My powered tailgate stopped working

honestly not 100% sure, I never tried to reattach mine. You may have to leave the harness plugged in and then turn on the PTG in the menu and hit the button as if you were opening the tailgate to get the shock to extend? Only way I can think to maybe do it.

 

I have tried everything I don’t understand. One I don’t understand why I get a message that PTG has malfunctioned and needs to close to reactivate when PTG is turned off and not h plugged from the harness. How does it even know that just a clip is not secure? I can close it so easy with no resistance but can’t use my fob or the button inside to open it but I can the button under tailgate handle. I can’t get the shock to move at all. Also even when it goes to open you can hear the motor not the strut that I am taking about. Why would the motor even be trying to work ?? I’m so lost compared to you and the other guy who did this.

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/jj8Oi2XkaV4?si=UzJMkMHP7_oUHlbr

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/jj8Oi2XkaV4?si=jNuNeHQbuYkpHqu1

 

It looks like it is so close to being able to reattach it. Possible you can pick up the tailgate just a hair to make up the difference that you can’t pull the shock out? So that it moves the ball closer to the socket?

 

If you pickup on tailgate to say close it that ball on the left lowers further. It goes down like 3” when you close the tailgate.

 

Interesting. I’m not sure then. I would think you could pull the shock shaft out some more, but if you can’t and you have tried turning the PTG back on and activating the shock that way and it still doesn’t work, then no clue. I do know when I disconnected mine I tried taking the shock out completely and turning the truck on and it threw a code for PTG malfunction but it was because I had unplugged the shock. I went to Toyota and they cleared it for me, my buddy is a tech there. But I have not tried to reattach the shock yet. I don’t plan on it unless I sell the truck.

 

I have had some intermittent issues with my power tailgate not going up ('25 Plat CMax TRD OR 5.5). I saw this thread and your post. I then opened and closed my tailgate several times with no weight vs weight/push-down on open tailgate. I have arrived at the same conclusion. The tail light button/FOB work to close tailgate if no weight was put on tailgate. If I put weight on tailgate and try tail light button/FOB, I get the two beeps and I have to forcefully (no assist) close the tailgate. If I put weight on tailgate and first "old school" lift tailgate with pulling up/knee bump, then the tailgate closes with the motor assist.

I looked in the owner's manual to see if there is a statement about needing to the the "old school" close if weight was put on tailgate. The manual only says something like the tailgate may malfunction if lots of weight is put on tailgate as it is being lowered.

 

The same thing happens to me, put any pressure on the tailgate if it isn't fully down it won't go back up with the button. If I can I hit the button and walk away to get what I need and then hope it is down when I need to put stuff in the truck it sometimes will go back up with the button. I think I'm going to hit the button to lower it and then just lift it when I am done so I don't have to slowly raise it until it grabs. Definitely not worth having......

 

Testing out the other guys power tailgate today. Drove a few hours with these guys on the back of the truck.

These are some retired whiskey barrels, I have a bunch of half barrels in the truck bed too!