Tailgate courtesy light

hicky70 · Oct 17th, 2022, 10:30

My car has now failed to start twice over the past two weeks with a seemingly dead battery.
I noticed the courtesy light in the boot roof liner was on as I was driving.
I'm fairly sure that's the cause of the fail however I'll throw a current clamp on to check its charging properly to rule it out.

How am I best testing this...? Sit inside and see if I get 12 volts at the lamp when the tailgate is open/closed....if so how do I check the microswitch?

I'm assuming its in the lock housing as I couldn't see anything on the boot surround. I need to get the tailgate trim off anyway as my window was smashed and I have to hoover it all out.....hopefully that is causing the issue!

Any other thoughts...?
I should add its a 55plate XC70 E3

Georgeandkira · Oct 17th, 2022, 11:35

A "microswitch" comes up often as a subject but false "tailgate open" messages are the reason people post. Do you also have the "tailgate open" message?
I've never seen the assembly. I'm going on member's posts.

If you don't, there might be two switches in the assembly. If repair involves replacing and expensive or unobtainable latch assembly (whatever it's called), you might have the option to simply remove a bulb to stop the drain.

How old is your battery? Consider removing it and charging it outside the car.

One thing you could do is: With the lamp on and in sight, reinstall the battery and pull fuses one-at-a-time until the lamp goes out. Then see if your battery drains.

Stories about playing with the tailgate latch stress avoiding misaligning it upon reinstallation as it'll break if it hits the strike wrong.

Oct 17th, 2022, 10:30	#1
hicky70 Junior Member Last Online: May 30th, 2024 22:05 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Rochdale	Tailgate courtesy light My car has now failed to start twice over the past two weeks with a seemingly dead battery. I noticed the courtesy light in the boot roof liner was on as I was driving. I'm fairly sure that's the cause of the fail however I'll throw a current clamp on to check its charging properly to rule it out. How am I best testing this...? Sit inside and see if I get 12 volts at the lamp when the tailgate is open/closed....if so how do I check the microswitch? I'm assuming its in the lock housing as I couldn't see anything on the boot surround. I need to get the tailgate trim off anyway as my window was smashed and I have to hoover it all out.....hopefully that is causing the issue! Any other thoughts...? I should add its a 55plate XC70 E3 Last edited by hicky70; Oct 17th, 2022 at 10:37.

Oct 17th, 2022, 11:35	#2
Georgeandkira Premier Member Last Online: May 30th, 2024 15:18 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hackensack	A "microswitch" comes up often as a subject but false "tailgate open" messages are the reason people post. Do you also have the "tailgate open" message? I've never seen the assembly. I'm going on member's posts. If you don't, there might be two switches in the assembly. If repair involves replacing and expensive or unobtainable latch assembly (whatever it's called), you might have the option to simply remove a bulb to stop the drain. How old is your battery? Consider removing it and charging it outside the car. One thing you could do is: With the lamp on and in sight, reinstall the battery and pull fuses one-at-a-time until the lamp goes out. Then see if your battery drains. Stories about playing with the tailgate latch stress avoiding misaligning it upon reinstallation as it'll break if it hits the strike wrong.

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