Hey guys,
Since I bought the truck I have had a problem with the tailgate locking by itself. It is usually closed, but when I go jet-skiing or wash the truck it is opened and closed frequently for towels, food, life-vests & so on. Inevitably, after being cycled 3-4 times or so, the door will lock! I have to go get the key and unlock it. Not necessarily a huge problem but annoying none the less. Embarrassing too, happened when I took this girl out on my sea-doo, opened the door to get towels and then closed it, remembering she needed a life vest and then couldn't get it back open! Any ideas? Thanx.

 

Someone must be playing a trick with you. The lock on the tailgate is not connected to the locks in the doors in most cases. I have an electric tailgate lock so mine locks with the doors, but yours shouldn't.

 

How do you get an electric lock? Is there parts from another f150 that I can get to do this? thanks

 

no no, not the driver/passenger doors, the tailgate locks by itself after a few cycles of opening and closing. It's almost to the point of predictability now. Im afraid one of these days I'm going to set my keys in the bed to get something out, close the tailgate and it will lock itself leaving me waiting for someone to bring me my other set of keys.

 

Some time back I remember a post dealing with your problem but don't remember the outcome. You may want to try a search and see what comes up . . . plug in "tailgate lock" and you'll soon see the post you need . . .

Bob



SpankDog,

Most of the parts places have the kit for the tailgate that wires into your doors locks . . .

Bob

 

frgetit,


I noticed the same problem with my O2L, though not occuring as often. Last week I had the panel removed to have the chipped rhino lining repaired. I was driving it over the weekend without the panel and the tailgate locked itself. Since I had the panel off, I looked at the mechanism.

The way it's designed is the locking lever moves down when the tailgate is in the vertical position and is held in place by friction. My guess is that either road vibration or just closing the tailgate overcomes the friction and the lever moves down locking the tailgate.

Haven't decided how to fix it, maybe just bending the linkage will help. Yours is probably looser than most. Maybe this is a self locking "feature" we don't know about. Sal

 

SpankDog,

Try this site . . .

http://www.dynolock.net/Dyno-Elelock.htm

. . . of course, I now have another mod for the list . . .

Bob

 

Swampview....tried the search. Helped out alot. I guess Ill try wd-40 like they said. Ill do anything to avoid a trip to the dealership. ANYTHING!!!!!

 

Just FYI. I just went and WD-40'd the mechanism on either side of the tailgate, and then did a 40-count of open/close cycles. Did not lock by itself either time. Thanx all.

 

Just so you'll know. When you take it to the dealer they usher you into the waiting room, take your truck into the service bay, put a curtain around it then,
spray the mechanism with WD-40.

 

LOL! Raoul....needless to say...I'm not shocked. Then they probably would charge ford 80bucks for labor. I love America, but sometimes I just want to beat some of it's citizens senseless.

 

my dads 97 f150 tailgate locks itself all the time.. havent ever thought about fixing it..

 

My 01 Supercrew use to lock itself on a regular basis.

When the whole mechanism got very difficult to open I got out my trusty Oil squirter and hosed it down with 30 weight. Hasn't done it since.

Don't know if I fixed the problem but it hasn't happened since