land rover LR3


the trunk release solenoid fails to release the tailgate latch.

this case happens when the solenoid attachment piece to to the cable slips out of the cable end. the actuator can be heard but it does not release the latch.

should this problem happen, which is rather very frustrating (9/10), you will have to crawl towards the tailgate inside the cramped cargo hatch to carefully pry the interior panel of the tailgate and manually release the latch (hopefully you have slender hands and don"t cramp). once the glass panel towards the top of the tailgate is open, you can press on the button to release the lower tailgate. from there, repair is easier.
you will need to drill the aluminum end of the cable so you can reattach the cable end to the plastic connector between the cable end and the actuator plunger. with the drilled 1/16" hole, secure the cable end to the plastic connection using a gauge 18 wire or a paper clip.

if you replace this cable with a new one, the problem recurs as this component was made by FoMoCo. the part design is very poor and the manufacturing is also very poor.