auto tailgate

[nyc863]

I'm not too happy with the auto tailgate. Two things. One is interfering with it by hand. The other is the slam it does over the last 8 inches.

First, if you lift it open by hand as you might do if you didn't know it is automatic, it actually reverses and slams shut again as if in irritation. So you must treat it carefully - use the key, or pop the handle, stand back. Wait.

Second, when closing, it slams shut over the last part of its travel and I wince every time my dog is in the back: if he were to try to dart out at the last second or get a paw caught it'd be tragic. If it allowed manual operation or had a soft close, all would be fine. Given it must go from fully open to slam over some seconds, there is quite an interval for the pet to make his fatal mistake it isn't like you bring it down, look through the glass to make sure fido didn't freak, then close it.

Third, and this I'll get attended to under warranty, sometimes it doesn't open, the motor engages and it pops a bit but then just cancels. This usually after the car has been sitting for a while. Like it can't overcome the initial resistance.

One last thing that is odd, from the drivers position you can't close the gate, only open it? So you must get out, walk around, and press the red button.

All these annoyances are balanced by the convenience of popping the gate upon approach to the car, or pushing the button and walking away. But given the above issues I'm thinking a light smoothly operating manual gate is overall easier and indeed faster and safer (for pets).

If you're thinking of ticking this option, the design isn't great, IMO.

PS: mercedes auto tailgate works right, you can move it manually. It soft closes, you can close it from the the drivers seat, and it has the height-set button right there. I wish VW had compared it.

[Marakai]

Second, when closing, it slams shut over the last part of its travel and I wince every time my dog is in the back: if he were to try to dart out at the last second or get a paw caught it'd be tragic. If it allowed manual operation or had a soft close, all would be fine. Given it must go from fully open to slam over some seconds, there is quite an interval for the pet to make his fatal mistake it isn't like you bring it down, look through the glass to make sure fido didn't freak, then close it.

Alright, this one has me seriously worried as I wasn't aware of it. My wife will freak when I tell her, she's the dog-mum.

We have 2 Airedale terriers. Bouncy rubber balls at the best of times, but maniacs when they get to "go for a ride". Making them just quietly sit and stay while the hatch is being closed is challenging with a manual one, this automatic behaviour could get nasty.

Is there really no way to adjust it? VCDS recode it?

EDIT: I just checked an old VWWC thread and folks state that you CAN manually shut the gate, precisely for the reason of having control over children's hands and pet's paws. That thread was from 2009, surely that sort of function wouldn't have changed?

[Guest001]

Alright, this one has me seriously worried as I wasn't aware of it. My wife will freak when I tell her, she's the dog-mum.

We have 2 Airedale terriers. Bouncy rubber balls at the best of times, but maniacs when they get to "go for a ride". Making them just quietly sit and stay while the hatch is being closed is challenging with a manual one, this automatic behaviour could get nasty.

Is there really no way to adjust it? VCDS recode it?

EDIT: I just checked an old VWWC thread and folks state that you CAN manually shut the gate, precisely for the reason of having control over children's hands and pet's paws. That thread was from 2009, surely that sort of function wouldn't have changed?

It tells you in the manual that you can operate it by hand.

It does take a bit of effort however as a guy found when he tried to give mine a good slam from the top Ha Ha.
It is a pain that you cant shut it remotely but I believe it is a safety feature so you dont catch someone or a yappy dog in when you arent looking.
Mine occasionally just pops and doesnt rise but a second key push works it Not a problem.

You also can interrupt it going up or even change the height that it stops at all in the wonderful book no one reads LOL
It shuts a bit harder so as to engage the lock properly, a soft shut may not do that.

Also tells you in the book marvelous things like how to code your 2 keys to different driver settings if you have the flash electric 112 way seats that are a waste of money in mine as I am the only one who drives it ROFL

[Marakai]

It tells you in the manual that you can operate it by hand.

It does take a bit of effort however as a guy found when he tried to give mine a good slam from the top Ha Ha.
It is a pain that you cant shut it remotely but I believe it is a safety feature so you dont catch someone or a yappy dog in when you arent looking.
Mine occasionally just pops and doesnt rise but a second key push works it Not a problem.

You also can interrupt it going up or even change the height that it stops at all in the wonderful book no one reads LOL
It shuts a bit harder so as to engage the lock properly, a soft shut may not do that.

Also tells you in the book marvelous things like how to code your 2 keys to different driver settings if you have the flash electric 112 way seats that are a waste of money in mine as I am the only one who drives it ROFL

Thanks for that, HB.

Never worry, my wife and I are already squabbling about who gets to read the manual first. As soon as we actually get it into our hot little hands. Wish they made em available as PDF online. 4 more weeks.... *sigh*

[nyc863]

our experience doing battle with the auto open or close operation isn't pleasant, maybe mine is defective though? beyond the already known defect. will check again to see..

[Guest001]

Thanks for that, HB.

