Tailgate won't open [BMW X5 E70 2013]

[conewarchmet]

The tailgate suddenly stopped working. It won't open either with the key fob or with the button on the tailgate. The actuator gets the signal and tries to open the gate but then it decides to not open and shuts it down. I can't open the tailgate even with some force. I can open it manual using the lever from inside, however, I have to push and apply a bit of force to open it manually. I feel like I am going to need expensive repairs. Any help would be appreciated.

[JellyStyle]

Originally Posted by conewarchmet

The tailgate suddenly stopped working. It won't open either with the key fob or with the button on the tailgate. The actuator gets the signal and tries to open the gate but then it decides to not open and shuts it down. I can't open the tailgate even with some force. I can open it manual using the lever from inside, however, I have to push and apply a bit of force to open it manually. I feel like I am going to need expensive repairs. Any help would be appreciated.

actuator in the door. use realoem.com to look up your car and the part, get it from https://www.genuinebmwminiparts.com/ or use ECS to price match and send it to you, install.

[jbash87]

Here is my post from another thread from a few days ago.

Originally Posted by jbash87

Similar problem to my 2012. Had to replace the "trunk lid lock". Part number 51247308849.
Mine would sound like it was releasing but never actually lift. If you manually open the tailgate and actuate the lock/unlock you can narrow it down to the upper portion or the lower portion. The P/N I listed is for the upper.

The thread is https://www.xbimmers.com/forums/show....php?t=1994897

[conewarchmet]

Originally Posted by jbash87

Here is my post from another thread from a few days ago.



The thread is https://www.xbimmers.com/forums/show....php?t=1994897

I believe this is it. The lock actuator (trunk lid lock) is faulty. It is not able to release when I press unlock button on the tailgate or the remote. I believe there is something wrong with the spring. I will work on it further and post the progress here. Thanks a lot!

[conewarchmet]

Originally Posted by JellyStyle

actuator in the door. use realoem.com to look up your car and the part, get it from https://www.genuinebmwminiparts.com/ or use ECS to price match and send it to you, install.

Yep. Thanks a lot!

[conewarchmet]

My gut feeling turned out to be true. The problem is the latch which is not moving properly. It could be due to rust inside the lock or a bad spring. I put some penetrant spray for smoother movement and it seems to be working for now. I think I will have to replace the lock at some point.

View post on imgur.com

I saw there are a lot of moving parts in the tailgate. Things made of plastic and can easily go bad after 10+ years.

Here is a youtube video where they fixed the same exact problem but in E53. Assembly is a bit different from E70 but the root of the problem is the same.

[lacheesy101]

Hi all, just wanting to share my experience with similar symptoms in a few paragraphs.

In the end my left side lever lift arm had seized or the internal spring had broken. I fixed this by swapping out the AP03 rear electric lift arms. (Ali Express Link)

But rule for diagnosing this is following easy to hard

1. Check the fuses and underneath the rear fuse boxes for water (if so this is your problem and you may need to replace the electronic unit underneath the fuse box or fuse replace)
2. Check that you can actually manually lift the boot (If you can it will be the actuator)
3. If you can't lift the boot it will be one of the lift arms at fault.

This fellow showed me how to replace the arms themselves once they arrived
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDt2KgWWg6k

I hope this helps one of you and saves you time and effort