power tailgate in E53?

[SlickGT1]

My self opening tail gate is my wife lol. No, its me. Damnit.

Get well bro, what the hell did you do to yourself anyway?

[giodog2000]

Get well soon....

and BTW , some things are much worst to do with the other hand.

[TerminatorX5]

Originally Posted by giodog2000

Get well soon....

and BTW , some things are much worst to do with the other hand.

lol

thank you gio, thanks Slick... with all this time on my hands i wish i could do something on the car...

[ukrcan]

Ouch, that looks painful! Hope you get better soon.
As for the power lift gate - if you do that and i can retrofit it too i will a hero in my wife's eyes... after she saw that there are some cars out there that have that option, she keeps nagging me about having a car that has a power lift gate...

[TerminatorX5]

after studying the operation of the rear top hatch, it seems that for a successful attempt to install power closer one would need the soft-close latch, which my car (and probably all the other facelifted ones) is equipped with.

say, you have power struts fitted, once you open the latch (key fob, outside lock, inside button), it releases the door, and power is applied to the struts that will open the hatch... to close the hatch, you open (!) the latch, it cycles through the unlock process and settles down, while the reverse polarity voltage drives the struts down, where the door is caught by the soft-close and it latches the door...

this idea will put additional stress on the lock for extra cycling, and it does not address the manual opening or closing the door - either or both can be further mitigated by the hall sensor that indicates the door status... that is on the general operational principle and "brain" for operation...

now, the hardest part is to find the power struts that correspond to the OE struts in the dimensions...

as it turns out, there are couple dozens of manufacturers making this particular strut!!! I would never even think that there was so much demand for this part that so many manufacturers are on the market making them... being on this forum for a few years, i would think that i would have heard about people complaining about the failure of this part... hmmm... so, naturally, i thought that this strut has use in other makes and models but on every page it seems that they all refer to E53... hmmm...

you guys look for yourself...

Cross Interchange Part No. for:BUGIAD BGS10920
Data Source: BGS10920,BUGIAD BGS10920 Gas Spring for BMW
Factory Number Cross Interchange Type Relevance
FEBI BILSTEIN 27594 Direct Cross Interchange 18
TRISCAN 871011220 Direct Cross Interchange 18
BMW 51248402405 Direct Cross Interchange 18
SWAG 20927594 Direct Cross Interchange 17
STABILUS 1036VW Direct Cross Interchange 17
KILEN 414018 Direct Cross Interchange 15
TRUCKTEC AUTOMOTIVE 0862017 Direct Cross Interchange 15
METZGER 2110415 Direct Cross Interchange 14
OPTIMAL AG40006 Direct Cross Interchange 13
MEYLE 3409100005 Direct Cross Interchange 12
HK G10547 Direct Cross Interchange 11
LESJOFORS 8108418 Direct Cross Interchange 11
MONROE ML5690 Direct Cross Interchange 11
EQUAL QUALITY MG04151 Direct Cross Interchange 10
VAICO V201011 Direct Cross Interchange 10
JOHNS 20739591 Direct Cross Interchange 7
WALKER PRODUCTS 871011220 Direct Cross Interchange 2
LESJOFORS 8108418 Indirect Cross Interchange 11
QUINTON HAZELL 128928 Indirect Cross Interchange 3
PEX D10920 Indirect Cross Interchange 2
VEMA 51416 Indirect Cross Interchange 2
AQUAPLUS 451055410 Indirect Cross Interchange 2
VEMO V201011 Indirect Cross Interchange 2
LUK 871011220 Indirect Cross Interchange 1
MONROE ML5170 Indirect Cross Interchange 1
STABILUS 4012LQ Indirect Cross Interchange 1
TRISCAN 8108418 Indirect Cross Interchange 1
TRISCAN 871011220 Indirect Cross Interchange 1
HANKOOK G10547 Indirect Cross Interchange 1
KILEN 466028 Indirect Cross Interchange 1
LESJOFORS 414018 Indirect Cross Interchange 1

[jljljl]

I know i'm new here, but I love the baby e53 just as much as the next guy;
just wanted to say get well soon!

hope to grow in this bmw community more as the time goes

[nigwhyrito]

