A different kind of XJ tailgate not opening issue

In spring '09 I had the tailgate seize on me, and I pulled the interior trim and popped it open with a screwdriver. Easy.:guitar:

Well I opened it about a week ago and it worked okay, and now it won't open at all. The button presses in, but nothing happens. The screwdriver trick from the inside doesn't work, either. The latch part that wraps around the catch stud doesn't move more than 1mm or so either way. So I know it's not rusted in place. I applied some PB and tried again right away, same results.

Maybe I'll try again tomorrow.

The lock was seized up, you can put the key in but not turn it. It's been that way for about a year now, so I just back up to a wall or lightpole to secure the rear.

Any help is appreciated.
-matt:viking:

Haven't had to do this yet, but there should be some sort of a release on the latch mechanism that you can trigger by hand with the trim removed. There is on the side door latches anyways :dunno:

I say go to a junkyard and pull one in good shape, degrease it, regrease it with new fresh lithium grease, then spend some time looking at it and figuring out how the lockout works and how to circumvent it. On the side doors, all the lock lever does is push the open/close lever far enough to the side so that it can't strike the actual unlatch trigger, which you can hit with one finger if you pull the trim and know where to poke.

If it's a pre-97 you can get an open end or ratcheting box wrench between bumper and body, and remove the nuts that hold the latch pin, and that should allow you to get the tailgate open. I am guessing that once you get it open and apart, you'll find some rusted part. Make sure the lock mechanism hasn't rusted, shifted, broken or otherwise caused it to think it's locked.