[gearhead]

Yesterday, myself and a friend went to Costco after a half-day company health and safety training seminar.
I had a shopping list up the wazoo and he had to return a defective iPOD.
We exited together and he helped me load the Terrain with my purchases.

I opened the power liftgate (which was set to the 3/4 position) with the remote and he's rather tall so he lifted it higher.
I kinda grimaced and said "whoa, I'm not sure if you should be doing that".
He asked why and I explained that's the programmed position for inside the garage.
We figured no harm done since there's probably some kind of positional encoder to keep track of the liftgate 3/4 preset.
It maintained the position after I closed and opened it again and confirmed when I got home that it's still lower than our garage door when the door's raised.

Any thoughts out there?

 

[GARYD]

My dealer showed us how to do that, but I forgot the proceedure. I believe it's in the manual.
I don't think you hurt it.

 

[RIT333]

When you want to change the" 3/4 setting", you manually move it to a different height then re-program it by holding down the open button until the taillights blink , so I would assume it is OK to do that. I hope so, becuase I often move it.

 

[gearhead]

Re: Powered rear lift gate, is it OK to manually force it out of the 3/4 positio

My dealer showed us how to do that, but I forgot the proceedure. I believe it's in the manual.
I don't think you hurt it.

GARYD, we know how to set the 3/4 position, maybe you misunderstood the question or I'm not understanding what you mean by "My dealer showed us how to do that".

From memory, I think you set the liftgate where you want then press and hold the rear "close liftgate" button for 3 seconds to program the 3/4 position, or something like that.
The point I'm trying to make is that my buddy forced the liftgate higher after I'd already opened it to the 3/4 position with the keyfob remote.

I'm wondering whether it's OK to force the liftgate by hand to a desired position other than 3/4 or full open.
I'm guessing it is OK, I can't see any harm being done but better safe to ask than break something LOL!

 

[gearhead]

Re: Powered rear lift gate, is it OK to manually force it out of the 3/4 positio

When you want to change the" 3/4 setting", you manually move it to a different height then re-program it[/color] by holding down the open button until the taillights blink , so I would assume it is OK to do that[/color]. I hope so, becuase I often move it.

That makes sense to me, RIT33.
Thanks for the feedback.
We're going for an oil change soon so we'll ask the Service guys what they think, but it sounds as though it's OK.

I just prefer not to force something unless I really have to LOL!

 

[tbox302]

Re: Powered rear lift gate, is it OK to manually force it out of the 3/4 positio

yeah I think it doesn't really harm it. I ran into the same issue not too long ago on a family trip. We were loading up and I come back out and my father in law says "your tailgate sure is tough to shut". I grimaced on that as well, but haven't noticed any detrimental effects.

 

[Roesterman]

yeah I think it doesn't really harm it. I ran into the same issue not too long ago on a family trip. We were loading up and I come back out and my father in law says "your tailgate sure is tough to shut". I grimaced on that as well, but haven't noticed any detrimental effects.

Reminds me of a friend of mines story. His mother in law drove 15 miles on the highway returning his 2008 Vue and said "your car doesnt go very fast on the highway" ...she had put it in "M"(manual shift) and drove the whole way in first gear! That was over a year ago and he hasnt had any problems..knock on wood!

 

[GARYD]

gearhead, I understood the question, I was alluding to what RITT333 said. You just manully move the gate to where ever you want it and then press some button( I couldn't remember which one).

 

[gearhead]

gearhead, I understood the question, I was alluding to what RITT333 said. You just manully move the gate to where ever you want it and then press some button( I couldn't remember which one).

Gotcha, thanks GARYD!
8)
So it seems the general concensus here is that it is OK to manually move a powered lift gate up and down without harming it?
Whatever the case may be, I'll still ask the Service Techs when we go for an oil change and post back here.
Thanks for the feedback everyone.

 

[dm2010nox]

hey, slightly OT here, but since everyone's talking about the liftgate...does anyone know how the power lift-gate actually works? It doesn't look like there is an electric motor pushing/pulling it. No big ugly (and dangerous) gears/pullies like on the Grand Caravan. Is there something to pressurize/depressurize that cylinder? ideas?

 

[gearhead]

hey, slightly OT here, but since everyone's talking about the liftgate...does anyone know how the power lift-gate actually works? It doesn't look like there is an electric motor pushing/pulling it. No big ugly (and dangerous) gears/pullies like on the Grand Caravan. Is there something to pressurize/depressurize that cylinder? ideas?

Good question, we'll have to do a little poking around, look for hidden wires, etc.
Once you force the liftgate out of the 3/4 programmed position, it moves relatively freely.
Very nice setup, IMHO.
It sure would be great to see some Service Manuals!

 

[Terrain]

hey, slightly OT here, but since everyone's talking about the liftgate...does anyone know how the power lift-gate actually works? It doesn't look like there is an electric motor pushing/pulling it. No big ugly (and dangerous) gears/pullies like on the Grand Caravan. Is there something to pressurize/depressurize that cylinder? ideas?

I wonder too. The leftmost strut has two 'wires' or 'tubes' attached to it - they must be the business end of the setup.

 

[gearhead]

Re: Powered rear lift gate, is it OK to manually force it out of the 3/4 positio

Sometimes, it's easiest to just read the manual LOL!
On page 1-10, the manual states:

3/4 :

The liftgate power opens to a
reduced open height that can be set
by the vehicle operator. Use this
setting to prevent the liftgate from
opening into overhead obstructions
such as a garage door or roof
mounted cargo during power
operation. The liftgate can still be
fully opened manually.[/color]

That's good news, now I won't crouch under as I've been doing all this time.
It didn't matter for the wife or kids, as 3/4 height was enough clearance for them anyway.

 

[Narg]

The power to the lifting is done hydraulically. You shouldn't be able to damage it by moving it, once the power has stopped being applied by the gate. It might act a little different than if opened fully manually though. Opening while the gate is in "Off" position opens the hydraulic system fully so the gate flows easily by hand. While turned on, the hydraulics will limit movement a bit, but won't hurt it if moved.

Hope that helps.

 

[GARYD]

Has anyone tested the lift gate for automatic reversal if there's an obstruction?
I did and I thought it was going to crush my shoulder. It really took a lot of pressure before the gate retracted. I can't imagine that's very safe for kids or pets.
I don't remember anything in the manual on how to adjust the sensitivity like you can do with a garage door opener.