Opening the tailgate or front trunk if the 12v battery is dead?

[HI Zeus]

Day 5 with my Lightning and something occurred to me when opening the tailgate. The latch appears to be 100% electronic, ONLY (unless I'm missing something). Really, the tailgate of my TRUCK?
Ditto for the front trunk.

A few years back my 2013 Hybrid Kia Optima's 12v battery died. It lives (and died) in the trunk area, which has an electronic button to open. (Anyone seeing the problem here?) Apparently at the time of designing, building and introducing the vehicle, no one at Kia did!

Eventually I called the dealership to ask what the "secret" was. The service manager started with, "yeah, that's an issue with those..." There WAS a bit of a work-around thank goodness, it required lowering the backseat armrest to access the small opening (ski etc. pass thru) and then use a very long pole 3+ feet to stab the "help I'm locked in the trunk tab" to release it. 10 minutes later (it ain't easy) I had the trunk open.

There is no "armrest" or similar to the tailgate (I have a Tonneau cover) or front trunk of the Lightning (that I'm aware of). I guess if I do have a similar situation I could just look for the solution in my owners manual... OH WAIT, it only exists in the computer system so it will also be dead!

Someone please tell me that Ford DID think about this, especially for the front trunk of course.

Obviously, I am an "old guy" with old guy ideas, but in my "many" years on this planet I have found that "convenience" features are only so when they work. When they cease to work, they can more than make up for all those times you didn't have to go to ALL of the trouble of manually lifting the handle to release a latch.

I'd love it if I could open both of these without electronics (it's a TAILGATE for Pete's sake!), but I suspect you all will tell me this is not the case.

Well?

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[Heliian]

Download a copy of the owners manual on pdf to your phone. Tons of great information in there, including how to open the frunk without power. Tailgate still requires 12v power unless you disassemble it.

 

[chl]

Frunk: thee is a manual pull in the truck:

1. Open the left-hand front door.
2. Open the access door.
3. Pull the service release strap from the
panel to release the primary latch.
4. Pull the service release strap again to
release the frunk.
5. Lift the frunk. The struts support the
frunk.

The tailgate: Take the back panel off as these videos show:

How to open when battery is dead and tail gate is stuck:


Around minute 4 of this video, shown is how thieves are opening tailgates to steal taillights from f-150's:


Another one about thieves stealing taillights:


Around minute 4 of this video:


The theft thing has become a problem in some areas, like steal catalytic converters.
So if you see the taillights on sale cheap on eBay for example, be aware they might be stolen.

 

[steveo]

I had the same question about a 2020 Dodge Charger I purchased as the battery was in the trunk and there were only electronic releases for it and no way into the trunk from the interior. There was a hood release though and the main battery cable came from the trunk to under the hood and had a junction you could connect jumper cables to before it went to the starter and fuse block. Most new vehicles that have the battery anywhere other than under the hood have a similar setup.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Let me play F150 Lightning Airlines Cabin Steward .................. you know where I'm going with this!?!

ALL new owners should familiarize themselves with basic and crucial procedures operating this spaceship of a truck before SHTF.

 

[HI Zeus]

Frunk: thee is a manual pull in the truck:

1. Open the left-hand front door.
2. Open the access door.
3. Pull the service release strap from the
panel to release the primary latch.
4. Pull the service release strap again to
release the frunk.
5. Lift the frunk. The struts support the
frunk.

The tailgate: Take the back panel off as these videos show:

How to open when battery is dead and tail gate is stuck:


Around minute 4 of this video, shown is how thieves are opening tailgates to steal taillights from f-150's:


Another one about thieves stealing taillights:


Around minute 4 of this video:


The theft thing has become a problem in some areas, like steal catalytic converters.
So if you see the taillights on sale cheap on eBay for example, be aware they might be stolen.

I had seen the manual release for the trunk, (I figured it was either that or for the tailgate) but after a little messing with it didn't get any result (I didn't want to get too aggressive and break anything), and I didn't feel like taking a screen-time deep-dive while sitting in the truck to figure it out at that moment. (I'd much prefer a paper manual that I can read by kerosene light while sitting in my rocking chair.) "Soon" I will spend some quality time sitting in the truck reading the manual on the screen.

I actually REALLY appreciate knowing I can open the tailgate with the access hole in the bed (although I wouldn't be able to get to it with the soft Tonneau cover on). I just hate the idea of being SOL when electronics fail, especially things that I know don't need to be dependent on electronics.

