Hey everyone, my tahoe's rear liftgate just out of nowhere quit working. Up until now, the liftgate would open and close with no problems at all using any of the ways available to open or close it, electronically or manually. Now, the liftgate will pop open, then nothing. I have to manually open and close it. I do not know what the problem is, or better yet, do not know which part to shell out money for. Also, when I manually close it, the power portion of it still works, pulling the liftgate all the way closed. i hear that when i gently close it. any ideas?

 

Welcome from Miami, Florida. I would check the lift gate actuators.

 

if it will power with a bit of assist from you...maybe the strut assist rod is weak.

 

> will pop open, then nothing

obviously the door motor didn't start. it's behind one of those plastic panels. perhaps a bad controller but the controller may be in the motor module (integrated unit) and made in china.

you have electronic signals that signal the thing: so you have 0 ways to test it at the connector.

You'd want to swap it with a known good one if you could to be sure before you buy. But you can't.

 

the motors do go bad - i've replaced some myself

i'd probably tell you: don't even try to check for power. it'll be a multi-pin connector and if you start poking around with a meter you might actually zap a little controller somewhere in some window controller switch. all digital.

i might say "check your window switches first, swap with known good one - sometimes the controller is in one of those", but you said you have a remote and that also doesn't work.

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how hard is it?

well. you pull the panel using a panel popper and should watch youtube mechanic (not a DiY'er) do it, so that you don't break the little chinese plastic clips and never get the panel back on

they are pretty expensive, those motors

not breaking any paneling, not using dirty fingers: is the hard part. the actual replacing is pretty easy. you'll see it on youtube.

 

Check the console switch to make sure it's not in the off position.