Never worry, my wife and I are already squabbling about who gets to read the manual first. As soon as we actually get it into our hot little hands. Wish they made em available as PDF online. 4 more weeks.... *sigh*

After owning about 40 cars I cant get that worked up about the next one Im afraid

Just remember the manual is model generic and a lot of things in there are not in Australian models Like turning airbags off and electric towball releases, Garage door openers etc.

[nyc863]

After 5 minutes of playing around with my arm I've got to grips with the manual side, still don't like it though.

To manually close you reach up and pull on it quite hard, at first it feels like it isn't going to go, then the auto-close kicks in at which point it is moving by itself and you can't control it unless you change your hand to the external boot release, and hold that in. Then if you move it down to the last 12 inches of gap it takes over again (or gravity does? not sure) and it tries very hard to slam itself against the lock.

Opening, you pull the handle and the motor starts lifting, if you don't hold the handle in, it will continue to open at its own speed.

Either way the motorized movement is not steady instead sort of sprung. So any resistance sets up a speed oscillation.

So the way to do it with dogs is to click close, wait till it is half closed then grab the boot release hold it in, move it down closer to the shut position checking Fido isn't doing anything dumb, then let it slam the last bit.

BTW, I've noticed the tailgate is getting diesel particulate on it. Isn't that conquered by the exhaust system now?

[Guest001]

After 5 minutes of playing around with my arm I've got to grips with the manual side, still don't like it though.

To manually close you reach up and pull on it quite hard, at first it feels like it isn't going to go, then the auto-close kicks in at which point it is moving by itself and you can't control it unless you change your hand to the external boot release, and hold that in. Then if you move it down to the last 12 inches of gap it takes over again (or gravity does? not sure) and it tries very hard to slam itself against the lock.

Opening, you pull the handle and the motor starts lifting, if you don't hold the handle in, it will continue to open at its own speed.

Either way the motorized movement is not steady instead sort of sprung. So any resistance sets up a speed oscillation.

So the way to do it with dogs is to click close, wait till it is half closed then grab the boot release hold it in, move it down closer to the shut position checking Fido isn't doing anything dumb, then let it slam the last bit.

BTW, I've noticed the tailgate is getting diesel particulate on it. Isn't that conquered by the exhaust system now?

In laymans language do you mean SOOT A wagon will always attract more crud on the back due to the vortex?? created by the shape of the body. It sucks stuff back against it and is the very reason you should never drive any distance with the taildoor open.

Tells you that in the Bible as well LOL

[Marakai]

After owning about 40 cars I cant get that worked up about the next one Im afraid

Just remember the manual is model generic and a lot of things in there are not in Australian models Like turning airbags off and electric towball releases, Garage door openers etc.

I've owned my share of cars, as has my wife. But when we still lived in the US we owned very nice cars. It was a definite step-down for expediency when we arrived here to get the Magna wagon. So, yeah, we're excited about a "proper" car again.

Yes, the features that are removed here by ADR whimsy (AKA the NIH "not invented here" syndrome) is annoying.

[Marakai]

In laymans language do you mean SOOT A wagon will always attract more crud on the back due to the vortex?? created by the shape of the body. It sucks stuff back against it and is the very reason you should never drive any distance with the taildoor open.

Tells you that in the Bible as well LOL

<checks frantically> Oh! You're right!

"And the Lord spake, lo, I shalt make the rear end of thy vehicle black, verily, as a mule in a coal mine. And if ye be foul in my Face and move with the gates at the rear open as the legs of the harlot of Babylon, I shalt smite thee with fumes from the pits of the Serpent". (Mar 3:14)

[Guest001]

<checks frantically> Oh! You're right!

"And the Lord spake, lo, I shalt make the rear end of thy vehicle black, verily, as a mule in a coal mine. And if ye be foul in my Face and move with the gates at the rear open as the legs of the harlot of Babylon, I shalt smite thee with fumes from the pits of the Serpent". (Mar 3:14)

Very good I like that one.However I meant the VW bible that resides in the glovebox and is rarely used LOL

[nyc863]

I think my question is legit I realise that road dirt and red dust gets attracted to the back of a wagon shape what I was expecting was less diesel soot than my old dpf-less golf tdi attracted.

I am wondering if I have a gasket leak because sometimes I smell diesel in the cabin plus for slow urban use patterns the mfd is indicating 13l/100km average yikes. I thought my octavia petrol vrs was thirsty: it i indicated 11 for the same pattern.

[2muchcoffeeman]

Mine is dodgy as well...

Despite having the control module replaced twice, it responds to the button push on the tailgate to close it about 2/3 of the time....

[Guest001]

Mine is dodgy as well...

Despite having the control module replaced twice, it responds to the button push on the tailgate to close it about 2/3 of the time....

Have never had that fail and I was just over at the shopping center and car a was locked
When I opened tailgate it just popped and didnt rise.
I remember it usually does that but if car is unlocked it rises on first push

[booba]

Mine will sometimes not open on first keyfob press. Is this linked to whether the car is unlocked or not?

I just press it again and it will open. tailgate opens first time everytime from the cabin button.