Power Tailgate Lock

my problem is that it lock smoothly but does not unlock! i tried rotating it a bit by loosening the nut but was unsuccessful! it is the bad design where it grabs the lock mechanism very close to the base it does not have enough leverage. i thik to fix i need to attach 2 L brackets somehow to extend the contact point.

 

I wonder if the solenoid gets weak and loses power pushing or pulling? But that's assuming it's mounted solidly.

 

Do we need to disconnect the 12v battery before connecting the wires?

 

Not really, I did it without disconnecting the battery. I just added clip on wire connectors. No real chance of electrocuting yourself.

 

I used the method from this post,
Power Tailgate Lock
Building the plug and play harness was easy, got the housings from the parts dept at my local dealer and got the wires and pins from an old harness from the junkyard. I was able to solder all the connections and just clip things into place. I'm 6 months in using the thing almost every day and the kit's holding up well.

 

So I understand if you wire to passenger side it will only unlock if you press the key fob twice. But if you press key fob once the pop a lock never engages and stays locked. So when your ready to lock the truck after driving will the pop a lock engage and try to lock when you arm the truck? Or does it know to stay doormat since it was never unlocked? Thanks

 

All doors, and the tailgate if equipped, will always lock with one press. It doesn't remember the last state of the lock.

 

Just did it today. I wired it to the passenger door, it's super easy. I would probably get a few more zip ties and just so that i can secure the cable really good. The sound coming from the pop n lock is not bad, it doesn't bother me.

 

Installed my pop n lock today. Took 2.5 hours. But I suck at fixing stuff and it always takes me 2 - 3 times longer than most people. The supplied connectors are junk as stated in previous posts. Stripped the wires for a better connection. Works great.

 

Yep, the connectors are junk and the instructions are putrid. I can't believe they include instructions from 2007 Tundra. The wires are completely different colors.

 

So I was looking at the directions and they call for 16 gauge wire. I have the extra wire that i clipped from my tacoma OEM bed lights that I would like to use to wire this up but am unsure if there will be too much amperage for that wire. I believe it is 20 gauge.

 

Sub

 

Really glad I found this, was able to do mine in under $30...

took an hour... 45mins trying to measure and bend the metal rod!

 

Mine developed the opposite problem - the lock tab doesn't always push the factory lock far enough to lock. My solution (maybe temporary) was to slip a short piece of rubber tubing over the tab so it contacts the factory lock sooner and pushes it farther.

 

thanks to you that pointed to the black plug on the passenger side. Had the kit installed in about an hour, up to that point. It took reading most of the posts to sort out the different wiring options.

I did grease the contct areas on the tail gate latch lever. Looked like the edges of the mating surfaces were pretty sharp, and might not slide smoothly against each other.

 

Are the cheaper actuators sold on Amazon and such quieter?

The pop-a-lock I just installed today sounds like a bolt action. Anything anyone has done to quiet it down?

 

I'm working on a 2018 Tacoma, access cab that I would like to install a pop n lock on the tailgate. I've already installed a shell with a power lock that is tapped into the drivers side panel and works well with the keyless entry on the handle. I would like the extra security of locking both the shell and the tailgate, with the convenience of the keyless entry. I would run separate wires for the pop n lock and not use the wire run for the shell lock, but I would still tap into the same location on the 10 pin connector on the drivers side kick panel. An earlier post mentioned a problem with overloading the 5 amp capacity of the OEM fuse, but I'm not sure if he used the same wire run as the shell lock or not. I would like to have the same convenience of using the keyless entry and/or the key fob for both functions. On the access cab, I don't think you can tap in on the passenger side because it wont' sync with the keyless function. Does anyone have any experience with tapping both the shell lock and the tailgate lock into the same location and/or problems with doing this? Thanks.

 

I used a 7mm 10x40" Sound Deadening mat.
Had to remove the tailgate handle, left and right links. Than i cut sound deadening mat into peaces to make it fit around the handle and metal supporting legs.
I also add lubricating grease to shell lock lever where it connected with the plastic part.
Now it sounds pretty much as doors actuators.
Let me know if you need a picture. I can make it for you.

 

I would love some pics - i'd be willing to open mine up again and put in sound deadening material if it was worth the time and effort.

 

Ok, will post tomorrow.