Liftgate Opens Halfway then Closes

[Hoos95]

Hello everyone!

Having an issue with my 2007 Expedition EL. 315K miles.

This is what happens:

• Open liftgate
• Automatically opens
• About halfway up it struggles and a beeping sound occurs as if I pressed the close button
• It then goes back down and closes (I try lifting it up manually, but it pushes itself down)

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[bobmbx]

Sounds like its needs to be lubricated. If the torque to open it gets too high, the motor reverses and closes it.

 

[Hoos95]

Sounds like its needs to be lubricated. If the torque to open it gets too high, the motor reverses and closes it.

Thank you bobmbx - what specifically needs to be lubricated?

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

Thank you bobmbx - what specifically needs to be lubricated?

You can lubricate the hinges on the body at the top of the tailgate with spray lube - but I don’t think that’s the problem.

If both gas-charged struts (one on each side, not the power motor ram strut) are bad, they will not “help” the motor lift the tailgate. When the tailgate opens about halfway, its weight causes it to begin to fall and the motor reverses and shuts the hatch.

If the gas struts are old (is it getting cooler or cold where you’re at also?) - you could replace both. However, the hatch has to be fully opened to replace them. You can turn off the power hatch control in the dash DIC, then open the hatch manually to replace the struts. They are easy to replace.

 

[Hoos95]

You can lubricate the hinges on the body at the top of the tailgate with spray lube - but I don’t think that’s the problem.

If both gas-charged struts (one on each side, not the power motor ram strut) are bad, they will not “help” the motor lift the tailgate. When the tailgate opens about halfway, its weight causes it to begin to fall and the motor reverses and shuts the hatch.

If the gas struts are old (is it getting cooler or cold where you’re at also?) - you could replace both. However, the hatch has to be fully opened to replace them. You can turn off the power hatch control in the dash DIC, then open the hatch manually to replace the struts. They are easy to replace.

Thank you 99WhiteC5Coupe.

I have disabled power control and can manually open the liftgate. I did replace the struts about a year ago - seems they are bad quality and have some rusting.

If the power control is disabled and I manually open the liftgate, will it stay up under the power of the struts? Because if I'm not holding it up, it comes right down.

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

Thank you 99WhiteC5Coupe.

I have disabled power control and can manually open the liftgate. I did replace the struts about a year ago - seems they are bad quality and have some rusting.

If the power control is disabled and I manually open the liftgate, will it stay up under the power of the struts? Because if I'm not holding it up, it comes right down.

The hatch will not stay up under the power of the struts, if defective, even though the power-arm is extended. It has been my experience that marginal struts fail or get weaker when cooler / cold weather arrives where I live.

I’d bet that new struts will solve your problem. The Ford / Motorcraft struts are a good quality, and if I remember correctly, and not interchangeable from left to right. There are specific part numbers for the left and right strut (with the power hatch option).

I have a 2015 Expedition Limited 4x4 with the power hatch.

Good luck.

 

[DecoyTheDead]

My 08 did the same thing last fall. I replaced the struts on the tailgate and everything is fine at this point. They were cheap enough on amazon and came with a lifetime warranty if I remember correctly.

 

[Plati]

My 08 did the same thing last fall. I replaced the struts on the tailgate and everything is fine at this point. They were cheap enough on amazon and came with a lifetime warranty if I remember correctly.

"Lifetime warranty" can mean different things. I had a coat from Arcteryx with that. It failed & they said "not YOUR lifetime, the lifetime of the product ... and it reached its lifetime and failed so no replacement". I fought it got them to replace it though.

 

[chart75]

I replaced the struts with non-OEM parts on my wife's 07 and they failed within a few months. I replaced with another set which has lasted almost a year now. In retrospect I should have gone with OEM parts.