The tail gate has just stopped working on my 2018 estate any ideas I had a message come up check hi level brake light when I stopped the thing wont open you can hear the catch working when you push the button but wont release?plus I've noticed the number plate lights go off when you press the boot button never noticed that before

Sounds like a bad ground connection. PM me your email and i'll send over the wiring diagrams PDF.

All electrical parts inside the tailgate are connected up with a common ground, meaning this one ground has to bear the current of it all. So if it goes bad, the effective available power to the devices is massively reduced. Which would explain why your number plate lights die when you press the boot release button.

The other thing to check would be your battery voltage/health. Although i'd imagine you'd be plagued with lots of other issues if the voltage was low enough to cause this.

Edited 30 May, 20251 yr by Ripmax12345

On 30/05/2025 at 10:37, Ripmax12345 said:

Sounds like a bad ground connection. PM me your email and i'll send over the wiring diagrams PDF.

All electrical parts inside the tailgate are connected up with a common ground, meaning this one ground has to bear the current of it all. So if it goes bad, the effective available power to the devices is massively reduced. Which would explain why your number plate lights die when you press the boot release button.

The other thing to check would be your battery voltage/health. Although i'd imagine you'd be plagued with lots of other issues if the voltage was low enough to cause this.

I've found it the rear wiper o ring where the motor meets the glass has been leaking in and running down the loom into the plugs cleaned up all ok now thanks for your offer of help