Tailgate Button Doesn't Activate

[Brandon]

Hey everyone,

I'm having an issue with my tailgate release button (on the handle) and wondering if anyone has any ideas what the problem could be. Truck is a 2022 Big Horn 2500.

Remote started truck and went to drop tailgate but the button doesn't activate. I double checked to make sure the truck was unlocked lol, and it still does nothing. No sounds of any solenoids activating. Tried turning off truck and back on, locking/unlocking doors to no avail. After spending 20 mins sliding a hockey stick under the cover to un-latch the tonneau cover's handles, I was able to get the cover opened and open the access panel on tailgate and open the manual latches to drop the gate.

No debris or anything broken from first glance. But when the tailgate is fully opened, the release button actually works and activates the latches even. Closing the tailgate up, no action from the button whatsoever. Open the tailgate down (even halfway down), the latches activate.

Does anyone have any ideas of where to look at? Everything seems to function normally with the tailgate opened, just not when it's closed.

Thanks in advance!

 

[CdnHO]

Check to make sure the connector is pushed in all the way into the truck bed end. Might be a broken wire in the harness between the bed and tailgate.

 

[Brandon]

Thanks for the tip, that was it! I ended up finding the harness was chewed by a mouse. Two wires out of the 5 in there were chewed threw and barely hanging on. Right where it turns to go up into the tailgate.

Managed to get the harness out far enough and solder it back together, working fine now!

 

[25002019]

hey brandon where did you find the wires? can you upload a photo? i am having the same issue with our truck and am lost. i didnt see any damaged wires anywhere i looked all over. did you remove the wiring cover protectors and tape? thank you

 

[Brandon]

hey brandon where did you find the wires? can you upload a photo? i am having the same issue with our truck and am lost. i didnt see any damaged wires anywhere i looked all over. did you remove the wiring cover protectors and tape? thank you

Hi there, the wire coming into the bottom of the tailgate was frayed. It was chewed on the outside, so I ended up removing the clips that hold it into the tailgate and tape to get access and soldered it back together. I did have to open the tailgate to see it by removing the tailgate panel and releasing the manual latch to open it.