Is it just me or is the automatic boot opening on the hatchback complete crap?

I must have spent the best part of 2hrs now waving my foot about under the back bumper, much of it to the enjoyment and big grins from passers by.

It does work very occasionally, about 1 in 200 attempts so I guess the sensor is working but in my opinion it's next to useless!

I have followed the manual diligently, tried both to the left and to the right of the centreline just in case it's a LHD/RHD thing but no joy....☹️

Anyone have an tips?

Only had mine not work once so far.

 

Stand in the middle (ish) of the car and kick your foot from front to back... not side to side.

You need to put you foot under the bumper centrally and in a front to back motion, it does take a second or so to react.

I think this is the problem, if you think it has not reacted because it is not immediate you then frantically start waving your foot about and it will not work in that case.

Do not wave your foot from left to right, just one forward motion front to back centrally and wait a second, you will see the centre brake light illuminate and then it will beep and open.

 

At first I had a few (embarassing) failed atempts but now I can get it to work everytime, if only you could close it in the same way!

 

.....and you need to have the key with you.

Edited 16 April, 201610 yr by philsmith

Only had mine not work once so far.

 

Stand in the middle (ish) of the car and kick your foot from front to back... not side to side.

Yeah, doing that already although I had been waving it side to side before RTFM

Guess I'll have to drop it into the dealer to et the sensor checked out.

By the way, do the doors and/or boot have to be already unlocked before the opener works ?

just curious, I have tried all combinations...

No, I put my work bag into the boot before unlocking the car:

 

Lock the front door of the house and place keys in pocket.

 

Walk to rear of the car

The key needs to be ‘on’ you for it to work

At rear of car ‘kick’ gently somewhere in the centre

Centre brake light and rear indicators flash and alarm beeps, hatch opens, place bag in boot

Step to the drivers side to close hatch via the button on the bottom edge of the hatch (if you are too close the hatch will not close as it may detect you are in the way... which is why I now step to the side, somewhere near the o/s tail light is fine)

Walk round to the drivers door and pull on door handle whist KESSY does ‘its thing’ and unlocks the doors.

Edited 16 April, 201610 yr by Gizmo68

No issues with mine, as previously stated it has to be a "kick" motion or it will not work.

It took me a few tries to figure out but now it works every time.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

No issues with mine. The pocket that the key is in has to be aligned with the rear badge for me, and a swift kick does it every time. Did take some experimentation initially.

No problems with mine. I just flap my foot under the bumper then step back a pace or two and the boot opens within a second or two. It is not instant but always opens. 

I think the problem is that people expect it to be instant and it is not.

So they waggle their foot again which just seems to confuse the system.

It is not instant there is a second or so delay, kick and wait, it works every time for me now.

Edited 16 April, 201610 yr by philsmith

Mine's been fine every time. A kick action and about 2 seconds before the boot opens, plus having the key in your pocket of course.

Thanks for the help guys. Perseverance has paid off, It opens almost every time now! I think I was standing too close, standing just a fraction further back seems to have done the trick

Can concentrate on fitting the rear dashcam now...

Front one took a while to fit, had to reposition due to lousy GPS signal but fine now, all plumbed in via a piggy back fuse.

I've run a 12v feed from the piggy back connection all the way into the boot where I've positioned a second 12v to 5v USB power supply.

Just need to run the USB cable up to the cam and get the camera mount to stick to the black plastic trim behind the high brake light.

First 2 3M pads have refused to stick. Going to clean with methylated spirit and abrade slightly to try to get better adhesion.

Ah yes ! does it have to be the left foot in this country as we drive on the left.... ? ( joke ! )

Mine works perfectly every time!

 if only you could close it in the same way!

 

Actually, it's a stupid idea not to build this in. They "invented" this to make it possible to open the boot when your hands are full. What happens when you lift something out of the boot and need to close it with your hands full? 

They expect you to be tall, and push the button on the tailgate using your nose

Actually, it's a stupid idea not to build this in. They "invented" this to make it possible to open the boot when your hands are full. What happens when you lift something out of the boot and need to close it with your hands full?

There's enough pitchfork waving at the fact it closes electrically at all, never mind with a mere wave of the foot. It would be far too easy to engage it when getting stuff into or out of the boot by accident, rewarding you with a boot lid to the bonce...

Can i add this function later on to the car by buying the necessary part?

Would i need to code it in too?

Closing with "kick" works on my MY17 SIII Estate. Maybe a software upgrade will be available?

Can i add this function later on to the car by buying the necessary part?

Would i need to code it in too?

 

Retro-fitting an electric tailgate will cost a fortune:

2x struts

2x switches 

wiring loom

controller

coding

 

Closing with "kick" works on my MY17 SIII Estate. Maybe a software upgrade will be available?

 

Now this I can see being a safety issue, imagine loading the boot up, it would be very easy for the sensor to detect a kick and close the tailgate.

Now this I can see being a safety issue, imagine loading the boot up, it would be very easy for the sensor to detect a kick and close the tailgate.

 

I doubt it as it is very difficult to get it to open, you have to 'kick' in a certain way, some people wave their legs around all over the palce and it will not open, it is a learned movement.

An way even if it started to close it will stop as soon as it encounters anything.

Edited 6 July, 20169 yr by philsmith

Mine opens really easy a kick anywhere under the car does it... which is just as well as at 3am thats all it would get 

Retro-fitting an electric tailgate will cost a fortune:

2x struts

2x switches 

wiring loom

controller

coding

 

 

Now this I can see being a safety issue, imagine loading the boot up, it would be very easy for the sensor to detect a kick and close the tailgate.

I already have electric tailgate, just need to add virtual pedal to kick 

Possible right?

Yes it should be, you will obviously need the sensor and wiring loom and worst case an upgraded controller and then coding.