HELP! My Trunk Won't OPEN! (Buick Enclave)

Here we go again...more modern FANCY cars with BROKEN "features".
This 2012 Buick Enclave can't open it's power liftgate...at all! Just latched shut.
Owner tried "checking fuses", but lost one in the process and gave up.
Let's see what the problem is with this Buick, and if we can at least get the trunk open and make it operational again. Will any expensive parts be required?
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Enjoy!
Ivan

[@htownblue11]

Ivan not only saved a Buick and his neighbor’s job, but countless relationships teetering on the brink of disaster who got the flowers they needed to continue their commitment. Ivan is now transcendent in his skills. 😂😂😂😂.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

I helped deliver flowers in the XL-7 too...the manual swing tailgate and big trunk is simply perfect for the job :)

[@calholli]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics Manual Master Race

[@jamesmatthews304]

17 subie Forester touring hatch woes. Worse when it rains in this seaside town. No way to open. Have fiddle with all the buttons on the fob dash manual door locks in that they don't auto lock there is a door armrest lock button. System has not totally failed but there is no manual way to open the hatch that came with the model.

[@LesReeves]

I amazes me how newer vehicles don't have an easy access emergency tailgate/boot relaese .Some upmarket models in all brands go for 'upsell' gimmicks that inverably fail over time & they have been doing it for decades & what really annoys me is elderly people get sucked into buying top of the line models thinking that paying more money gets them better vehicles when in truth it is the opposite.(my daily rant over).Cheers Ivan.

[@clintprice2123]

I expected no less from you Ivan. You do a great job narrating what you’re doing. Your neighbor is fortunate to have you there.

[@mikechiodetti4482]

Moisture on copper equals corrosion. Very good diagnostic and repair Ivan! Key in lock to unlock, pull on handle, opens every time with or without corrosion. I like my manual latch.

[@HouseCallAutoRepair]

The education this lad is giving for free is amazing! Not sure how I'd keep up with today's "Advances" without guys like Ivan!

[@adotintheshark4848]

Those power goodies are always nice to have-until they break! Power tailgates, soft-close and self-closing doors, memory seats, you name it-customers want them but rarely think about the hassles of fixing them when something goes wrong! Also, I have a soldering pencil much like yours, it runs on 12 volts or AC, and I really like it too. It didn't come with a battery but I can take it anywhere and use it with a little battery pack I made for it.

[@jeffaulik3980]

Spray the tailgate weatherstripping with silicone spray before you give it back to the guy.

[@Z-Ack]

Yep good idea.. clean it off with rubbing alcohol and finish with some dry lube..

[@alanfarenden8244]

Silicon spray also helps release doors if used before ice freezes them shut.

[@volvo09]

Works great in the window tracks of sluggish power windows also.

[@pl5624]

Travesty not to have a key lock cylinder in any doors anymore.

[@timgruver5932]

By design so the dealership can rip people off.

[@agger838]

Can't even get a truck without a stupid button to open the tailgate now.

[@JackS425]

Designed so there’s less points for a thief to use to get into

[@dudleydeplorable5307]

Amen... It's time for the lock picking lawyer to chime in... 🤣 Back in a more rational era, we were trained to 'key off" when things got out of control. How do you "key off" when there's no key...?

[@paulsz6194]

They are going down the path of Apple, by removing hardware ( mechanical components such as earphone ports) in order to save money, as Cars have already had electric release motors for the trunk/ tailgate, so why not just completely eliminate the mechanical lock?

[@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT]

It's hard to imagine a more complicated system for the tailgate. Initially, I thought it was the power motor that failed, but it was just stuck in some crazy position. Simple repair, made hard due to need to disassemble part of the tailgate. I still prefer mechanical latches 🙂

[@hightttech]

Automatic convertible tops still take top honors in the Rube Goldberg category. Even as early as the 1960's, the engineers must have been smoking whatever was in vogue while sketching out the convertible top mechanisms 😆.

