Do I Have Gremlins?

About 2 weeks ago I posted about one of my side compartment doors being open even though it was locked and I have not used it in 6 months.

Well this morning I decided that since it rained last night I would check for leaks. I have not had any water problems since I have owned my Av and I don't do this every time it rains but I do somethimes. Well I reach in behind the rear seat and I feel wetness So I take out the car seats and lower the rear seats to investigate. It wasn't soaked but there was a few drops of water running down the side. Well I press on the midgate and it is loose So I push it so that it latches and then I do the other side and I find the same thing. Now the strange thing is that I have not lowered my midgate since last September!!! There is no way this thing has been not closed incorrectly for 6 months and this is the first time it has leaked. I spray the rear window pretty good when I wash it and I always check for leaks after that and there has been none. I am wondering if the midgate could be unlatching on it's own I do open the bed and close it on occasion, as a matter of fact I used the bed last night. I know that when you close the tailgate with the cargo panels on there is alot of air pressure in there, could that have loosened it?

So if you guys don't mind if you have not opened your midgate in a while check it and post here if it is unlatched. I'm interested in knowing what we find.

Thanks,
-Mark

Thats an interesting problem you got there. I would take it to the dealer and explain it to them and see what they can do. I would also try out your "air pressure" theory and see if it does cause the midgate to loosen up. I do know what when you shut the midgate...you either slam it shut or put your hands on both sides and push and you should here 3 clicks. I'm interested to see what happens with this...keep us posted.

NH - A while back I had one side compartment come open when driving - it was in the locked position and I had been in it about 2 days before. Later I noticed that the compartment can be in the locked position but not latched. So I am sure this is what happened to me.

Is it possible that a back seat passenger was recently playing with the latch while sitting back there?

I just tried it. With the seats up and latched, the midgate latch is still accessible. If you turn it, it releases the latches, but the seats prevent the midgate from falling. In fact, the seats prevent the midgate from completely unlatching. At this point, the midgate is in the "loosely latched" state. A firm push on each latch bulge and it clicks back into the "tightly latched" state.

Think this might have happened?

-- SS

I was thinking the same as SS. I played with the MidGate latch with the seats up myself just this past weekend while showing the AV to a friend.

I do not remember if the midgate was loose when I lowered the seats to show her how it worked or not. If so, I payed it no mind since I had just twisted the latch.

Reidan

I doubt it very much. My son is only 3 and he doesn't know it's there (yet) I am trying to think of who else has been back there in the past 6 months, it's usually just the kids. I am going to keep my eyes on it. I will probably open and close the tailgate a few times just to check it out. I guess it might be possable that I did not close it correctly in September and I have been extremely lucky and not had a leak until now?

My '05 Z71 has had an issue for about 2 years now where the passenger side (only) latch of my midgate comes loose, or becomes semi-latched on its own.  When that happens, I notice an extra rattle and try to remember to re-latch it next time exit the truck.  I use a two-handed push on the one side re-latch it ("click") and in a matter of a few days it's back to unlatched on that side and with the familiar rattling.  If tolerances for the slide-latching mechanism are close, I suppose minor flexing/twisting of the truck itself (say when pulling off the street onto a ramped driveway) might cause a temporary "off-squared" scenario, allowing the sliding latch to let go, if fitment/tolerances are really THAT close.  Just a theory, but I'm wondering if others have encountered this, and what their assessments and remedies were/are.  Thanks in advance!

I can only guess that maybe over the years the midgate could warp and the rubber gaskets get hard and brittle. Have you tried using a gasket rejuvenater to bring back some suppleness? I don't remember if the latches can be adjusted or not. I do know you need to be firm in closing the midgate.