Blanket caught in the rear liftgate latch. Now can't open.

I slammed the rear liftgate closed and did not notice a blanket was covering the latch.
Now, the blanket is totally stuck as a lot of cloth got jammed hard into that latch.
The liftgate is closed, but slightly ajar, and I can not reopen it.
From the outside, 2 of us tried to stick our fingers into the gap and yank, while one hand held the handle up in the open position. Nothing.
Being mindful of not snapping the plastic liftgate handle.

When I turn the key to unlock the hatch, it sounds like nothing is blocked.
I can hear the normal latch clunk unlocking on the inside.

Any idea how to proceed?

Get a torch and try to burn out the stuck cloth?
Get a friend to hold the latch open and kick from the inside?
Pull off the panel from the inside and try to get the cloth free?

I have a bad feeling about this one.

i like the torch idea.

Try the push pull method..push the button in push on the hatch to relieve the stress and pull on it to open, it might take a few hard try's but it's always worked for me...

This is full of win.....


Try an awl..... Oh, wait.......

torch. preferably the oxy-acetaline flavor. bigger flame the better. If you can burn the plastic and carpet in the area it will give you better acces.

I agree, torch all the way

Ok, it seems like Naxja consensus is torch all the way.

Just to be safe, since torching can have the biggest side effects,
I'm going to get some 2nd opinions and see whose expert advice makes most sense.

This happened to me once. After trying everything I could think of, I concluded that I did not have the special tools or expertise to handle this advanced repair so I took it to a qualified mechanic.

I got an estimate from the dealer and a local shop. Both appeared to be unreasonably expensive. I took it back home and began to research my options. Becareful, there are a lot of self proclaimed experts on the Internet with good intentions, but they simply don't understand the difficulty of this advanced repair.

I eventually succeeded with this repair, it did involve taking a 6 month leave from my "top 5%" career. Start by jacking up the front end, that will help with your leverage angles. Then remove the oil filter adapter and the O2 sensor to reduce the pressure on the hatch, you may need to pull the heater control light bulbs as this will reduce inside cabin temperatures.

Next, be sure your hatch is unlocked. Depress the hatch release button and pull the hatch toward you. (Be careful not to rock the XJ offthe jackstands)

Note: that depending on your blanket, this may require freakishly strong, blue collar grip and strength. You may need to employ a small team of experienced jeep mechanics to get this done.

Most XJ owners would typically consider this to be an advanced, dealer only repair item. Though the costs may be prohibitive and may just warrant parting out your XJ.

I would recommend torch but it seems you don't want to hold it within 3 feet of your delicate face. I suggest you ask the Pirate board what they think.

bimmerjeeper said:

Ok, it seems like Naxja consensus is torch all the way.

Just to be safe, since torching can have the biggest side effects,
I'm going to get some 2nd opinions and see whose expert advice makes most sense.

Oh, and anyone who gives intentionally misleading advice to a beginner is a true POS.

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Hope you don't have power door locks...disconnect the battery first, and have a fire ext handy... Being a newer xj I'm sure that plastic panel unscrews/pops loose, I'd remove that first

MaxxXJ said:

Hope you don't have power door locks...disconnect the battery first, and have a fire ext handy... Being a newer xj I'm sure that plastic panel unscrews/pops loose, I'd remove that first

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Yes, I think it's a power lock. When I turn the hatch key, the tumbler definitely feels like it's power assisted, and not just mechanical.

I will first try taking apart the inside panel and see if I can get any sort of access to the latch area. I know it can not come fully off because there are side screws. In fact, the only exposed screws I see are 4 above the window, near the roof headliner. I can't imagine they are the only thing holding the entire inner plastic liftgate panel on, but I'll start with those.

Unbolt the lock catch from underneath. That should give you enough play

bimmerjeeper said:

Yes, I think it's a power lock. When I turn the hatch key, the tumbler definitely feels like it's power assisted, and not just mechanical.

I will first try taking apart the inside panel and see if I can get any sort of access to the latch area. I know it can not come fully off because there are side screws. In fact, the only exposed screws I see are 4 above the window, near the roof headliner. I can't imagine they are the only thing holding the entire inner plastic liftgate panel on, but I'll start with those.

