My tailgate won't open

We have gone from rainy weather to cold weather well below freezing. My key turns in the lock and the latch handle lifts but the tailgate does not open. I'm thinking the latch mechanism is frozen.

The tailgate itself is not frozen because it moves slightly when I push on it.

When I turn the key to unlock it turns past 45* but not 90* (flat). I think this is normal, but can anyone confirm?

I have a BakFlip tonneau cover, so I now have no access to the truck bed.

TIA for any help.

 

WD40 the lock? EDITED: It will go 45°, I’ll check in a little bit. If they salt the roads up there, you probably have a lot of salt grime in it…

 

Use a hair dryer on the sides of the tailgate where it latches to the bed.
Water can get inside the latches and when it freezes the latches can no longer operate.

So after you get it open, blow out the water from the latches on the tailgate with compressed air then spray some wd40 on them.

Edit: the lock on the handle only turns 45 degrees so that is normal

 

Push and pull it's froze to tonneau cover. Pour warm water on it, if other doesn't work.

 

Correct...it only points to about 10:00 when turned. Mine makes a "click" on each turn of the key.

 

Me thinks he right
Every truck I have had (personal and company) has had the cover flap freeze to the tailgate, sometimes so much ice, I had to park it in our warehouse to defrost.

 

only goes 45° CW from flat to unlock.

 

Are you kidding? Cold state issues…

I guess licking your steel plate bumpers is out also?

 

Where on the sides of the tailgate are the latches located? Up high above the level of the top of the taillight or ???

 

About 8" down from the top of the bed.

 

It was the tonneau cover frozen to the tailgate that was the problem. I used a hair dryer and while it is slower than a heat gun, a hair dryer won't melt plastic.

I have dried both surfaces and applied Areospace Protectant 303.

 

yeah, no licky licky!

but we do have our own water

 

I had that happen 3 or 4 weeks ago.... in Southeast Louisiana..

 

I had been parked in the shade. Backing up into the sun for about 20 minutes solved it for me.

 

My 2017 Tacoma is parked in a garage or other dry location all the time. When the temperature is low: 20 something or 30 something Fahrenheit, the tailgate will not unlock. It has nothing to do with frost or ice... It is temperature. I am wondering whether some plastic component experiences changes in mechanical properties, or maybe there is thermal contraction... but I don't know how the mechanism works, so I'm not sure. Can someone point me to the best post on how the mechanism works?
Thanks,
Pat_Ohio

 

this thread is nearly 2 years old so you may not get help but use google with keywords
tailgate won't open and tacoma world

google works better than the search on this site

welcome