2009 GT Auto Lift Gate Issue

[Nuzy]

2009 GT Power Lift Gate Issue

The auto lift gate on our 2009 GT hasn't been working for the last week or so when you press the button on the hatch to close the door. It will come down about a 1/4 inch or so at most, then hang up and go back up (it closes fine manually). So, we took it in today for warranty repair. The Service Manager called and says he got it to happen once when he opened it manually and tried to press the hatch button, then he used the key pad to open it and then close it and it closed properly. Then he manually opened it again and used the hatch button and IT CLOSED! So now he says it's working fine when using the hatch button. He is going to let it sit for a little while this morning and try it again opening manually and using button to close to see if it happens again.

I know, outside of the inconvenience of having to drop the car off and have my wife take me to work late after dropping kids off at school, etc., etc., it's great that it's working again. I really just want to know why cycling it with the keypad fixed the problem, because that sure isn't in the manual and I'm not aware of any reason why it would need to be cycled to work again. I told them my concern is if it happens again when it's out of warranty, then I'm stuck paying for it, plus it's not particularly convenient to drop off for a day. Granted, we've got 20K left on the warranty, but still...knowing there might be a hidden unresolved problem bothers me. Any thoughts as to why it would act this way? The dealer doesn't want to throw parts at it without being able to identify the issue, and I can't really blame them for that.

Thanks!

 

[ceric]

Nuzy,
The hatch is torque-sensing. If it encounters resistance, it stops and reverses.
Therefore, it is easy to conclude from your description that something put resistance on the motor.
I would try to lubricate the struts first (all three of them), and see what happens next.
Or, the motor could be failing or on the verge of it. Hopefully a bit of lubrication can solve it.

 

[Nuzy]

Thanks, Ceric. They haven't been able to replicate it, so I'll pick it up later today and lube the struts with some lithium or whatever that stuff is called, although it seems odd I'd have to do that so soon into the life of the car. If it's the motor, hopefully it will fail within my warranty period! Not much I can do about that. Kind of makes me want to tell them to just replace the struts and motor, but I don't imagine they will want to to that. We use it enough that if it's going to happen again, I imagine it will pretty soon. I guess the auto lift gate is one of those things that's nice to have for many reasons, but another option with an opportunity to fail.

 

[Davicho]

I guess if it fails after warranty and Mazda does not want to cover it and you dont want to pay for it, you can always revert back to hand operation like all of us non-power lifgate individuals...LOL!

 

[Nuzy]

I guess if it fails after warranty and Mazda does not want to cover it and you dont want to pay for it, you can always revert back to hand operation like all of us non-power lifgate individuals...LOL!

I know it, but I'd have a hard time talking my wife into that. I guess it's easier to close when she's got a kid or two and groceries in hand (not that others don't have the same issue and manage without it). One of the many modern "comforts" we take for granted! Buying the GT probably spoiled her forever since she'll expect all those truly unnecessary gadgets on any vehicle we buy in the future, it was the first "loaded" vehicle we've ever owned. For me, it's not a major deal, but it would bother me to know it's there, we paid for it, and it's not doing what it's supposed to do...either way, I guess I don't need to be concerned about it for now!

 

[CX9 SportOwner]

Were you parked on a slope? I the car leans sideways at all, the gate may be twisted enough to prevent it from lowering. (even a strong crosswind may trigger the reverse)

Also, make sure you're standing well clear of it when you press the button. (if it happens again, try using the dash button right away)

 

[Nuzy]

No slope, it was always on level ground and calm weather when we tried it, and in locations where we've never had a problem before. We've also been well clear of the lift gate every time. Thanks for the suggestions though. We'll just play the wait and see game for now.

 

[CX9 SportOwner]

Does it beep and reverse? Or just reverse? If it closes smoothly by hand, I'd guess a faulty sensor. The whole system is fail-safe. If anything goes wrong, it reverts to manual only operation.

 

[Nuzy]

I don't recall if it beeped or not, but I'll listen for that if it happens again. I tried it at the dealer, when we got home last night, and this morning. Worked fine each time...just the normal groaning noise it makes when it comes down. All is good for now. Very strange. Thanks for the comments and suggestions! I'll probably lube the struts anyway, for no reason other than it seems like a good maintenance practice.

 

[CX9 SportOwner]

The struts really don't need to be lubed, just kept clean. They have an internal lubricant, and a seal to keep it in. If you lube the shaft, the seal will simply scrape it off from the outside, dripping it onto your interior.

Spray a cloth with silicone spray and wipe the rods, instead.

 

[Nuzy]

Got it - thanks!