How to remove tailgate interior piece?

[the_tool_man]

Hi all:

I just got an '01 Sport. The rear wiper doesn't work. I don't know yet what the problem is, but I'll probably need to pull off the interior panel that covers the hatch. I can't find any fasteners that secure it. How is it held on, and how do you remove it? Thanks in advance.

Regards,
John.

 

[Bill Kemp]

On mine the wiper didnt work untill I grabed hold of and moved the arm & slamed the hatch. Must have been a dead spot in the motor. Works fine now.
The hatch had a plate near the window latch that covered a screw and two screws in the pull strap mounting. After removing those the area around the windows is pryed up and then the large area is lifted up & out. Yours may be the same.

 

[ruzztec]

That may be a problem with alot of X's. My 92 wiper failed and never worked agin, same for the 91 and 99

 

[the_tool_man]

All:

I forgot to mention it, but I can grab the base of the rear wiper arm and move it in and out of the door by about 1/2 inch. It moves as if the hub is pivoting off center, like one of its attachment bolts is missing. Since I've not seen the inside of the door, I'm just speculating at this point, but clearly I need to get in there and see what's going on.

Regards,
John.

 

[EMG7895]

check all of your fuses first on my 93 i replaced the motor and it still didnt later i found a unmarked fuse that was blown

 

[wa4kc]

To answer your question about the panel it is held in place by clips. I think I might have had a screw to take out at the very top near the latch point but other than that it just snaps in place. Find a spot on the bottom of the panel and pull hard, it will come off.

 

[twomedicine]

All:

I forgot to mention it, but I can grab the base of the rear wiper arm and move it in and out of the door by about 1/2 inch. It moves as if the hub is pivoting off center, like one of its attachment bolts is missing. Since I've not seen the inside of the door, I'm just speculating at this point, but clearly I need to get in there and see what's going on.

Regards,
John.

John,

Mine did/does the same thing and I thought a mount was loose or broken. Mine works, but it doesn't clean the window properly during its range of motion. I removed that panel to find out that was the way Ford intended because I found no evidence of mounting failure.

While I removed that panel I broke one of the two bottom clips, ones that are within the molded panel. Shoe Goo fixed them fine but watch out. I did a write up on this matter maybe in October 2003. If yours is like my 99X, first there's a cover plate up near the sill that is first removed and then the screw inside is removed. Also remove the hand strap screws. Yes there are blind rivits that are first loosened with a trim tool along the panel edges, and then by hand pull the panel towards you then entirely freeing each rivit. It's the bottom that is "hung" by those molded clips, so once all the other rivits are removed the panel slides upwards before outwards.

I am writing this from fond memories when I did it but about 1yr ago, so you might check my other posts when the stuff was more familiar.

Hope this helps~

 

[the_tool_man]

Hi all:

Well, my wiper works now. I struck a turkey (see story elsewhere) on the way to work the other day. Since then, it works. BTW, I wouldn't recommend this as a solution!

Regards,
John.