[HarryTee]

Originally Posted by garanadhav

I just chalk it up as “character” at this point but if anyone has a fix I would love to hear it because it is annoying.

I've gone through many stages with this, so I hope what I'm saying may be helpful to some:
I've got a 440i coupe and a 440i gran-coupe. The coupe's tailgate never gives me any problem while the gan-coupe's tailgate has been to the dealer twice, had both struts replaced once (please see my other posts in this thread) and the tailgate's operation is still not 100% reliable.

1. Since the GC tailgate is at least twice as heavy and twice as large as the coupe tailgate, I think the problem I have with the GC tailgate is due to its weight and the relatively weak struts for pushing it up.
2. When the tailgate is closed, it rests on the rubber seal around the trunk's opening, and after a while by inertia, it gets pretty sticky to the rubble seal, so you can still remote open the tailgate but it doesn't have the strength to fully open. I said this because the problem with my tailgate was that it usually got stuck halfway when I first open it in the morning (after a night of rest or longer); and after the first opening, it worked perfectly every time (This makes it difficult to demonstrate to dealer the problem you're experiencing!)

Possible cures: The dealer on my second visit replaced both struts and the problem is alleviated but not 100% cured. I don't want to bother them again for this so when the tailgate is hesitant, I simply press the button again and all is good. The other thing you could try is clean the rubble seal SMOOTH (with something like Wurth Rubber Fit, or (something) Pflege) so that it doesn't pull back the tailgate. If the problem gets worse, I think I'll also try something like running teflon tape on the tailgate, where it meet the rubble seal from the trunk.

Good luck to all with the problem!

[HarryTee]

Originally Posted by garanadhav

I just chalk it up as “character” at this point but if anyone has a fix I would love to hear it because it is annoying.

I've gone through many stages with this, so I hope what I'm saying may be helpful to some:
I've got a 440i coupe and a 440i gran-coupe. The coupe's tailgate never gives me any problem while the gan-coupe's tailgate has been to the dealer twice, had both struts replaced once (please see my other posts in this thread) and the tailgate's operation is still not 100% reliable.

1. Since the GC tailgate is at least twice as heavy and twice as large as the coupe tailgate, I think the problem I have with the GC tailgate is due to its weight and the relatively weak struts for pushing it up.
2. When the tailgate is closed, it rests on the rubber seal around the trunk's opening, and after a while by inertia, it gets pretty sticky to the rubble seal, so you can still remote open the tailgate but it doesn't have the strength to fully open. I said this because the problem with my tailgate was that it usually got stuck halfway when I first open it in the morning (after a night of rest or longer); and after the first opening, it works perfectly every time (This makes it difficult to demonstrate to dealer the problem you're experiencing!)

Possible cures: The dealer on my second visit replaced both struts and the problem is alleviated but not 100% cured. I don't want to bother them again for this so when the tailgate is hesitant, I simply press the button again and all is good. The other thing you could try is clean the rubble seal SMOOTH (with something like Wurth Rubber Fit, or (something) Pflege) so that it doesn't pull back the tailgate. If the problem gets worse, I think I'll also try something like running teflon tape on the tailgate, where it meet the rubble seal from the trunk.

Good luck to all who have the problem!

[BoyOhBoyyy]

Originally Posted by HarryTee

I've gone through many stages with this, so I hope what I'm saying may be helpful to some:
I've got a 440i coupe and a 440i gran-coupe. The coupe's tailgate never gives me any problem while the gan-coupe's tailgate has been to the dealer twice, had both struts replaced once (please see my other posts in this thread) and the tailgate's operation is still not 100% reliable.

1. Since the GC tailgate is at least twice as heavy and twice as large as the coupe tailgate, I think the problem I have with the GC tailgate is due to its weight and the relatively weak struts for pushing it up.
2. When the tailgate is closed, it rests on the rubber seal around the trunk's opening, and after a while by inertia, it gets pretty sticky to the rubble seal, so you can still remote open the tailgate but it doesn't have the strength to fully open. I said this because the problem with my tailgate was that it usually got stuck halfway when I first open it in the morning (after a night of rest or longer); and after the first opening, it works perfectly every time (This makes it difficult to demonstrate to dealer the problem you're experiencing!)

Possible cures: The dealer on my second visit replaced both struts and the problem is alleviated but not 100% cured. I don't want to bother them again for this so when the tailgate is hesitant, I simply press the button again and all is good. The other thing you could try is clean the rubble seal SMOOTH (with something like Wurth Rubber Fit, or (something) Pflege) so that it doesn't pull back the tailgate. If the problem gets worse, I think I'll also try something like running teflon tape on the tailgate, where it meet the rubble seal from the trunk.