Wow terminator I was thinking the same type of project a long time ago but got side tracked. The best way I was able to figure this out was to use 2 linear actuators
with a programmable limit switches. I had all the measurements and the parts list and then one day my laptop fried.. lightning storm not on ups and not backed up.. lost a lot of info. but anyway the 2 actuators would replace the gas springs ( I think that what its called. - make sure your controller has reversing motor control as well.

example set top actuator to open all the way up set the ,limit how far you want the actuator to extend.
do the same with bottom door actuator.
the programmable controller can then be set to 1. work by button inside vehicle and to work by remote keyfob.2. set the order the actuators open and close.
wait unlock signal hatch pop then extend top actuator.
2. after top is extended extend tailgate actuator. close use reverse programming and timer.

http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=465/prd465.htm
or
http://www.surpluscenter.com/Brands/...5-1577-C-2.axd

you going make me start revisiting this project.

off subject could you send me info about your video switcher unit.

[giodog2000]

This is crazy...but I'm still reading

[bcredliner]

Get well soon!

[TerminatorX5]

Originally Posted by nigwhyrito

Wow terminator I was thinking the same type of project a long time ago but got side tracked. The best way I was able to figure this out was to use 2 linear actuators
with a programmable limit switches. I had all the measurements and the parts list and then one day my laptop fried.. lightning storm not on ups and not backed up.. lost a lot of info. but anyway the 2 actuators would replace the gas springs ( I think that what its called. - make sure your controller has reversing motor control as well.

example set top actuator to open all the way up set the ,limit how far you want the actuator to extend.
do the same with bottom door actuator.
the programmable controller can then be set to 1. work by button inside vehicle and to work by remote keyfob.2. set the order the actuators open and close.
wait unlock signal hatch pop then extend top actuator.
2. after top is extended extend tailgate actuator. close use reverse programming and timer.

http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=465/prd465.htm
or
LINEAR ACTUATOR DUAL CONTROLLER

you going make me start revisiting this project.

off subject could you send me info about your video switcher unit.

interesting... i like the way the controller operates... but those controllers are for "dakota" only, or so they say... i think, if the need be, it is still "hackable"...

i have found many linear actuators but a lot of them have the motors on a side, and what we need, is a spindle drive, where the "motor" is in the line of main axis - I do not intend to cut into the sheet metal or the body frame of the car...

therefore, I am still looking for the actuators that would fit the bill...

as far as operation goes...

the way I picture this -

as the car receives a "trunk open" signal from one of the venues, the key, the outside button or inside button, it does not matter - the lock unlatches and the lid stays put with regular gas shocks... The "trunk open" signal can activate relay that puts +12V onto the power lifters that will start lifting the lid the moment the lock unlatches... once the lifting limit reached, the power lifters stop.

to close the top lid, i picture sending the SAME "trunk open" signal - this signal will cycle the lock through "opening" procedure, but the lid is not there, and the lock "unlatches" in vain and resets in waiting, unlocked position... however, the SECOND "trunk open" signal that just cycled the lock initiates the -12V into the power actuators which start lowering the top lid... somewhere mid-stream the lock finishes cycling through "unlock" cycle and by the time the lid comes down to the lock, the soft-close mechanizm pulls the lid in.

This operation "chart" does not address manual change of the lid position - say you opened it via "power" mode but shut it down by hand... or, opened it by hand, and shut it down in "power" mode... this "chart" does not address safety, if there is an obstacle in the path...

those items are clearly addressed in your link to the DAKOTA controller... while they claim it can only operate their motors, a 12V supply is a 12V supply... I definetely will look into those controllers closer...

first, however, I think we need to find actuators that can be used for our application...

As far as bottom gate - I have seen factory operation of the split gate on a Range Rover:

you open top lid, with available means, it goes open. the bottom lid stays closed... (as a matter of fact, there are many times when i do not wish to open bottom lid). if you want to close the top lid now, you close it with available means, key or the car buttons.

there is a release button on the bottom lid, hidden by the top lid until the top lid is open (just like on the E53), you push it, the bottom lid comes open... at this point, if you want to close the bottom lid, you push the button again, the bottom lid closes...

if, you try to close the TOP lid while BOTTOM lid is OPEN, the car closes the bottom lild FIRST and THEN engages the top lid...

This is ultimately the operation that i would like to achive but I am looking for the top gear first - if top is a NO-GO, then the bottom is a no-go by default...

makes sense?

i will look up up the video switcher thing and will post it later...