W124 Tailgate closer erratic behaviour

[mudslide]

The tailgate soft-close mechanism on my 1995 W124 estate has started behaving strangely. The mechanism sometimes starts the closing cycle for no reason when the tailgate is already shut. Sometimes it does it just once, sometimes it carries on for a few minutes or until I pull fuse C. The car doesn't need to be moving and it makes no difference if the doors are locked or not.

I have had my local independent look at it and he has checked all the wiring he can see, including by the tailgate hinges and nothing appears amiss. Of course, the fault never occurs when the car is with him! Next step is to replace the lock with a s/h part and see if that helps. Before we do that does anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks
Tom

 

[television]

I have sent you 2 papers on the lock.

The fauls is that the micro switches get dirty contacts

The can be cleaned with a non drying switch cleaner, squirted in the the button actuating side and through the same hole as the actuator

 

[mudslide]

Thanks

Thanks for the quick response and the papers. I will give this a go.

Tom

 

[midnightmushroom]

Papers.

My W124 has developed a problem with it's soft close mechanism also, I was wondering if it would it be possible to ask if I could have a look at the papers Television? If so that would be much appriciated as I would prefer to try the DIY part before the shelling out part. Cheers.

 

[television]

My W124 has developed a problem with it's soft close mechanism also, I was wondering if it would it be possible to ask if I could have a look at the papers Television? If so that would be much appriciated as I would prefer to try the DIY part before the shelling out part. Cheers.

I can send you the details and normally a micro switch built into the lock

 

[mtinlin]

Hi, Could I please have a copy of the tailgate mechanism papers for my 1990 300TE? The switch by the grab handle seems to have been removed at some point along with the 'child lock' switch. I would like to understand how it should work, never having had one before.
Cheers.

 

[television]

Info sent to you

 

[mtinlin]

How did you send please Malcolm? I have not received by e-mail or PM?
Cheers, Malcolm.

 

[television]

There was an error and they stuck in my out box and now re sent

 

[tobyd]

Any chance I could have the details too as my tailgate closer is getting a bit hit and miss. thanks

 

[tobyd]

Could you email me the sheet on cleaning the switches please.
toby at iwhizzbit.co.uk

thanks Toby

 

[Bolide]

I had one of these apart recently and it's much simpler than it seems. The lock mechanism is a gruesome assembly of cams & levers but the pull-down system is incredibly simple

There are two microswitches (IIRC), a motor and a crank to pull the lock shut. As the tongue touches the staple on the slam panel it triggers the motor which pulls the lock shut. The microswitch should shut the motor off when the lock is shut

This system appears to be separate to the lock & any other tailgate wiring and it can be disconnected. If the motor has burnt out it can be swopped with one from another lock assembly which means no messing about changing lock barrels

You can test the system with the tailgate open by using the shaft of a screwdriver to trigger the motor. If it locks & unlocks OK then problems may lie elsewhere

Broken wires in the tailgate feeds are becoming common now. There are cables on both sides plus a screenwash pipe on the offside. It's not much fun replacing broken wires but it's doable

A simple way to find which wires are broken is to disconnect the battery, drop the rear roof trim panel (always fun), locate the terminal blocks in each corner and find the cables that run through into the tailgate. Give each wire a good tug in turn. The broken ones will pull out leaving a broken wire in your hand

If you replace the washer pipe then don't forget to refit the one-way valve inside the tailgate. The old washer pipe gets very brittle and is likely not to pull off any fittings without something breaking. I cut the old pipes off with a sharp razor blade

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[television]

I have sent it plus the testing procedure


Thanks also Nick

 

[ShivaYash]

Hello, any chance I could have the same documents? My tailgate soft close does work, but the previous owner told me it didn't. How can I check? When I pull the tailgate down, to close it, the lid of the tailgate is sucked in automatically. But when driving there still seems to be a clunking sound, as if its not closed properly. Perhaps this sound could be the rear bushes? Underneath the car seems solid and there is no movement in the bushes. If there is someone in North London, I'd like to learn more about the W124 series, I'm more of a W123 man and this is my first. Best wishes,
ShivaYash

 

[ShivaYash]

I too am having issues with the soft close tailgate... it seems to work but when driving, I hear bumps and knocks, as it were open. Its very annoying and I'll tried to locate the source of these without success. The ARB bushes have been changed, could the noise by the rear subframe bushes?

Also - it would be great if someone could upload a short video of a working soft close tailgate in action. I've YouTube'd this already but cannot find anything.

THANKS!

I had one of these apart recently and it's much simpler than it seems. The lock mechanism is a gruesome assembly of cams & levers but the pull-down system is incredibly simple

There are two microswitches (IIRC), a motor and a crank to pull the lock shut. As the tongue touches the staple on the slam panel it triggers the motor which pulls the lock shut. The microswitch should shut the motor off when the lock is shut

This system appears to be separate to the lock & any other tailgate wiring and it can be disconnected. If the motor has burnt out it can be swopped with one from another lock assembly which means no messing about changing lock barrels

You can test the system with the tailgate open by using the shaft of a screwdriver to trigger the motor. If it locks & unlocks OK then problems may lie elsewhere

Broken wires in the tailgate feeds are becoming common now. There are cables on both sides plus a screenwash pipe on the offside. It's not much fun replacing broken wires but it's doable

A simple way to find which wires are broken is to disconnect the battery, drop the rear roof trim panel (always fun), locate the terminal blocks in each corner and find the cables that run through into the tailgate. Give each wire a good tug in turn. The broken ones will pull out leaving a broken wire in your hand

If you replace the washer pipe then don't forget to refit the one-way valve inside the tailgate. The old washer pipe gets very brittle and is likely not to pull off any fittings without something breaking. I cut the old pipes off with a sharp razor blade

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[yelnos]

E270 Estate Soft Close not working

My soft close has gone now. An intermittent problem I think, because my local garage took the trim off and fiddled about a bit and it worked. But now it's stopped again after 2 days, so I cannot lock the tailgate and it flies up if I go over a bump. I'd love to try Television's contact-cleaner squirt before we take the roof trim off to look for broken wires but how do I get him to send me the info? Here's hoping.

 

[Bolide]

If you look at the staple on the stainless steel slam panel it sits on a stack of spacers. If the tailgate rattles when closed and locked down by the closer, try removing one of the spacers. That will pull the tailgate lower and may stop the rattling

Two caveats: why would the tailgate rattle now when it didn't before? Answer that question before changing anything. Also the bolts are very tight - you'll need an impact driver to loosen them

Nick Froome

 

[Bolide]

My soft close has gone now...

But now it's stopped again after 2 days, so I cannot lock the tailgate and it flies up if I go over a bump.

The two things are separate. The lock should operate with or without the soft close

Nick Froome

 

[shills barn]

problems with soft closer mechanism W124 300 T.E, 1992

Television said in his reply that he had instructions. I think in PDF format that he would forward. May I enquire if he would be kind enough to forward to me please? shills barn

 

[shills barn]

w124 tailgate closer erratic behavior

Hi there if by any chance you have any details on working on the above I would be most grateful to see them. Thanks in anticipation. shills barn