[@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT]

@@hightttech LOL, very true 🙂

[@SeanBZA]

@@hightttech Yes, but they then also added in lots of hydraulic cylinders, so there needed to be a battery operated pump, and a nice complex mechanical clockwork timer system, with dozens of contacts on a complex cable assembly, to operate it as well. 2 gallons of hydraulic fluid, a 30A power draw for the pump, so they decided to add to the load automatic windows and automatic closing and opening doors as well.

[@jamesofallthings3684]

You're the guy that explains the movie before it starts.

[@cullenmiller8170]

Nice video and diagnosis. It’s amazing how complicated a single latch handle could turn into in the name of progress. 😂

[@scottjanoso4475]

Daughter has the identical car. Thanks to previous video I was able to fix it. It had water in the inside fuse box and it would run with the key removed and would not turn off. Installed Tupperware lid above fuse box covered with an absorbent pad for any moisture. These Buicks are not for the average owner. There is always a gadget broken one day and it will work the next day. This is the best channel for car repairs. No one else will try to troubleshoot with diagrams. It has trained me to use my meter and check current and grounds. I would love to come for a day and watch and learn.

[@Ram14250]

Ivan, you are a master at this stuff! Trouble is most vehicles now have all those gadgets! Even so called "base" have bells and whistles! LOL. Thanks for the great trouble-shooting on that tailgate!

[@kennethbode2017]

I have a 14 Enclave so I am saving this video. Thanks

[@hurricane2649]

Kansas City Auto Electric here, another good one Ivan. Great Job! I had one of those the other day with a 2007 GMC Denali. Ours was the cheap rubber switch. I checked for continuity and there was none while working the button.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Did the other switch work or the fob? Or was it completely disabled like this one?

[@hurricane2649]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics Completly disabled. I have to assume that the switch was stuck closed. The fob did not come with the vehicle so I could not test that. Fortunately, I figured it out early so I did not need extensive testing.

[@kevinbarry71]

Volunteering to deliver flowers on Valentine's Day? That is a new one on me. He must be truly bored

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

I volunteer too! It's actually pretty fun :)

[@scottreed991]

I wish I had a good neighbor like Ivan. Peace.

[@NVRAMboi]

Next vehicle I buy, I need to make a checklist of systems that MUST have a manual override. No override, no purchase. This stuff is just getting downright dumb and ridiculous. Thanks Ivan.

[@Z-Ack]

All of em are required to have a manual release if its an enclosed trunk but sometimes they still hide the damn thing. But usually a yellow pull somewhere inside. If it werent for all the creepy piece of shit rapists and kidnappers we wouldnt even have those..,

[@NVRAMboi]

@@Z-Ack Was kind of just thinking a physical key turn/pop. I guess that's prehistoric thinking now.

[@richardcranium5839]

the mentality that created the yugo if you are old enough to remember. and it wasn't a bad idea

[@NVRAMboi]

@@richardcranium5839 Good idea, terrible car? I do remember the Yugos. They'd have sold far better if they'd arrived in the 1950's/60's like the VW Beetle.

[@volvo09]

The scary thing is how hidden they can be, especially in cars with pushbutton door releases. I've seen videos of people locked in cars after a crash because the car self disables itself and they don't know where the manual release is since it's not in an obvious spot. Like I believe Tesla has it pretty hidden on some models, and the poor person is panicking while someone is struggling to smash the window and help... Talk about a nightmare.

[@davidgrisco1939]

On our older GMs, I've found that the wire bundle in the liftgate / tail door become brittle from repeated flexing when opening / closing. The stranded copper wire becomes brittle and breaks inside the insulation. It's only apparent when you tug on the wire.

[@jerryking2418]

another genius diagnostic and fix. Well done.

