Rear Taligate 740 Volvo Estate

We have 2 240 Estate cars - I imagine the mechanism is similar. I have worked on them several times.

For the 240, with the door open, remove the plastic handle on the inside, then the plastic cover plate, then the door's inside cover panel. This lets you get at the mechanism as long as you have flexible wrists and fingers.

Twice, the link rod from the key mechanism to the latch detached itself. This way, turning the key causes NO change in the latch, leaving it locked for use from the outside. The link rod is held on with a clip. You might want to replace the clip if it seems weak (if you can find it in the bottom of your door!)

I'd also recommend some lubricant, just on general principle. One of ours is getting very stiff and dry, lube would help if I took the time to get in there.

NOTE: The child-proof lock device is a small lever on the underside of the door itself. Flipping this disables the inside door latch. If you flip that, and the outside access isn't working, you can be in bigger trouble. So be careful!

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not hereplease@not here.com wrote:

If I sit in the boot with the central on I can open the tailgate from the inside.

The childlock is not engaged, is there a solenoid in the back door that releases when the drivers door key is operated

Assuming that you have electric locks this worked for me. Push the tailgate opening lever forward first. Lock and unlock all doors from the driver side. Open the tailgate and make sure that the lever returns to forward position. This mechanism often gets corroded.

Regards,

Boris Mohar

Got Knock? - see: Viatrack Printed Circuit Designs

I'm pretty sure that in the 240 a small motor works the power door locks, though I suppose a solenoid could also do the job. It (and the other power lock motors) are operated via the driver's door lock button and/or key, as you described.

In any case, the electrical device in the tailgate moves the same rod that the keylock moves. The rod is attached to the motor and key lock at one end, and to a part of the latch assembly at the other end. This rod enables or disables the outside thumb button. If the rod is detached at either end, the outside thumb button won't open the door, (mechanism stays in the locked position) but the inside latch device will. That's a good thing!

In my case, a heavy slam of the door caused the spring clip to pop off and let go of the rod. It takes some patience and flexible hands to get in there, but worth the effort.

Boris Mohar wrote another suggestion in his post, which might do the trick. Nobody has written (yet) that the 740 mechanism is different from the 240 design. If Boris' method doesn't work, have some courage and go in there, or you can have someone else do that.

Good luck! Bruce Pick

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ not hereplease@not here.com wrote:

I now find that occasionally the tailgate will open from the outside as normal. This would lead me to think maybe the problem is electrical

Try this