related to the power version.

I've only seen a couple of second hand switches on ebay, and they looked pretty ropy.
 
Hi, i had this issue once or twice since i have the car for 6 years. Tourer manual tail gate.

During driving i got notification on the dash that the tailgate is open, and it would come and go 5-6 times in one minute. This happened on the short drive when outside temperature was -5 or -6 degrees C. Next couple of days it worked fine, and then one day it wouldn't open, i tried to lock, unlock but that evening it just wouldn't open.
Tommorow it opened just fine and no problem again after that.

I suspect it could be poor contact on microswitch and when it gets colder it gets energized like it's pushed.
 
It hasnt been very cold here, probably the reason the problem hasn't recurred yet, but at the weekend I dismantled the tailgate trim (surprisingly easy, no broken clips), got the switch out (tight), cleaned the connector contacts (one was a bit corroded), did not dismantle the switch (seems to be sealed), sprayed contact cleaner into a small hole in the switch body and onto both connector halves, and reassembled with the rubber cover better seated.

Time (and frost) will tell.....
 
We've had one recent very frosty morning, and the tailgate opened fine.
 
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