Jump to content

Disabling power tailgate release button

Descartian
 Share

Recommended Posts

Descartian Enthusiast

Descartian

Posted
Posted

I’m about to get a Roll N Lock bed cover and I want to be able to securely store items in my bed. 
 

I love that our trucks have a locking tailgate but it’s Achilles heel is the in cab tailgate release button. You do not need to have the key in the ignition for it to work. Therefore if someone smashed my window they could easily get into my bed. 
 

I haven’t taken apart the dash yet to get to the wiring but is it as easy as unplugging the switch?  Is it also possible to take it from always on to an accessory on power circuit?

 

Last ditch low tech approach would be to put a lock on the inside of the bed where I would have to roll back the cover to unlock the tailgate. 

walshie Enthusiast

walshie

Posted
Posted

Even if you disable switch, wouldn't they just have to press door unlock button to open tailgate

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
shanemoon Enthusiast

shanemoon

Posted
Posted
28 minutes ago, walshie said:

Even if you disable switch, wouldn't they just have to press door unlock button to open tailgate

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

Lmao....probably didn't think of that one.

Descartian Enthusiast

Descartian

Posted
  • Author
Posted
17 minutes ago, shanemoon said:

Lmao....probably didn't think of that one.

Well then there’s that.......  

 

I guess the low tech lock inside the bed is my best option. 

Minnvmax Enthusiast

Minnvmax

Posted
Posted

I would love to disable that dash button. I occasionally hit it accidentally and it is hard on my topper door. I see no need for it whatsoever. 

Troger Enthusiast

Troger

Posted
Posted

Yea it would be nice to be able to disable it.  I would hate to accidentally open it on my closed garage door.

88junior Enthusiast

88junior

Posted
Posted

I hit mine by mistake and the tailgate opened and hit the concrete wall in my parking garage. Minor damage but man was I mad. I'm pretty sure that's the only time that button has been used. 

gemarsh Senior Enthusiast

gemarsh

Posted
Posted

I have not looked to see if it's possible, but could a fella jamb a toothpick in somewhere to keep it from moving? If'n not, maybe jamb it so it pokes your finger when you try to. Maybe hot glue a thumbtack upside down to it. 

 

I use it to drop the gate, backing up to equipment or loading docks. So, I'm glad gm came up with it.

 

But we all use our trucks differently. Need some of these things adjustable under the settings in the center stack.

  • Like 1
Transient Senior Enthusiast

Transient

Posted
Posted

Only issue I've had is the distortion of the backup camera. It makes things look further away than they actually are. I backed into a parking stall at a golf range/batting cages place and used the button to drop my tailgate so my son could get is baseball bag. I thought I was far enough from the vehicle behind me. Nope. Dropped my tailgate onto the hood of a brand new black Ford Ranger. The plastic corner at the top of the tailgate chipped the paint on the hood. I offered to pay for repair, but the guy was cool. So, I felt really bad about it. Now I'm more careful about using that button.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Sjordan Enthusiast

Sjordan

Posted
Posted (edited)

Damn, where are you parking that you are concerned about people smashing your windows?  Most of the time cars are "broken into" they are really just left unlocked and someone gives the handle a jiggle, "breaks in", steals what they can sell quick.  Lock your truck, have an alarm, don't park in shady areas.

Edited by Sjordan
Transient Senior Enthusiast

Transient

Posted
Posted
I live downtown in the 4th largest city in America (Houston).  Smash and grabs are a daily occurrence here. 
I live in off-base military housing. It seems to be a weekly occurrence that a bunch of people are on the community Facebook pages whining about how their car got broken into overnight. It doesn't matter how big or small the community surrounding the military bases are.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

TeamSaris Enthusiast

TeamSaris

Posted
Posted

i accidentally hit mine once. because of the hard cover and some snow/ice, it didnt open. 30 min later driving down a bumpy road, it DID open and with $10k of marine exhaust in the back. thankfully everything stayed put. i didnt realize it had opened until i went to back into the parking space at my destination. i hate that little button.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Forum Statistics

