Hi all, I have an intremitant but persistant problem with the tail gate on my Skoda which at times makes me regret buying the thing! At times the door sensor system thinks the tail gate is open. This can manifest itself as an activation of the alarm system when you leave the car locked, or multiple alarms and activiation of the interior lights when driving. This can happen every second you are driving or not at all for a fortnight. This has occured since we purchased the car secondhand from a Skoda main dealer 2.5 months ago. The salesman is of course not interested, and the service department haven't fixed it.

I can't see any switches or sensors and it would look like the sensor or switch is located in the lock assembly.

Anyone any thoughts or experiance of this issue, or do I have a one off??

Yours an disatisfied Skoda owner!!

Moved to general yeti section as not a guide

Are you sure you're actually shutting it properly?

Ours takes a very hefty slam to shut properly - otherwise it looks for all the workd as though it is shut but if you press on it you will realise it is only half-latched.

Others have reported a similar event, and many have found that they aren't shutting it hard enough.

A "cure" has been to leave another door or window open before you close the hatch to relieve the air pressure inside.

I know mine needs a decent effort (ie slam) to close properly otherwise it will look shut but have a bit of movement in the locking mechanism (and show up as unlocked).

 

One of the issues of having a really well built car with virtually no air leaks.

 

I get shouted at by my mate as I close the doors on his Landy Defender with the same effort and they almost come of the hinges!

Are the bump stops are adjustable?  Perhaps someone with a workshop manual could look it up?

 

tom

The tailgate on my FL Yeti needs a very positive "slam" to close. My pre FL Yeti was much more forgiving in this respect. As Llanigraham says it does help if you leave a window a notch open to relieve the air pressure.

 

Fred

Hello Y127329 and welcome to Briskoda.

 

I had exactly the same problem with my new Roomster.  My dealer was rather more helpful and suggested I close the tailgate with a purposeful slam.  Since then (five years ago) the "problem" has never returned.  Hope yours is as easy to solve.

I've found that a hard slam isn't necessarily the answer, as there's sometimes a small bounce.  Pull the tailgate down, then place a hand on the number plate and push it home firmly but not brutally.

I recall watching a chap at a country fair filling his hatch back with helium balloons. Those foil things. He had about 10 inside and was having a time closing the hatch and decided to give it one good slam. The hatch window shattered into a few thousand pieces. So just beware, only slam it a short distance.

This is almost certainly (as mentioned by a few people above) simply down to the car being air-tight - just like the original Beetle.

 

It puzzled me when we bought a new Yeti recently, but there's absolutely no need whatever to slam it shut.  One open window, or a door, and it closes perfectly every single time - dropped from just a few centimetres.

Its a matter of practice. I had a few non closures and bounces to start with but I normally get a suitable amount of slam to close the door now.

 

It will close correctly with enough speed of closure applied.

Are the bump stops are adjustable? Perhaps someone with a workshop manual could look it up?

tom

Yes the stops either side of the tailgate are adjustable. The cover on the "foot" can be prized off revealing a torx screw which when slackened allows the rubber foot to slide out or in as required.

I recall watching a chap at a country fair filling his hatch back with helium balloons. Those foil things. He had about 10 inside and was having a time closing the hatch and decided to give it one good slam. The hatch window shattered into a few thousand pieces. So just beware, only slam it a short distance.

 

Last summer I saw a bloke with a BMW Touring slam his hatch down from fully open - straight on to the lengthy rigid item (might have been a surfboard, can't quite remember) which he had stowed somewhat carelessly inside the car.  Result: shattered read window, glass everywhere.  Another good reason to close the hatch carefully and only slam it for the last few inches.

Hence the need to practice. It virtually always closes first time for me with a push from about a foot off the catch of the right amount to close properly, yet my wife often has to try again as not enough force applied.

Still puzzled by all these reported problems.  Have you actually tried opening a window or a door - problem resolved immediately.   :think:

I had this intermittent fault from new on my '12 reg. Urban.

After closing & locking the tailgate and driving off, occasionally there would be a 'boing' and the MFD would show the tailgate as open. 

On inspection, it was still locked but obviously not shut ( there was about 5mm movement)

It usually happened over a speed bump, pot hole or bad road surface 

To cure it, I could either:

1. Press down hard on the number plate recess to fully close it with a 'click'.
2. Or open it  with a double press on the unlock button of the remote, then slam it shut & re-lock it.

In the end, it was cured at the first service; the dealer adjusted either the rubber bump stops, or the hasp of the lock mechanism (2 Torx screws under the rubber cover)

Not a problem since then, (9) months ago.

I just moved the striker plate a tiny bit.

Two torx screws.

 

Simple and effective.

Now you don't have to give the tailgate a hefy slam to close it and it still seals fine.

 

Think I moved the striker back about 1mm.

Question is... @y127329... have you now been able to close your tailgate and not get the error?