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Just like all new cars they are popped together using plastic pop clips... Even my 89 is mostly pop clips

I have a very bad feeling about this one. The person who was joking about parting out the XJ b/c of this might not be that far off base.

The hatch really has zero play or give. Moving it back and forth is not working. It's stuck hard. Also, I really don't think the outside liftgate door handle feels attached to anything. It doesn't feel like anything is releasing when I pull up. Do you think the inner mechanism might have gotten jammed or broken when the blanket got in the way of closing fully? I slammed the liftgate down hard, and it's got about 1/2" gap still. That means a lot of blanket stopped that heavy liftgate in its tracks. If that outside liftgate handle is doing nothing, maybe the liftgate is still hooked closed? If so, no amount of kicking or prybar will open this thing, right? Then what??

Also, I am having trouble removing the huge inside liftgate plastic panel. I was able to remove the 4 screws at the roof, and the 2 deep Torx screws in the liftgate grab handle at the bottom. But, I see a 2 screws about midway up on the extreme right and left side. These are impossible to unscrew with the hatch closed. Since they are in the middle, I don't think I can remove the inner plastic panel. I also don't really know how to pop off the bottom. Normally, you have room for a pry bar. Here, all you have is a crevice you can just stuck your fingers into. Can anyone give me some ideas on exactly what to do to remove the inside plastic?

All I can think of is to somehow cut away a small 3x3" area of plastic that directly covers the latch area. I need to buy a dremel anyway, or I can use a soldering gun as a makeshift saw. Once I expose the latch, maybe I can pick away at the cloth. I can then wait for a parted out 98 XJ and get another inside plastic panel. What an ugly solution, but at least it's a possibility.

IslanderOffRoad said:

Unbolt the lock catch from underneath. That should give you enough play

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Thanks for this idea. I did look up from underneath the bumper, and did see 2 bolts near the latch. Are these the 2 bolts holding the bottom latch in place? Should I just fully unbolt them and release the liftgate open? Wouldn't this be an obvious security flaw when designing a car? If this works, the bottom latch will no longer hold the liftgate closed, and maybe it will be easier to pick out the cloth with it just dangling from the hook?

crimsondragon said:

I suggest you ask the Pirate board what they think.

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Now that's a great idea. :roflmao:

What I would really do is cut the blanket really short, as much as possible, then syringe on some full strength bleach onto the blanket edge and let it 'wick in' and saturate the blanket. Leave it a day and the bleach will eat the blanket and then use the hatch lever and push and pull method to open, Rinse the bleach off.

Thanks Marty. Your idea seems safer than the torch method. I will try this before I hack open the inside panel. But, before I cut the cloth, leaving nothing to potentially grab onto, I am also going to keep trying to push down as hard as I can to get it to fully seat again. I will also try kicking it next time I have a visitor.

YES!! I got it open! Someone on another forum suggested to lift the handle and press DOWN very hard in order to fully close the liftgate. The handle apparently doesn't work if it's only partly latched. I pressed down hard, then I'd turn the key again, and try to open it. I did this a couple of times, and it eventually worked! By pressing down, I somehow got the latch to fully seal, and then pulling up on the handle disengaged it. It seems my latch now sticks, maybe something got knocked out of whack when it jammed, but I'll take it.

Now, I can focus on why I was using the liftgate in the first place! To install the 4 OEM Ecco wheels I just picked up for $150. They have 235's on them. They are significantly more larger than the 225's than I was expecting. 2 tires are toast, and the other two are 7/32 and 9/32. These Ecco's will be a major improvement from my rusted and primered Steelies that will now be replaced.

I would try to kick it open from inside. Someone has to pull the handle outside while someone kicks from the inside. You will probable break the inside panel but you should be able to get one from the junk yard cheap if you do. If you break inner panel you will have access to the latch inside the gate. Personally I don't think the bleach thing is a good idea as bleach is corrosive to metal.

alfman said:

Personally I don't think the bleach thing is a good idea as bleach is corrosive to metal.

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Ahh, Is that why they sell non-chlorinated engine de-greaser?