Noise (rattle) from rear electric tailgate - wagon

[slipshot]

Chaps

Just want to see if anyone has experienced a rattle from a rear tailgate on a Passat with the electronic opening one? About two months ago a rattle started from the rear. Nothing that would have caused it such as a knock but it was incessant - regardless of weather, hot or cold. I took a lot of the back out trying to find it but could not. My father jumped in the back and could identify the rough area but no more.

Took it to a VW specialist. After some hunting (and full credit to them) and having looked underneath which was my initial concern, they pulled off the rear plastic (tailgate) cover, inside the car, exposing the locking mechanism and after some work, showed me how when the tailgate is closed, push on the right, to the right of the wiper motor, and it's fine. Push on the left and there's the rattle.

It would appear the adjustment of the locking mechanism has just crept over a certain 'threshold' causing the tightness (or lack of it with the tailgate shut to mean that the most minor of chassis twist causes the rattle.

And therefore, wondered if anyone else had ever experienced this or whether I'm just a freak?

Thanks

Andy

[Hillbilly]

No Have creaky hinges in the roof but thats all

[slipshot]

Ok, thought I'd update this after about $800 plus trying to find and fix the issue. Most expensive rattle ever - for me.

Two things appeared to have caused it. Unrelated to each other, but interesting none the less.

The first was in the tailgate itself and one side seemed to have a small area where there was no welding and therefore some abaility to creak/groan when flexing - so if you pushed the rear tailgate, when closed, on the nearside it would make the noise. I did not do this on the off-side. The dealer (VW specialist) used various remedies such as flexible sealant to reduce the noise which did work. Cost about $250 in time.

The noise was substantially better but I had still had a rattle, so decided to bite the bullet and book it into a VW dealer to get their thoughts. First thing was for them to hear it - and they could - easily. My paranoia was now better! After a bill of %561, which I did authorize, they found that the issue was caused by the electric tailgate motor being loose in it's mountings. So while they have replaced the actual motor before, he said in all his years he had never seen a loose one. And it was nice driving home last night in almost silence!

Hope this helps...

[slipshot]

Oh blimey - noise is back. Within a day or two it emerges, shakes it ugly little head and gives me two fingers. So back into the dealer it goes... this is going to bug me. More than it already has. I'm just writing this to keep my sanity.

[Hillbilly]

so what happened in the end