Troubleshooting A Malfunctioning Pop & Lock Tailgate Lock On A 2017 Honda Ridgeline

Updated 02/06/2023 | Published 02/03/2023

Question:

PAL8600 installed on a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. Install went fine, including hooking into the automatic locks. Now, approximately 10 months later, the lock will not stay locked. The actuator makes a audible click, but then immediately unlocks as if something is preventing the arm from locking. With the tailgate cover removed, nothing appears to be causing it.

asked by: Carl C

Expert Reply:

Since it's all of a sudden not working that leads me to believe that you may just have a loose connection for your wiring or possibly some corrosion. The actuator for the Pop & Lock Custom Tailgate Lock # PAL8600 uses bullet connectors so they could have loosened up over time from bumps in the road. Depending on how you ran the wiring harness you could also have it pinching the wire and could have cut through the casing. I recommend checking the wiring starting at the lock and working your way up to the power source to ensure there's no damage.

If you used the quick-splices that came in your kit then those could also be the cause of this issue. They typically don't get the best contact with wiring so you'll want to gently pull side to side to pull the casing back and get more wire contact with the metal strip inside the quick-splice.

expert reply by: Kevin C