[@paulmuff9883]

Superb job Ivan, there’s one thing while they keep making complicated cars you will never be out of work , I think your videos are just about the best ones out here on this sort of work at the moment you explain everything so great that even an old guy like me could understand carry on with the great work👍❤️

[@tomgeorge3726]

Hi Ivan, another interesting video. I would be replacing that "wire" completely with some decent wire. The only reason it is small gauge is because of the small current involved, that doesn't mean the insulation should be so feeble. The fact that the cable clip had worn through the insulation goes to prove it is inadequate. The reason the operation suddenly came good could be because one of those switches intermittently failed and gave an out of sequence signal. When you got into the back of the door and manually tripped, it probably got everything back in sync. I think you will find that hole and the lever you active is made to be done with the finger, not everybody has a probe as such to push it. The errors you originally had tended to suggest one or more switches did not respond as expected when it was closed. Remains to be seen if it happens again.

[@timgruver5932]

Great you can be so much help to your neighbors. 👍👍

[@phillully4472]

Good Job Ivan, You always seem to track down the real issues!! Well Done.

[@petepeabody8905]

Ivan, You're a good neighbor. Great information

[@SAMSAM-zr3hs]

well done Ivan, you are a genius

[@baxrok2.]

You never cease to amaze me Ivan. Even after all these years, I still love to watch you work. Thanks!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Thank you so much for the support and comments John, means a lot to me! 🙂

[@edwardbella3871]

Good work Ivan.

[@bugzie-a1769]

You are great man, fantastic, there is nothing you cannot fix keep it up, and thank you for sharing

[@lifekludger]

It scares me to think how many everyday mechanics would've just replaced modules and still not fixed anything. You're a special kind @pinehollowautodiagnostics and your fine work leaves us floundering who are stuck in the midst of part swappers.

[@marthabrown386]

I'm Dan, Martha's my wife. Good job, Ivan.

[@MannMade]

I have the same exact issue on my '11 enclave but haven't bothered tearing into it. Thanks for the video.

[@markraz28]

Hi, great video as always. Scanner Danners lighter trick for stripping thin wires is awesome!! 😊

[@byrd203]

Ivan love the work nice job i hope that stays fixed

[@lonwillis783]

Thank You Ivan as always your the greatest at diagnostics. 😁

[@sohailrabani]

You proved again some shouldn't be getting obsolete from cars like a simple old fashion key hole on trunk and doors while having all this fancy unreliable automation.great job and nice fix ivan.cheers

[@davidp7163]

I had a 2015 Honda CRV, 1 year old at the time…had this exact problem, but it wasn’t so extreme. Stopped working when it was cold outside. Took it to dealer for warrantee, guess what they said…works fine for us, have a nice day. They of coarse checked it during the day when it was 90 degrees outside.

[@agostinodibella9939]

Nice fix Ivan. Wouldn’t it be nice if they used a thicker gauge of wire in these cars? At least they have an access plug to get the tailgate open.

[@hamiltontvservice7441]

I love you videos and your troubleshooting methods. You helped me troubleshoot a bad ignition switch in a 05 Dodge Caravan by watching your test light videos. Thanks to you, I bought a "Black Friday" Think Tool Pro that I love. I'm practicing with it every chance I get. I also agree with your "Why new cars suck" rant. I tried to help a neighbor with his BMW that had one of those stupid joystick shifters. They put the cupholders right next to that stupid thing and a drink got spilled in it. Great design guys! I have to work on crap Chinese TVs every day and it's the same type thing. These things are designed to fail, so they can sell you new TVs every 2 years. Keep up the good work. PS: We've got some killer MTB trails down here in GA!

[@deetee3153]

Great job Ivan!

[@alanrobison3298]

Nice job Ivan!

[@DaveSender66]

Nice work Ivan!!!

[@josenieves7514]

Your trouble shooting "Sherlock Holmes" skill in searching for answers to situations like these NEVER fails to educate me. Great work...

[@dnlmachine4287]

A fine video again Ivan. If that Buick has the 3.6 engine, you would do your neighbour a favor by telling him to sell it before it chucks the timing chain. Stay gold.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

I tell him 5k synthetic oil religiously. So far so good!

