Technical Car/Motor Issues > Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Runfer D'Hills Replies: 22
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 09:08 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - Runfer D'Hills
My Mondeo estate has started to do a strange thing. It releases the tailgate whenever you start the engine. So, once the engine is running you have to get out and shut the tailgate. Then it stays shut for that journey. There is a way around this which is to lock the doors from the inside before turning the key and this prevents the tailgate from opening so it's no big deal yet anyway.

I suspect a bewitched microswitch in the tailgate locking mechanism. Any other theories ?
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 10:20 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - VxFan
Have you tried disconnecting and reconnecting the battery (make sure you've got the stereo code first) to see if it might reset the electrics?
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 10:23 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - Runfer D'Hills
Good thought Dave. I'll try that this weekend. Something at the back of my mind tells me that it's good practice to leave it disconnected for a few minutes or more to ensure all the current has ebbed away ?
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Fri 19 Nov 10 at 10:24
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 10:29 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - VxFan
>> Something at the back of my mind tells me that it's good practice to leave it disconnected for a few minutes or more to ensure all the current has ebbed away ?

Someone once told me when I had my Mk3 Cavalier to touch the +ve & -ve leads together to discharge any residual current left in the system. Make sure both leads are off the battery terminals though before you do it.
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 10:32 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - Runfer D'Hills
OK thanks, I'll let you know if it results in a new hairstyle !

:-)
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 10:46 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - bathtub tom
>>Make sure both leads are off the battery terminals though before you do it.

Why? I would've thought that as long as one is disconnected, it's isolated.
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 12:31 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - VxFan
>> Why?

No idea. Just repeating what was told to me. Maybe it's because one lead isn't long enough to reach the other if it's still connected to the battery post but taking both off means they're long enough for them to meet in the middle. It was a long time ago and I can't remember if one of the leads was long enough or not.
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 12:51 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - Runfer D'Hills
Well, it has to be worth a try. I'll disconnect the battery and get my wife to put her wellies on before instructing her to touch the two leads together. Just in case you understand ! If it doesn't do any harm, she'll be none the wiser, if it does, I can blame her and swear I didn't ask her to do that and if it gives her a shock, well, her wellies should provide enough protection. Can't see a downside really.

:-)
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 15:49 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - Phil I
>her wellies should provide enough protection

As a further precaution Mrs.D'Bout should wear your Marigolds.

HtH
Phil I
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 15:52 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - Runfer D'Hills
:-)
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 18:24 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - carmalade
Disconnecting the battery will not fix this .hth
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 19:04 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - madf
>> Disconnecting the battery will not fix this .hth
>>

so what will?
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 20:36 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - Runfer D'Hills
Thanks carmalade. I'm sort of sure I need a new microswitch. Did you have a theory other than that ? For a bit more flesh on the thing it only seems to happen when it's cold weather. Not sure if that's a clue ?
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 20:49 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - corax
Something in the latch mechanism not going through it's full movement and confusing the microswitch maybe? My rear offside doorlock wouldn't open when pressing the remote in cold weather, seems to have sorted itself out now. Maybe you need to get some lubrication in there.
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 20:53 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - Runfer D'Hills
Done the WD40 thing. Cured it for a day or two but the problem has returned.
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 21:00 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - carmalade
On my tailgate the plunger on the microswitch had got stuck in which I guess is acceptable service after 150k miles and 9 years of continual use.If I recall ,the part is fairly cheap at around £20 and comes with new rubber pressure pad.hth
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 21:04 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - Runfer D'Hills
Thanks carmalade. Similar timescale oddly enough. 2002 car with nigh on 200k. Can't really blame it.
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New Fri 19 Nov 10 23:45 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - bathtub tom
>>Done the WD40 thing. Cured it for a day or two but the problem has returned.

Doesn't that indicate where the problem is?
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New Sun 21 Nov 10 00:39 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - rtj70
My Mondeo hatchback (2003) one morning refused to close the boot properly. I went that morning to the local Ford dealer and they decided it needed a new lock mechanism. Because it would not lock at all (or latch) they kept it inside until fixing it on the Monday morning.

Maybe some WD40 would have sorted it but as soon as it went wrong I took it to them.

I have no idea what the cost of repair was or whether a cheaper repair was possible. It seemed to be a known fault.

I wonder if the cause is similar? Mine being a hatchback and yours an estate.
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New Sun 21 Nov 10 19:13 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - Runfer D'Hills
I imagine the microswitch is the same or very similar. Didn't get around to doing anything about it this weekend. Ah well, there's always next week...
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New Thu 25 Nov 10 15:01 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - Fenlander
My 2001 Ghia Estate had a similar issue. Sometimes when you shut the tailgate it latched only to unlatch a split second later... almost as if the shock/vibration of being closed triggered the microswitch to open it again. It could take 3 or 4 tries before it would catch for good.
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New Thu 25 Nov 10 20:55 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - ed86
sounds good
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New Fri 26 Nov 10 12:47 
 Ford Mondeo III - 02 2.0d Tailgate Gremlin - Runfer D'Hills
Seems alright now. I did give it a stern talking to though...mentioned scrapyards etc..

:-)
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