    250.5k
    Total Topics
    2.7m
    Total Posts

  • Member Statistics

    342,965
    Total Members
    8,960
    Most Online
    DaleB
    Newest Member
    DaleB
    Joined

  • Who's Online   6 Members, 0 Anonymous, 1,346 Guests (See full list)

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • jgaudet99
      Tire psi

      By jgaudet99 · Posted

      Yes that's right, it's the upgrade that includes the overload spring and all that stuff.   Someday when I'm empty and going by a scale I'm going to stop in and get some weight readings.   Exactly  you should have the ability to change individual settings, in in Canada so I'm driving with kph but then I'm stuck with kpa when I want psi lol    
    • Chuck FB
      Tire psi

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      You must have that upgraded gvw package which is only available or at least was in 2025 with the diesel engine for the 3/4 ton and that gave the truck physically the larger 12.0 ring gear rear diff and the 3500 rear spring pack. There is a difference in what the diff housing looks like externally as one tell tale and also your truck should have the upper overload spring pack and the frame pads that the pack goes up against.    The pressure the tpms system kicks the alarm in on a stock setting truck, that is a good question and was just from what I recall but I doubt I made any notes on it as I knew for the rear that it was not at all what I was after regardless either. Being that you have a diesel and if running on stock tires the minimum pressure on an empty truck seems to be around 50 psi from hearing of those that have weighted the front axle but the rear axle is very similar in weight to a gas truck and again a near empty truck on the rear could go down to 35 pounds at minimum. However the weigh scale is the proper way to know for sure as a guide.    As to changing the readings on the dash from metric to the US measuring system, oh yes that is done easily but what I was attempting to explain was that I can't pick and choose items I want to have in US and those I still want in the metric system at the same time as its either all or none. For example lets say you drove into Canada and switched your dash over to metric so your speedometer read in km an hour, well then your reading kilopascals on your tpms readout and your wife looks over and says what the hell is that saying in the tpms screen and you say "darned if I know, I think its Chinese" !
    • Chuck FB
      Some Assembly is Required

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      This is partly why I decided to have switched over to Amsoil SS as a way of hopefully preventing the buildup of the sludge/carbon on the pistons and clogging of the oil control rings and the carbon that would cause the compression rings to stick in their grooves as well as stay cleaner up top of the heads in the valve train in the first place, an oil that has tested better by third party testing over typical shelf oil and also doing my best to run relatively short OCI. However in saying that I don't think there is any way to easily prove the oil I was using prior allowed for a buildup at the OCI I was doing, nor in the other direction to make claims the Amsoil is keeping everything clean either. There really isn't a window into the engine is there to know anything for certain even if oil samples were taken for example that showed still healthy oil being dropped out of the oil pan other than engine tear downs that extensive and expensive testing of oils does to actually visually see what is really going on inside the engine. I wish there was some easy method of seeing what is going on but I don't happen to be aware of that if there is.  
    • jgaudet99
      Tire psi

      By jgaudet99 · Posted

      My truck is a ¾ ton but my placard also says 80 for the rear tires, I think I might have the upgraded suspension to the 3500 series maybe.   I put my air down to 60 and the light was still on, and there was no way I was putting over 60 psi in the rear empty and not towing because I knew the actual number Toyo gave me and I didn't wanna ruin the center of my tires!   And you actually can change it in the settings from metric or is and it will show kph or mph then when you go into your tire settings it will be either psi or kpa, but it would be nice to just change it directly on the tire psi page 
    • Grumpy Bear
      Some Assembly is Required

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      Common Sense Assembly   Your driveline is forgiving of the occasional mistake. It will even often forgive the random serious blunder. But it will not forgive a continuous bad habit.      What? Not everything needs to be a five thousand word essay.       

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...