[@kevin9c1]

Unfortunately GM decided to use these LLT engines an these Lambda platform crossovers longer than in any other application - through 2017!! Many GM vehicles ditched the LLT as soon as 2012. Not these though. Aside from using synthetic, use a GF-6A and latest Dexos (gen 3) for best timing chain protection. Most modern 5W-30 synthetics seem to adhere to these specs anyway.

[@robertwhite9898]

Good job as usual!

[@skysurferuk]

Those TS100 irons are awesome tools. Good job, yet again, Ivan. 👍

[@bernardaflores1720]

The strange behavior for the tail gate can also be caused by the vehicle sitting for long time which causes the battery voltage to drop. This gadgets do not like low voltage at all.

[@williamwhite9767]

Great Job!

[@pantherplatform]

One of my customers has a super rusty 02 Tahoe that he primarily uses for taking garbage to the dump so when his lift gate switch failed, verified it was the switch then installed a push button next to the handle so he could still open it one handed and know i can spot it a mile away with that black button on his tailgate.

[@Badger1949]

Great NPR repair. I wish cars were simpler like your neighbor (my age). I've started to mess with cars again but just the basics. My electronics started when vacuum tubes were just being replaced with transistors.

[@hightttech]

Sweet. I got in right after vacuum tubes. Boards were huge, stacked high and cost a kings ransom, so we fixed everything. The disposable electronics of today makes for less fun on the bench.

[@robertsmith2956]

I still have my tube tester.

[@Badger1949]

@@robertsmith2956 If you're interested in vacuum tubes watch Mr. Carlson's Lab

[@maxxtech8532]

Nice work Ivan

[@innocentbystander2673]

Awesome. That would have an entire new tailgate at the dealer ;)

[@brianw8963]

Nice NPR work Ivan. 👍👍🇺🇸

[@BakhtiarDusky]

welldone Ivan great job

[@cwstout1]

You make it seem so simple my friend.

[@rick343]

Enjoying the video, where will it lead, it's an adventure 😁!!

[@dongelgef5655]

Interesting one, "old" car problems are always more fun. I had a "similar" problem with a 2011 VW touran (European) , but it was down to plastic components breaking in the latch system (good idea for something you use often, i don't think)....Keep up the good work Ivan.

[@michaelweatherhead9470]

Thanks for the video Ivan great job. There isn't that many New cars out there unless you want junk 😜☺️👍❤️ it. Take care of yourself and family and be Blessed ❤️❤️.

[@gordbaker896]

Nicely Done.

[@johnmorrow1628]

I think the door hadn't been open in a long time and the weather seals were stuck and that's why non of the other buttons worked. When you broke the weather seal free everything worked except the rear door switch. Awesome job

[@richb419]

Hi Ivan, years ago I would put silicone sealant on the newly soldered connection then slide the shrink wrap over it and shrink like normal. Rich

[@canadatransistor]

I bought a 2022 Buick envision essence last week. Super amazing. I hope mine lasts as long as this one cause man, it has a ton of fancy stuff. (mid trim)

[@davidjackson8787]

That was enjoyable sir. Thanks 😂

[@mrjsv4935]

Interesting symptoms, nice diag and fix :) My parents had a 2014 VW Golf Mk7 which started acting up, randomly the tailgate didn't open from the VW badge and sometimes hill assist didn't release automatically as it should. They indeed just replaced the car before more troubles appeared :D

[@billrimmer5596]

I really liked that one!!

[@athhud]

After watching this entire video, I still don’t know if the lost fuse was ever found! I feel the same way now as I did after reading “Catcher in the Rye”.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Ya I said I reinstalled it!

[@athhud]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics well I missed that part. . . Lol

[@tbelding]

For those unaware, the 'adhesive' heat shrink tubing is basically just heat shrink with a coating of hot melt glue on the inside. I use it on flash drives, so that I can write on the heat shrink. Writing on the flash drives rubs off quickly.