Good luck to all who have the problem!

Bought a 2015 435i GC last month and didn’t know about the hatch problems and days after driving off, I’m experiencing it myself with no warranty left . It still works fine here and there but I find that I have to click open twice most times now.

Will make a note of what you mentioned! If anyone else has any proven methods, please us know

[umpadupa]

Sorry for bringing this back up again. I just got into the same issue. 2016 435GC. Trunk was working fine but now it refuses to open. Just unlocks and pops open 1inch. I have to manually push it up (which I feel is doing more damage) and it’s a 50-50 after that when closing. I’ve tired foot and button and it’s the same. Other than replacement, is there any other answers? Oh.. and warranty just went out 5 months ago... go figure

Thank you!

[Primax]

Bump, any tutorial on how to do replace them? Mine started to give problems 7 years since i have the car.

[junlikesf30s]

for anyone still interested;

since i bought my 16' f36 with 60k miles about 6 months ago, my tailgate has always had issues. first opening everyday it would struggle, i would hear a peeling sound. sometimes it would open 4-6 inches then stop, pressing the button, it would attempt to close 1-2 inches then stop. sometimes it would unlock and not do anything, pressing the trunk button it would move up half an inch then fall back down and lock. it would do a myriad of things, but would rarely just open, i got used to pressing and holding the trunk button near the plate and pulling up to help it open and just dealt with that.

well!!! last week i decided to address this issue. things needed:
1. dielectric silicon grease
2. spray can of white lithium grease

i did a few things:
1. adjust the rubber stop that screws in and out of the hatch by hand, this will be by your head when the hatch is open. these adjustable rubber stops land onto the metal landing base holding the trunk kickboard. as per BMW manual, screw it inwards into the hatch until it barely touches the metal landing base, then give it a half twist outwards. i used a thin layer of dielectric grease to show me the amount of pressure on the metal landing base, wipe clean after each test. THIS STEP IS IMPORTANT: too much pressure and your latch has to force the hatch down, and when you attempt to open the hatch, the latch releases and the hatch pops up, throwing off the sensor. this will also cause your hatch and trunk opening to leak water and cause an odd wind noise when driving because the weatherstrip and hatch wont make a proper seal. too little pressure and the latch and electric struts don't have enough help with the initial opening.

2. i sprayed white lithium grease into the struts. i squeezed the straw into each of the plastic cylinders protecting the strut and gave it a good 2-3 sprays at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions. DO NOT spray into the trunk panel, there's nothing down there to lubricate; it's just the shell of the electric motor for the strut, tpms/key fob wireless module, and wires lining through the trunk. i also sprayed white lithium into the latch, sprayed some on my gloves and wiped it around the catch on the hatch.

3. the peeling sound is from the rubber weatherstripping around the trunk. i work at a Cadillac/Chevy dealership and we use GM weatherstrip grease, which is just rebranded dielectric silicon grease that you can buy from any auto parts store. We use this grease on weatherstripping when doors, trunks, sun/moon roofs stick. it's also good preventative maintenance to preserve your weatherstripping.

and that's how i fixed it. 1 week testing and it's still working fine.

i assume over time the weatherstrip gets old and sticky, the rubber adjustments just get out of whack, the plastic surround for the struts just get old and sticky, and the latch/catch loses/dries up all of it's lube. the combination of all of these causes the hatch to not function properly or get stuck.

[junlikesf30s]

update - 1 month later:

hatch still opens like it was intended from the factory! very fine adjustments for the adjustable rubber stops on the hatch. every morning for the first week, before i hopped in the car to warm it up for my commute, i would start by pressing the hatch button on the fob, if it didn't open, i gave the rubber stops another half turn left, by the 3rd-4th day, its been working as it should.

[junlikesf30s]

update - 2 months later:

i've remedied the power tailgate issue. works like a charm. every. single. time.

[junlikesf30s]

Originally Posted by marcosdani

took it to the dealer and they said they "initialised" it (whatever that means), it seemed to work when I picked it up but stopped when at home. I had a good look at the structure of the tailgate and the struts and I thought the tailgate might be too heavy for the struts (& pistons inside), so I lightened the tailgate a bit by removing the spoiler on it.

That's their fast/cheap fix. I have the H-style duckbill on my hatch as well. It just needs some lubing and adjusting. Follow my steps. It's cheap for the materials as well. It's so nice to hit the trunk button on my key fob or wave my foot under the rear bumper and the hatch to open as intended lol.

