frozen remote tailgate

19sierra53 · December 11, 2019

Anyone else having issues with their tailgate not wanting to open in the cold? Mine will not open unless I give it a pull at the same time the latch activates with the button, sometimes this takes a few try's to time it right. I believe it is just the grease in the hinges being sticky and also the lowering cylinder or mechanism being sluggish. I don't have ice anywhere. Maybe it will be better as it wears in?

SamDSJR · December 11, 2019

Mine will stick if the tail end is too high. There's no power movement to the operation of the tailgate (unless you have the power tailgate in the LTZ or High Country.) It's just the release of the latch. Gravity does the rest. So if you are parked nose down it won't open. Also almost all tonneau covers prevent it from working.

Lunar68 · December 11, 2019

Mine froze just yesterday. I had to spray de-icer on the sides and it finally opened after a while. I could hear the unlock "mechanism" working but it just wouldn't open. Probably going to get some kind of silicone spray to shoot in there to try and keep the ice out.

19sierra53 · December 11, 2019

ok, it seems if the mechanism releases, unless the tailgate immediately opens it latches itself shut again. It makes for some awkward timing especially if one hand is full.

Thomcat · December 11, 2019

3 hours ago, SamDSJR said:

Mine will stick if the tail end is too high. There's no power movement to the operation of the tailgate (unless you have the power tailgate in the LTZ or High Country.) It's just the release of the latch. Gravity does the rest. So if you are parked nose down it won't open. Also almost all tonneau covers prevent it from working.

Any tonneau cover that sits on top of the gate to make a weatherproof seal will jamb if from opening. OEM one sits 1/2"-3/4" above the top and has a vertical rubber seal below the back of the cover that sits behind, not on top of the tailgate........no leaks.

SilveradoRST · December 12, 2019

Is the OEM cover sold as an Accessory or Part from GM? Is it a truck-fold hard or soft cover?

SkidooSteve12 · December 12, 2019

Yes my 2020 2500HD tailgate wouldn't open the other day after we got some snow during the day. It took me quite a few tries with the remote and the tailgate button and me yanking on the tailgate before it finally would open up. I had to put down the parts I was holding and wasn't very happy with the situation. It wasn't even really that cold or snowy, so I can only imagine how it is going to act the rest of the winter.....

I do have a tonneau cover that goes over the top of the tailgate, so that it doesn't drop automatically, and I am used to requiring just a small effort to open it. The rear frame of the tonneau cover bows up and barely touches the center of the tailgate, so it wasn't the tonneau cover seal frozen to the top of the tailgate stopping me from opening it.

UncleDave · December 12, 2019

I haven't used my tailgate since the first snow but I assume it will freeze up and require de-icing. I have a tonneau cover and I need to either lift up on the back of the cover or yank on the tailgate because it won't open on its own otherwise.

ME486 · December 24, 2021

This happened on mine. I had to gently pry all the ice off the back to get it open. Then I could scrape all the ice off. Sprayed lithium grease to the hinges. But after a huge ice storm and negative temps it froze all up. I am going to try vaseline around the the rubber so it does not happen again.

Minnvmax · December 24, 2021

I've had mine two winters now. It's happened a few times where I had to pull it. Silicone spray has worked well for me. I'm more concerned with how to get it open if the power latch fails as there is no manual override.

Edited December 24, 2021 by Minnvmax

AlaskaErik · December 24, 2021

No problems with mine, and it's been sitting outside and has a tonneau cover. Temperature this morning was 0° Fahrenheit.

N.Penley · December 27, 2021

I frequently have to push the stupid button 2 or 3 times to gent my tailgate to open in any weather condition. I hate it and wish the truck had a simple handle. Vehicle manufacturers love to sit around and figure out ways to replace simple mechanical devices with finicky, expensive, and impossible to repair without the dealer's computer gadgets. Give me a manual transmission and transfer case too while your at it.

Silverado4x4 · December 27, 2021

3 minutes ago, N.Penley said:

I frequently have to push the stupid button 2 or 3 times to gent my tailgate to open in any weather condition. I hate it and wish the truck had a simple handle. Vehicle manufacturers love to sit around and figure out ways to replace simple mechanical devices with finicky, expensive, and impossible to repair without the dealer's computer gadgets. Give me a manual transmission and transfer case too while your at it.

Mine did that also 2-3 times to get it to drop so I went and adjusted the strike pins and now it will open everytime I hit the button as long as I don't slam the tailgate shut then it will stick making 2 attempts to open so now I just close the tailgate easy, and it will open everytime.

nichos · December 29, 2021

On 12/27/2021 at 10:09 AM, Silverado4x4 said:

Mine did that also 2-3 times to get it to drop so I went and adjusted the strike pins and now it will open everytime I hit the button as long as I don't slam the tailgate shut then it will stick making 2 attempts to open so now I just close the tailgate easy, and it will open everytime.

Do you have any info on how to do this? Mine is "sticky" at times, maybe I need to make an adjustment.

TIA

Silverado4x4 · December 29, 2021

17 hours ago, nichos said:

Do you have any info on how to do this? Mine is "sticky" at times, maybe I need to make an adjustment.

TIA

The pins on each side by the tail lights that the tailgate latch catches unloosen them but DO NOT UNSCREW THEM ALL THE WAY just enough to get them to slide it doesn't take much adjustment maybe 1/32 to make a change. It takes a Allen wrench or big torx bit don't know the size but just used and pair of vise grips clamped tight to loosen them. It will take a few tries to get it right. I think my problem was is the pins were not adjusted to each other and the passenger side was grabbing hard the other. Now I can just close the gate easy where I hear the click now if someone slams it shut like the old heavy tailgates it will take 2 attempts to open. These tailgates are light and don't need to be slammed shut.