[@CrimeVid]

Correct, but the hot melt is not all the same, I have some for automotive and some for underground. The underground seems rubbery compared with the auto.

[@tbelding]

@@CrimeVid I don't have experience with anything but the standard stuff; I was just letting people know not to panic if they ran across 'goo'. Underground is probably less alcohol soluble.

[@SeanBZA]

@@tbelding Plenty of different hot melt glues around, 3M makes over 500 different types, all in the same exact rod format, all for different industrial uses, and then also supplies them in larger bar format for use with their range of pneumatic dispensers as well, along with literally thousands of preformed shapes as well.

[@jkbrown5496]

An EEVblog talk with Jack Ganssle, an embed electronics guru, Jack mention that survey's showed that people rated these features as 60-70% of the value of the car. They expected them to drive but would pay for the bells and whistles. Mfrs will continue to put these in as long as people will pay more for them.

[@stu-po]

I'm part of that 60-70%. Now I need to find mechanics as smart as Ivan.

[@dustcommander100]

That's just crazy - good troubleshooting! The system was apparently locked up via logic, otherwise one would have expected the dash and keyfob commands to continue to function. Maybe they designed it to use logic to make it work in an illogical fashion! My car (an HHR) appears to use the same little rubber switch pad thingy to open the rear hatch. Although mine does not have a motorized lift gate, it still uses the switch and a motor to operate the latch. I always thought that was strange - why not have a mechanical latch release acting on the latch directly? The answer , I think, is that reliability isn't a consideration and they focused on elimination of the latch linkage and a "real" release handle. And my car doesn't even have a latch release for the hatch on the dash or on the key fob!

[@JA-rc4uy]

Remember when you used to be able to just pull a mechanical handle, and the door just opened? What was ever wrong with that design?

[@somerandomguy3868]

Nice job

[@wernerdanler2742]

Can you imagine if it had one of those footswing sensors and what that would add to the complexity of the system? 😮 Even if you had not figured out that bad wire, getting it unstuck from the inside allowed the keyfob and console switch to work. That's a nice looking vehicle. I like the interior.

[@zx8401ztv]

Well done Ivan, the owner will be as happy as a dog with three trees lol. I'm sure that a bit of grinding to give the cable more space and a glob of hot glue would fix it for millions of years :-D I helped a friend with a car a few years ago, the rear hatch would not open, i found that the module wasn't sending the power to open it. For an emergency bodge (woman wanting to shop Now now !!) i connected an old joystick with a red button to the open wire and 12 volts feed through a 3 amp fuse. I disconnected the module wire so i didn't feed power to the module. She took the car to a repair shop a week later and replaced the duff module, i bet they laughed at the joystick lol.

[@louoldschool7047]

good job my boy good job

[@drewv1785]

Ivan, you fixed the Buick better than new. That repair will most likely outlive the car! 😉

[@ronaldwilkinson6685]

We replace those exterior release switches all the time. They get water inside them and short out.

[@BenzJaguar]

Thanks, now I can get my ex-mother-in-law out of the trunk, she's been in there for over a year ! 😋

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

xD

[@citichap]

hahahahahahahahahahahaha Great one

[@artmont9043]

I remember that was a common thing on them buicks gmc chevy. i would replace the whole piece instead of repairing and of course shop would charge for the whole piece. them latches also would go nutty too

[@SeanBZA]

Tailgate probably was manually closed with a flat battery, so it was unable to detect state, so locked out. Button broken meant no way to do the test at tailgate, so it stayed in that intermediate state till opened, and motor controller saw a valid open and close position, then it would respond to inputs again. Safety feature so a remote operation (fob or front) would not result in a door related injury, it was waiting for the door to be manually opened to generate a valid intermediate moving then open or closed state. Till them will not move. Yes those buttons do fail with time, had the same, and did not want to buy the expensive genuine part, or wait for the aftermarket one, so put an alternative waterproof one in there instead.

