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Disable Power Tailgate Actuator

DustMcGrath
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DustMcGrath Enthusiast

DustMcGrath

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2025 Silverado 1500 High Country with power tailgate (non multi flex). Looking for a way to delete the power raise/lower feature and have the tailgate operate in the same way it would on a lower trim model without the power actuator. It seems like it should be possible because in some situations you can raise and lower it without the actuator assist and it feels just like the normal manual tailgate. 

 

I don't really have a use for this feature, and what I'm trying to be able to do is open the tailgate just a few inches to access the tonneau cover latch in situations where the tailgate can't open all the way (backed in against a fence, bike hitch rack installed). You can press the tailgate button a second time to stop the motion, but sometimes the actuator will resume if you subsequently lower the tailgate a little bit. It's already gone rogue on me once and gotten a pretty good scratch against a bike pedal. The only other way I've found to stop it is to block its motion, but that can't be good for the actuator in the long term. 

 

Does anyone know any kind of button-pushing cheat code to disable it? 

 

I tried unplugging the harness from the actuator, but somehow the actuator is tied into the logic for the latch. Having the actuator unplugged prevents the tailgate from unlatching and opening. 

 

Unless there's an easier way, it shouldn't be too hard to install a switch that would interrupt power to actuator motor, essentially allowing you to toggle the feature on and off. Does anyone know where to find a wiring diagram for the tailgate harnesses? 

 

Any ideas are appreciated. Thanks for the help. 

 

 

 

 

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kickass audio Enthusiast

kickass audio

Posted
Posted

I don't think there's a real way to stop it. I was lucky one time where I opened the tailgate and didn't let it finish opening all the way and pulled it shut as it was still opening. This caused the tailgate to lock itself out and I couldn't get the bastard open until I went back out to my truck a half hour later. When it locked out, it would not pulse the locks to unlock the tailgate but the parking lights would flash and the door speakers would chime like normal for an unlocked tailgate but it wouldn't budge.

 

With that knowledge and experience I had, I think if you defeat the motor you would likely not be able to just remove the connector going to the motor as I would imagine it would still cause you to not be able to release the lock on each side of the tailgate.

 

Your only options I believe are to push the button to get it to start opening and press it again to stop the motion and let it go free range, don't open it up too far because the tilt sensor would see you're opening/closing it and begin engaging the motor again. Or you could open the tailgate and as it's opening, pull up on it to make resistance and it will give an error beep at the tailgate but it would stop the motion and as long as you don't tilt the tailgate too much the tilt sensor will not engage and tell it to open/close further again.

 

My experience is if you force the tailgate, it thinks something is in the way and it stops the motor in that direction. Example, you're opening it and you pull the tailgate upward like you're closing it, it will stop it from trying to re-engage the opening sequence until you latch the tailgate shut again BUT it will let you tilt it up and it will engage the motor to shut it.

DustMcGrath Enthusiast

DustMcGrath

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@kickass audio, everything you said matches the experience I've had so far. You can definitely work around it if you know exactly how it works. I'd love to find a way to simplify it for people who aren't experts in defeating GM power assist technology (like anybody but me trying to open the tailgate and not damage it). 

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