Bryan Williams
Member
- Messages
- 1,232
- Location
- Manchester England
Went to open the tailgate on my van ,when it's locked there is no resistance from the pull up latch,turn the key to unlock gives resistance and on pulling up the catch releases and door opens.
Yesterday once I turned the key still no resistance, door wouldn't open.
Turned the key with too much pressure and it dropped the latch,gave some resistance and the door opened.Got the back panel off , nothing bent or worn.
Gave it a good blast of Plus gas in the barrel and workings.
Then oiled it.
Working fine now.
I found the bar that springs the latch and could operate it manually from the back.
But I have a steel kitchen pod and bed behind the tailgate and if it fails again I cannot get to it from the inside.
Now I noticed that the latch bar passes right behind the number plate.
If I cut a hole behind the plate I could operate the latch in emergency by taking the no.plate off.
I have heard that on these vans if you take the no.plate bulb fitting out you can reach the latch with a bent coat hanger but it doesn't look easy
We are going to a festival this weekend so don't want to be locked out.
As I haven't seen a wire coat hanger in twenty years do you reckon chopping a hole in a 23 year old van is okay or a bit of a bodge?
Yesterday once I turned the key still no resistance, door wouldn't open.
Turned the key with too much pressure and it dropped the latch,gave some resistance and the door opened.Got the back panel off , nothing bent or worn.
Gave it a good blast of Plus gas in the barrel and workings.
Then oiled it.
Working fine now.
I found the bar that springs the latch and could operate it manually from the back.
But I have a steel kitchen pod and bed behind the tailgate and if it fails again I cannot get to it from the inside.
Now I noticed that the latch bar passes right behind the number plate.
If I cut a hole behind the plate I could operate the latch in emergency by taking the no.plate off.
I have heard that on these vans if you take the no.plate bulb fitting out you can reach the latch with a bent coat hanger but it doesn't look easy
We are going to a festival this weekend so don't want to be locked out.
As I haven't seen a wire coat hanger in twenty years do you reckon chopping a hole in a 23 year old van is okay or a bit of a bodge?