[@jamesmachalik9924]

I remember the old Caddies with the power latch. People would forget it was soft close and slam the trunk breaking the latch mechanism. I guess I'm showing my age😂. Nice repair npr.

[@badgerdave22]

I wish I was your neighbor, Ivan! 🤣🤣🤣Thanks for the video... I have 2008 Saturn Outlook (basically the same vehicle) and I could completely see this happening to me... Green crusties for the win and electronic tailgates for the loss! 😁

[@ItllBurnOff]

That was an awesome video my 11 Honda Odyssey is doing the same with the doors and the trunk doesn't work

[@AP9311]

That is weird fix!! But i prefer traditional lock!! Can't believe green pus can knock it out!! But great fix on those wires! Awesome job!!

[@lorrainebwoy]

Nuttin beats service info

[@scottpollard3270]

I have a 2009 BMW X5 where all buttons to open the lift gate work, but button on the lift gate that should close doesn't. Funny thing is I can remove/install lift gate fuse and the close button works once, but no more until I remove/install the fuse the next time.

[@dendkmac]

Lol sorry I would have had a tough time with this...but I know how to measure for a short, you have the test leads very cool.

[@melvinjones3895]

Green and Green again crusts will get you every time. Flowers go forward and crusts stay back

[@on-site4094]

Like my uncle says all the power stuff is all krap just krap. Over time 😂

[@goodtimejohnny8972]

Very nice Korean Buick your working on. Never thought I'd see the day when Buick wasn't made in the USA.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Vin 5 = made in USA :)

[@goodtimejohnny8972]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics my bad, I was thinking of the encore, but still I would have never thought a Buick would be built anywhere but USA.

[@aslant9246]

wow thats a weird failure mode...one broken wire system is bricked no DTCs.... I admire your patience this vid would NOT be PG if i were on cam diag hahaha

[@bartfox9187]

Hes lucky to have you as a neighbor . And to not get a ticket for driving with those expired tags for nearly 6 years..😆

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Those are vintage PA plate stickers that they phased out lol

[@daviddelle774]

Put a dose of silicone spray on a rag and wipe down the rubber door seal. If the door is stuck, the safety sensor just shuts down the action of the door. Just like hitting the creeper on the way up.

[@anthonynofi4871]

nice trouble shoot and repair on the Enclave.

[@shuriKen469]

good thing the customer didn't take this to the dealership/local mechanic. i reckon even if they had pinpointed the corroded wire, they could have easily replaced buttons, modules and motors, just to make it worth it to them.

[@arcademania7544]

This is why I'm clinging on to my 04 Tahoe. Sure it's a gas burner, but I can fix anything with a hammer and pliers. 🙏

[@jdtractorman7445]

Not surprised to see green corrosion back there. There is quite a bit of road spray that gathers on the back of vehicles, or we could just call it salt spray🤣. That is kind of weird how aside from the corroded wire issue, the other problem seemed to fix itself, strange. Don't you miss the days Ivan of just having a key cylinder in the trunk and a key in your hand was all you needed to open it? Talk about overengineered systems on vehicles. I guess with the cylinder the only thing to worry about was the cylinder seizing up.

[@davide.s.9880]

Your still diagnosing but you did say you could open manually.. I might try to open manually then see if it will rest and start working.

[@2aminitials]

If only you'd kept the Silhouette and re-powered it. With that van and it's pedigree your neighbor would've been an unstoppable flower delivering machine.

[@stigonutube]

Good detective work there Ivan..green krusties strikes again..

[@murphy1772]

I have twice similar exactly problem with Opel Astra. My friend also once and he was problem to how open manually the trunk for repairing because he s car was at just that very time loade full of heavy material and no way to go near that open hook

[@pingpong9656]

I have an Uplander with Power Sliding Door problems... it will close but then you hear grinding noises for a few seconds and then it reopens. I purchased a A30M xtool, but it can't do live data to the PSDM... no trouble codes! I read it maybe a detent switch in door that detects latch... might just have to open the door and do some direct measurements to figure it out... fun, but not fun!