 

[chl]

I had seen the manual release for the trunk, (I figured it was either that or for the tailgate) but after a little messing with it didn't get any result (I didn't want to get too aggressive and break anything), and I didn't feel like taking a screen-time deep-dive while sitting in the truck to figure it out at that moment. (I'd much prefer a paper manual that I can read by kerosene light while sitting in my rocking chair.) "Soon" I will spend some quality time sitting in the truck reading the manual on the screen.

I actually REALLY appreciate knowing I can open the tailgate with the access hole in the bed (although I wouldn't be able to get to it with the soft Tonneau cover on). I just hate the idea of being SOL when electronics fail, especially things that I know don't need to be dependent on electronics.

Yes I agree.

I carry one of those window breaking tools on a flash light nowadays in case I end up powerless with the windows closed underwater! Although I generally avoid driving through standing water during a flood, or taking my eyes off the road on a curvy road next to a river...but accidents happen.

I avoided the power tailgate option (not available in a Pro?) but I did add a tailgate assist ($25 on Amazon) to slow down the lowering of the tailgate and assisting in the raising:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NJ7RJV...ED5LTOTSR&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

It even came with the tools to install it! Very easy.

I guess one could always cut the tonneau cover in an emergency - and fix it with Gorilla Tape later?

 

[HI Zeus]

Yes I agree.

I carry one of those window breaking tools on a flash light nowadays in case I end up powerless with the windows closed underwater! Although I generally avoid driving through standing water during a flood, or taking my eyes off the road on a curvy road next to a river...but accidents happen.

I avoided the power tailgate option (not available in a Pro?) but I did add a tailgate assist ($25 on Amazon) to slow down the lowering of the tailgate and assisting in the raising:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NJ7RJV...ED5LTOTSR&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

It even came with the tools to install it! Very easy.

I guess one could always cut the tonneau cover in an emergency - and fix it with Gorilla Tape later?

So the Pro version has a good ol’ “use my HAND” to open the tailgate design? I alternated between the XLT and the Pro trim level for quite a while. Had I known about this tailgate technology, that would’ve been another point for Pro.

It gives me hope that I might be able to retrofit the “antiquated” design on to my truck. The brief Internet search I did led me to believe that all F150s had the electronic lock now.

 

[chl]

So the Pro version has a good ol’ “use my HAND” to open the tailgate design? I alternated between the XLT and the Pro trim level for quite a while. Had I known about this tailgate technology, that would’ve been another point for Pro.

It gives me hope that I might be able to retrofit the “antiquated” design on to my truck. The brief Internet search I did led me to believe that all F150s had the electronic lock now.

Yes, that's correct, the Pro has the electronic lock.

My 2001 Ranger had no lock on the tailgate at all, and some nights teenagers roaming the neighborhood would open it and leave it down.

 

[Scorpio3d]

Yes, that's correct, the Pro has the electronic lock.

My 2001 Ranger had no lock on the tailgate at all, and some nights teenagers roaming the neighborhood would open it and leave it down.

Probably just needed a place to sit down and take a little break

 

[chl]

Probably just needed a place to sit down and take a little break

Ha, I wish!

I had parked it where the security cameras couldn't see exactly what happened - they approached my wife's Prius first, tried the door - locked - then went to the back of my truck, I guess opened the tailgate to see the bed was empty, then to the front door which I could see on the camera - tried the door - locked - then continued down the street to try other vehicles.

Unfortunately there were some people who did not lock their car doors and stuff was stolen, mostly small things of no importance but one unlocked SUV had a baseball teams gloves, bats and balls, which were taken.

After that I posted signs saying no trespassing and that the property is under 24 hour video surveillance. Most of the time at night I just see foxes and raccoons, sometimes a skunk, sometimes a field mouse - the raccoons are the mischief-makers getting into trash cans and pulling my pond fountain apart now and then which empties the pond!

One time a few years ago (in the 1990's) some one took my muddy boots which I had left on the driveway to clean later, and they ended up hanging from the telephone lines down the street. I missed those old Sear boots too! I never understood the point, but then when I was a teen I 'probably' did similar non-sense (not going to confess here).

The mob stealing (where a large group of people show up to a store and overwhelm the staff and steal stuff en masse) has gotten so bad around here, all the stores are closing no later than 10pm and have more security during the day.

Such is life in the suburbs on planet earth.

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