Tailgate not dropping

BlancoSilverado · May 20, 2019

Hello,

I purchased my truck a few months ago and most of the time i need to press the button 2-5 times to drop my tailgate without any help. With a little (and i mean 5 lbs) of pulling while pressing the button it works most of the time, even then i might have to press it twice. The truck is a new body 2019 Silverado LT 4x4. It started doing this day one, i thought it might just need to work in/break in and it did not.

Is anyone else having this issue?

If so do you know how to fix it?

I have tried with the vehicle on level ground and even then it does not work all the time also i tried it on grounds where the front is up a few inches and i would still have to press at least twice. Every 50 times or so it will go down with one press.

Any help will be appreciated.

davester · May 20, 2019

drive to the dealer and get them to fix it?

BlancoSilverado · May 20, 2019

Just now, davester said:

drive to the dealer and get them to fix it?

When i went in for my first oil change 4 weeks after, one of the service managers told me that it will work in, I told them that it should not need to work in, but ok for now and ill do it a few hundred more times before bringing it back. Its been 2 or so months and i have not taken it back yet. I wanted to see if anyone else is having the same issue

aseibel · May 20, 2019

Sounds like something is not lubed well enough. Is there a spring that is supposed to push it back out of the "closed" position?

But I don't know. Mine opens every time I pull the handle, with 0 lbs of extra force required. The more complicated you make a tailgate, the more problems it creates.

BlancoSilverado · May 20, 2019

5 minutes ago, aseibel said:

Sounds like something is not lubed well enough. Is there a spring that is supposed to push it back out of the "closed" position?

But I don't know. Mine opens every time I pull the handle, with 0 lbs of extra force required. The more complicated you make a tailgate, the more problems it creates.

It might not be lubricated properly, And/or is there a way to adjust the initial push from the spring/gas shock?

@aseibelDont you have a manual open tailgate?

Edited May 20, 2019 by BlancoSilverado
Addition

aseibel · May 20, 2019

2 minutes ago, BlancoSilverado said:

Dont you have a manual open tailgate?

yeah. That was supposed to be a joke. sorry it didn't come across.

All I was saying, is if its not popping out, something must be sticking. First thing I'd check for is places to lubricate.

newdude · May 20, 2019

1 hour ago, BlancoSilverado said:

Hello,

I purchased my truck a few months ago and most of the time i need to press the button 2-5 times to drop my tailgate without any help. With a little (and i mean 5 lbs) of pulling while pressing the button it works most of the time, even then i might have to press it twice. The truck is a new body 2019 Silverado LT 4x4. It started doing this day one, i thought it might just need to work in/break in and it did not.

Is anyone else having this issue?

If so do you know how to fix it?

I have tried with the vehicle on level ground and even then it does not work all the time also i tried it on grounds where the front is up a few inches and i would still have to press at least twice. Every 50 times or so it will go down with one press.

Any help will be appreciated.

Do you have a tonneau?

OnTheReel · May 20, 2019

Definitely not normal. Mine worked on the first try from day 1. It needs repair, unless you have a tonneau cover pressing against the top of the gate as newdude said.

BlancoSilverado · May 20, 2019

I do not have a tonneau.

Thanks, I did not think about adding that i do not have a tonneau cover. I will try to lube the tailgate tonight. Thanks to all for the help.

Edited May 20, 2019 by BlancoSilverado
recognition

BlancoSilverado · May 22, 2019

Ok, so i lubed what i could.

Now it does drop almost every time. Every once in a while it still will not drop when the rear is higher(parked backwards in a driveway). i lubed the usual locations, the hinges on the body, i removed the access panel and put some lube on the latching points.

I am using silicon grease. I could not tell if the OEM grease was silicon or normal grease.

Does anyone one the actual "grease points"?

Bobv07662 · May 22, 2019

My RST has had the same "no drop" problem since day one. I lubed it and it was better but eventually the sticky gate came back. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it because ARE caps finally committed to manufacture and deliver my Z2 cap after waiting 8 months! Won't be needing to drop the tailgate after that.

BlancoSilverado · May 28, 2019

Ok, so again i took the tailgate apart and found that the springs that release the tailgate were kinda weak, I through silicon grease at it and pulled the "rubber" bushing out of the hinge and massaged the silicon grease into it. cleaned out the hinged areas and now it drops fast and every time. I called Chevy and a technician told me that you need to use silicon grease. Do not use regular grease, from the factory they "use" silicon grease and regular grease would not mix well.

Thanks for all the help.

ILSilverado · May 29, 2019

On 5/20/2019 at 1:55 PM, BlancoSilverado said:

Hello,

I purchased my truck a few months ago and most of the time i need to press the button 2-5 times to drop my tailgate without any help. With a little (and i mean 5 lbs) of pulling while pressing the button it works most of the time, even then i might have to press it twice. The truck is a new body 2019 Silverado LT 4x4. It started doing this day one, i thought it might just need to work in/break in and it did not.

Is anyone else having this issue?

If so do you know how to fix it?

I have tried with the vehicle on level ground and even then it does not work all the time also i tried it on grounds where the front is up a few inches and i would still have to press at least twice. Every 50 times or so it will go down with one press.

Any help will be appreciated.

I find it can stick sometimes if the truck is not level.

JayTrailBoss · May 29, 2019

So my truck did this to me a couple times however the times it did it, I was parked on a hill that sloped slightly down - so the tailgate was higher than the hood if that makes sense? When I park it flat it never has an issue? Just a thought

..

BlancoSilverado · July 17, 2019

Ok,

Problem is back every once in awhile. Not too happy but still its the first years truck. When i have another problem i will go in and have them look at it.