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Tailgate doesn't always unlock

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Old 07-09-2019, 09:30 AM
hoopmatch's Avatar
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Tailgate doesn't always unlock

When the Fit gets over 5 mph the doors automatically lock, right?

Well, with mine the tailgate lock doesn't always unlock after I've stopped, turned off the engine and removed the key.

When that happens I turn the key back on and cycle the lock/unlock button. And that always unlocks the tailgate.

I thought perhaps I could solve this problem by removing a fuse.

But my 2015 Fit owner's manual doesn't designate a fuse as being strictly for the automatic locking doors.

Some are labeled in such a way (with acronyms) that it's impossible for the layman to know what they are for.

Can any of you tell me which fuse to pull, if any, to disable the auto locking feature?

Or, failing that, how else I can solve my problem?
 
  #2  
Old 07-09-2019, 10:46 AM
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Originally Posted by hoopmatch
When the Fit gets over 5 mph the doors automatically lock, right?

Well, with mine the tailgate lock doesn't always unlock after I've stopped, turned off the engine and removed the key.

When that happens I turn the key back on and cycle the lock/unlock button. And that always unlocks the tailgate.

I thought perhaps I could solve this problem by removing a fuse.

But my 2015 Fit owner's manual doesn't designate a fuse as being strictly for the automatic locking doors.

Some are labeled in such a way (with acronyms) that it's impossible for the layman to know what they are for.

Can any of you tell me which fuse to pull, if any, to disable the auto locking feature?

Or, failing that, how else I can solve my problem?
My assumption that you do not want to change the current lock/unlock setting, try shutting the tailgate hard to assure that it is shut. Sometimes, a soft shut is not recognized by the locking system.
 
  #3  
Old 08-21-2019, 08:13 AM
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Fix found

I slammed the hatch for a while, as you suggested, and it worked to a point but still wouldn't unlock once in a while.

So I tried something new. I took a handkerchief and cleaned the metal hoop that the hatch latch grabs when it's shut.

The hoop was fairly greasy and left a black stain on my handkerchief (since thrown away).

The hatch works well now even though I'm not slamming it anymore.

Evidently, the circuit that determines whether the hatch gets unlocked or not when they ignition is turned off runs through the latch, and the grease reduced conductivity enough to be a problem.
 
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Old 08-21-2019, 09:45 AM
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seems to be a common honda problem. I had a similar issue with my 1st gen Insight. Short term, if it absolutely won't unlock with the central locking system, you can put your key in the tailgate, and turn it all the way to one side(I believe the right) and it will manually unlock the door. For a more permanent situation, most have had success with spraying some WD-40 in the locking mechanism
 
  #5  
Old 08-22-2019, 05:31 AM
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I'll try the WD-40 as a precaution. But there is no keyhole on the Honda Fit hatch.
 
  #6  
Old 08-23-2019, 02:17 PM
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Are you guys sure the problem is that the tailgate won't always unlock?
I've found that if my tailgate is locked, and I'm opening at the hatch, sometimes the timing has to be right. It kind of catches if I try to open it too quickly. I've kind of learned to press the hatch button, then wait a second beat, then open. Since then opening, closing, locking, unlocking is fine. But if I didn't take that extra second beat, between pressing the button and then opening, I'd assume the hatch wasn't unlocking but it is, it just takes a second.
 
  #7  
Old 08-23-2019, 02:41 PM
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There's no button on the hatch of my 2015 Fit.
 
  #8  
Old 08-23-2019, 05:30 PM
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2016-EX on mine but I'm talking about the hatch assembly itself. the rubber covered insert.
I have keyless entry, but it has been my experience that when opening it, it's automatically locked, but when I press the hatch to open it, sometimes it takes a split second to recognize, if I try to pull up, or open it too quickly, it catches or "remains locked" , which would mimic the symptom that it hasn't "unlocked".

It may be programming differences, but I believe my Hatch if locked, stays locked. Mine doesn't automatically unlock. I have to use the fob to unlock it, or as I usually do, unlock it by pressing the hatch assembly.

After closing the hatch I can unlock or lock all the doors including the hatch- using a button to the right.
This is with keyless entry. May be entirely different if you don't have keyless entry.

Since I now notice you are saying this happens once you remove the key from your ignition, I apologize, I think I'm not comparing the same systems.
 

Last edited by fitchet; 08-23-2019 at 05:39 PM.
  #9  
Old 09-24-2020, 01:16 PM
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I had this problem just a few weeks ago with my 2015 LX. If I was standing at the tailgate, and pressed the Unlock button on the key fob twice, I would hear the tailgate unlock - and then immediately re-lock. My problem was that the hatch release handle had some rust up in the hinge/spring area, which was preventing the handle from returning all the way to the closed position. I had to manually push the release handle back to the closed position, then unlock the tailgate. I sprayed a generous amount of WD-40 up into the handle, particularly the hinge pin and the spring (hold a paper towel to catch what drips out, to keep it off the paint). It's a bit messy, but it's a simple solution that works.
 
  #10  
Old 09-26-2020, 10:22 PM
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i sprayed alot of oily crap at my handle last week when someone posted a similar problem
 
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