I have need to remove and replace the tailgate on a mk3 pre facelift estate.

 

I don’t suppose anyone has instructions or a guide so I can assess whether it’s a DIY (with one other person) job or a garage/body shop job.

 

Thanks

It should be doable, if you have tools, time, patience, a garage or similar, or else good weather for a few hours. You could probably do it on your own - the tailgate isn't as heavy as you might think, but for aligning it it may require two people.

 

I had to replace mine, on a 2016 estate, after 'someone' managed to reverse it into the open tailgate of my pickup...although I actually had a bodyshop finally remove and replace with the replacement one I sourced from a breaker, I stripped the old one to save some labour costs.

 

Start by undoing the torx screw under the pull strap on the tailgate trim. This is the only screw for this whole section. Start near the latch and use a trim removal tool to unclip along the bottom and up the sides.It should then pull up and off, towards the roof.

 

You are then left with a trim around the screen. There are two plastic fixings at the bottom, on each side - you need to drill these out or simply force the middle pin through into the tailgate. Unclip the rest. 

 

Now you can start undoing all the electrical connections - not a bad idea to photograph it all to help with reassembly! The rear wiper motor, tailgate release button, camera if fitted, and the number plate lights all come out pretty easily. 

 

The high level brake light and screen washer jet need to be disconnected; there are two plastic clips that hold the electrical connector to the brake light, these slide inwards towards each other to release. The light itself seems to be bonded or sealed in to the recess - you may need some heat or a blade to release it before it pushes free from inside.

 

After this, it's a case of threading the loom/wires back through the tailgate to the rubber bellows at the top - this just pulls free of the bodywork. (You may well need some strimmer line or similar to get all these wires back down through the tailgate during reassembly.)

 

Remove your number plate, badges etc from the outside, then start to loosen off the hinges. (These are pretty big torx bolts from memory, maybe T45? Best check though, I've sold my car!) When they are almost out, remove the struts by unclipping them each end. Ask someone to hold the tailgate, or prop it carefully whilst you remove the hinges and pull the wiring out. Reassemble in reverse order.

 

It's not massively difficult, but it does take time!