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by **Stoned** on Sun Aug 03, 2003 5:12 pm

As usual my tailgate remote release was not working today when I needed to open the boot.
I remembered someone saying on here that it was due to a faulty earth between the door and the main body of the car so I decided to put it to the test.

I got a jug of water and poured it into the gap over the hinges and pressed the button...

And would you believe it the door opened straight away, and continued to do so until the hinges had dried again.
Hmm well that explains the tailgate problem anyhow.

What can I use to make a better connection on the hinge. I was thinking some kind of electrical grease?

It needs to last so nothing that will dry out in a week!

Any suggestions?

by **8skellerns** on Sun Aug 03, 2003 5:44 pm

Try knocking the hinge pins back and forth a few times, usually works a treat!

by **Daniel** on Sun Aug 03, 2003 5:53 pm

Coppa slip?? I use it on the battery contacts, im having trouble with my rear wiper juddering. I will try some copperslip and let you know.

by **Stoned** on Mon Aug 04, 2003 2:26 pm

Ok mate, Ill try that and bashing the pins about

by **Sparky** on Mon Aug 04, 2003 3:52 pm

What a crap design!!

I was messing around with my boot release yesterday and spent ages trying to figure out which of the contacts was for the earth!?!?

Eventualluy realised that none of them were!

I am probably going to make my own small earth strap to connect the boot to the car body just next to one of the hinges. At least that way I can be pretty sure that it wont give me any more trouble.

by **Tom SX** on Mon Aug 04, 2003 5:58 pm

Sparky :What a crap design!!

I was messing around with my boot release yesterday and spent ages trying to figure out which of the contacts was for the earth!?!?

Eventualluy realised that none of them were!

I am probably going to make my own small earth strap to connect the boot to the car body just next to one of the hinges. At least that way I can be pretty sure that it wont give me any more trouble.

Couldn't belive you were right mate, checked the haynes manual and low and behold :O You were spot on. Shocking design considering the front doors power gear has its own earth running back! Definately a good idea running an earthing strap imo

by **Stoned** on Mon Aug 04, 2003 6:48 pm

Yes I thought of an earthing wire too. The problem is where would you put it?

You could drill a small hole for a screw on the tailgate as there are hollow areas, but on the main body it's not so easy. Only thing I could think of was strip off a little paint and solder the wire onto the bodywork.

No idea if that would work though

by **Excursion** on Mon Aug 04, 2003 11:35 pm

Brasso - polish the contacts and pins ya lazy get

by **Stoned** on Tue Aug 05, 2003 8:27 am

I did all that mate. They are so clean you can see your face in them

by **Excursion** on Tue Aug 05, 2003 8:51 am

I take it they're still not working then?

by **Stoned** on Tue Aug 05, 2003 10:53 am

I put a new contact plate on too. No I did everything I can think of as regards the plate and pin. It cant be the problem there anymore. As I said above i believe the problem is a faulty earth between the hinges of the tailgate and the main body of the car.

I proved it using my scientific experiment of pouring a jug of water over the hinges when the door didnt open.

by **Excursion** on Tue Aug 05, 2003 11:43 am

Are the hinges rusty?

by **Excursion** on Tue Aug 05, 2003 11:43 am

Are the hinges rusty? Spray them with wd40

by **Stoned** on Tue Aug 05, 2003 1:17 pm

Nope they are spotless mate.

Rust on a ex concours car?!
Not a chance

I personally think it has a bad contact from where it was resprayed. Maybe a little too much paint on the hinge. But then again that was a few years ago so you should have thought it would have worked clean by now

fiestaturbo.com

Electrical grease?

Electrical grease?