tonneau emergency release

[Rick T 2]

the front of my factory tonneau cover (2004) wouldn't unlock by the key so I crawled in and pulled the emergency release. It unlocked but the emergency release didn't return after being pulled and the front latches don't lock now. Can anyone tell me what I can do to fix it? [Broken External Image]:

 

[mookie]

It sounds like it needs to be lubed...graphite in the lock and a light oil on all the moving parts....

 

[Mike Wilson]

My '05 did the exact same thing on the first pull!

We have two grandsons living back with us now, so I thought I'd go out and give it

a try, you know, just in case...

Pulled it hard, didn't want to move at first, and "pop-snap"!

It opened, but wouldn't return, and the front latches wouldn't relatch.

Took it back to Ford, and they said it was a 'Poorly Engineered Design".

Replaced the assembly, including cables under warranty.

They said the sharp bend, or angle of one of the cables had something to do with it.

The cable gets kinked in that sharp bend and requires excessive force to pull.

Thus, breaking the mechanism inside the lock cylinder.

When I got her back, I got out there one day with some of that white lithium spray

lube and lubed the HE(( out of every moving part on that tonneau. Latches, key cylinders,

center hinge point, and everything else I could see that moved.

Now it works as smooth as glass! Another example of the manufacturer going too

cheap on the grease (or lube)!

 

[Richard L]

The piece that pulls the cables is a thin plastic hook and is about as thick as your finger nail. The tip of the hook will break off and jam inside the housing and will not allow the cable to retract and thus the latches cannot lock because the cable is jammed in the open position.



The only thing you can do is cut the plastic rivets off the cable housing that attaches to the bottom or the lock cylinder and remove the cables from the jammed unit. This will allow you to lock the tonneau cover but you will need to order a new cable housing which includes new cables attached to the lock housing.



...Rich

 

[Mike Wilson]

Again, RickT,

Mine was covered under warranty. If you are slightly out of warranty, check it out

anyway, because I, and most or all of us here would consider this a safety issue,

sometimes covered longer than the 3-36 warranty in some cases!

A decent dealer may fix you up just to keep you hush-hush, if you know what I mean.

 

[Heather Rueckert]

I had the same thing happen on my 04' and I took it to Ford and they replaced the whole assembly on both sides.. They told me the same thing they told tracknblack, it was a poor design.. -Heather

 

[Rick T 2]

Thanks for the tips and info. On my STs 35000 KM oil change the dealer is fixing the tonneau lock under warranty

 

[LaRue Medlin]

NEVER PUT GRAPHITE IN ANY LOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Gypsy me]

I wish I could just get to my emergency release on my cover....

 

[PDA PDA]

My 02 has had these replaced a couple of times under warranty. Now that I am out of warranty they want a couple of hundred dollars. The dealer told me that once you pull the emergency release, it cannot be fixed and has to be replaced.



Right now my cover will not UNLOCK on the lock closest to the cabin. What I did was attach a long strap on the emergency release. I can open the tailgate, grab it and give a pull and it unlocks the cover. When you close the cover it locks. Not the greatest solution, but it works for now. Debating the fiberglass cover so I did not want to spend the money on fixing it and since the emergency handle works, no safety issue.