[Croman43]

I have a 2019 430i Gran Coupe. The trunk is not closing. Even when opening it wasn’t opening all the way. Does anyone know how I could at least close the trunk manually so I can get it out of my garage and take to get repaired? Any ideas how to fix the issue? When I press the close button, the hatch starts to go down an inch then stops. This is really frustrating!

[Tommy D]

Originally Posted by Croman43

I have a 2019 430i Gran Coupe. The trunk is not closing. Even when opening it wasn’t opening all the way. Does anyone know how I could at least close the trunk manually so I can get it out of my garage and take to get repaired? Any ideas how to fix the issue? When I press the close button, the hatch starts to go down an inch then stops. This is really frustrating!

Did you try pushing on the hatch to close it manually? Might need some extra force.
Remove the battery trim cover and look in the well to see if maybe the hatch module and area is wet with water. I've seen issue with the hatch functions when the module gets wet from a sunroof drain issue.

[Croman43]

Tried manually but the struts won’t budge. Module is up on the wall and not in water. Battery is in the well.

[junlikesf30s]

Originally Posted by Croman43

Tried manually but the struts won’t budge. Module is up on the wall and not in water. Battery is in the well.

for me, when the calibration got all out of whack and it would get stuck, press button, go down, stuck, press button, go up, etc.... i just kept pulling up and pressing the button until it understood i wanted the hatch up. once there, pressing the button once should auto shut.

what goes out of whack is the upward motion, due to calibration/position, then it bugs out and gets stuck. once you can get the hatch to open fully, closing it should be a press of one button.

[Croman43]

Thanks. I'm going to try this. It might also be a broken wire. I will post results later.

[Croman43]

After getting error codes, having to change the spindles.

[teyerke]

I had the same problem with 2016 F36. To see how I fixed it look up "Replace tailgate lift struts with manual gas springs" on this forum.

[chrismuk]

isn't this the problem with the broken wire at the plug inside the trunk area?

[bimmer456]

Isn’t the open height configurable?

[vsnyder71]

Originally Posted by junlikesf30s

for anyone still interested;

since i bought my 16' f36 with 60k miles about 6 months ago, my tailgate has always had issues. first opening everyday it would struggle, i would hear a peeling sound. sometimes it would open 4-6 inches then stop, pressing the button, it would attempt to close 1-2 inches then stop. sometimes it would unlock and not do anything, pressing the trunk button it would move up half an inch then fall back down and lock. it would do a myriad of things, but would rarely just open, i got used to pressing and holding the trunk button near the plate and pulling up to help it open and just dealt with that.

well!!! last week i decided to address this issue. things needed:
1. dielectric silicon grease
2. spray can of white lithium grease

i did a few things:
1. adjust the rubber stop that screws in and out of the hatch by hand, this will be by your head when the hatch is open. these adjustable rubber stops land onto the metal landing base holding the trunk kickboard. as per BMW manual, screw it inwards into the hatch until it barely touches the metal landing base, then give it a half twist outwards. i used a thin layer of dielectric grease to show me the amount of pressure on the metal landing base, wipe clean after each test. THIS STEP IS IMPORTANT: too much pressure and your latch has to force the hatch down, and when you attempt to open the hatch, the latch releases and the hatch pops up, throwing off the sensor. this will also cause your hatch and trunk opening to leak water and cause an odd wind noise when driving because the weatherstrip and hatch wont make a proper seal. too little pressure and the latch and electric struts don't have enough help with the initial opening.

2. i sprayed white lithium grease into the struts. i squeezed the straw into each of the plastic cylinders protecting the strut and gave it a good 2-3 sprays at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions. DO NOT spray into the trunk panel, there's nothing down there to lubricate; it's just the shell of the electric motor for the strut, tpms/key fob wireless module, and wires lining through the trunk. i also sprayed white lithium into the latch, sprayed some on my gloves and wiped it around the catch on the hatch.

3. the peeling sound is from the rubber weatherstripping around the trunk. i work at a Cadillac/Chevy dealership and we use GM weatherstrip grease, which is just rebranded dielectric silicon grease that you can buy from any auto parts store. We use this grease on weatherstripping when doors, trunks, sun/moon roofs stick. it's also good preventative maintenance to preserve your weatherstripping.

and that's how i fixed it. 1 week testing and it's still working fine.

i assume over time the weatherstrip gets old and sticky, the rubber adjustments just get out of whack, the plastic surround for the struts just get old and sticky, and the latch/catch loses/dries up all of it's lube. the combination of all of these causes the hatch to not function properly or get stuck.

Thank you for this! It took 5 minutes and works perfectly now! 🎉