Poping the hatch from the inside. Does yours actualy open?

[schafari]

I will be using my LR3 to camp in while overnight fly fishing. I need to be able to open the hatch from the inside of the truck. You can press both the lock/unlock buttons on the dash to theoretically pop the hatch from the inside.

However, when I do this, the glass hatch does open a bit, but catches. I cannot open it from the inside as the catch will not release until you push in the normal handle on the outside. Unfortunately, the door is designed in such a way, that you cannot reach that handle on the outside from the inside.

Bottom-line: Although the double button press unlatches the glass hatch, it does not pop it open enough to clear the catch and will not open from the inside.

Does anyone else have this problem? Does everyone else have the same thing? I worry that it is a overall fault with all of the LR3's.

Please test and advise. Climb in the truck and shut all doors. Press two buttons on the dash. Glass hatch will click. However, it won't clear the catch, so you can't get out the hatch.

 

[toddjb123]

I wouldn't call it a fault...but that's pretty cool about the double button press! I'll have to try that (didn't even know it was a "feature".)

w/o trying it, I would guess the double button press just let's the wife standing behind the truck with the bag of groceries know that, yes, you have unlocked the window, please stop shouting and lift the handle.

I have camped a few times in the back of my LR3. I just climb out the side door in the morning (and leave windows or sunroof cracked at night for airflow).

 

[schafari]

Ha, that was funny. The manual indicates that it is an "emergency" exit capability. Talks about it wiht clear context of a person being able to get out the vehicle via the double button press on the dash, and the hatch opening thus allowing a person to escape. Actually, I wonder if you have to have the ability to have two places of ingress/egress for safety reasons. If the front of the vehicle is on fire, seems like a rear exit might be required.

The dealer is going to look at it. They seemed to be surprised that it did not fully pop the hatch to allow exit.

 

[toddjb123]

Oh...emergency exit. That's another story. Might as well have a 5th way out of the car if I can! But if they bill it that way, it should work. I'll try it tonight.

 

[grommet]

In my LR3, to open the top hatch... I need to "hold" the button in the rear. If I just press it, it unlocks/loosens it... but it's still prevented from being lifted. Similar to a car door "safety latch"...

Holding both the master lock/unlock buttons inside for 3 seconds is the equivalant to me just pressing but not holding the exterior button... so it can't be opened.

This might be "by design" for safety, at least in North America. Not sure what it does when the vehicle performs crash unlocking. I'm not crashing my LR3 to test that.

 

[JohnKel]

Ha, that was funny. The manual indicates that it is an "emergency" exit capability. Talks about it wiht clear context of a person being able to get out the vehicle via the double button press on the dash, and the hatch opening thus allowing a person to escape. Actually, I wonder if you have to have the ability to have two places of ingress/egress for safety reasons. If the front of the vehicle is on fire, seems like a rear exit might be required.

The dealer is going to look at it. They seemed to be surprised that it did not fully pop the hatch to allow exit.

My 05 manual (pg 45) states that it is used in case the exterior release switch fails to operate and will cause the upper tailgate to release. I just tried mine and it partialy releases, BUT will not pop open or allow me to open the tailgate even from the outside keep us informed

 

[xcursion]

If the "emergency" switch unlocks but not opens the hatch, why not just hit the "unlock" switch? LR logic again???

 

[Nomad232]

I'm liking this logic:

I would guess the double button press just let's the wife standing behind the truck with the bag of groceries know that, yes, you have unlocked the window, please stop shouting and lift the handle.

 

[toddjb123]

FYI - I tried it in my car, same thing happened. AND, not only did it pop the rear partially, but the door was then locked so when I went back to open it the rest of the way...I couldn't. Had to go back in the vehicle and hit the "unlock" button before I could open... fwiw

 

[schafari]

This is really strange, especially because the manual specifically says that if the outdoor glass release does not work, the "emergency" release is pushing the two buttons. IF you push the two buttons, and it pops it, but doesn't release to so it can open, AND it locks the outside latch, that is a serious design problem.

I can't imagine the attorney's at LR would stand for that obvious liability. It is a big problem if you advertise an "exit" yet when you attempt to use the exit, it is not working.

I am getting the fuel tank recall done on 12/12. I am having them look at this at the same time. I sent an email to LR, but have not heard back yet.