Tailgate lock - remove and install — VW
Tailgate lock - remove and install on VW: 14 steps, 2 torque figures. What to remove, what to tighten and to how many Nm, what to check after.
Workshop procedure for VW — the exact step sequence and torque figures, straight from real workshop data.
🧭 Before you start
Fits: platform codes 5U4, 5U3, 5UA, 5UC, 5UB
Don't miss
- Pay attention to the rubber wedge that presses the rod.
- The tailgate handle with cylinder cannot be activated when fixing the rod to the clip.
🔩 Torque settings
Values can differ between engine variants — check the code stamped on your block.
| Torque | Fastener / step |
|---|---|
| 25 Nm (18 lb-ft) | Install the screws (6 |
| 5.2 Nm (3.8 lb-ft) | Remove the screws (6 |
ℹ️ Always cross-check the exact figure against your vehicle's factory manual before final tightening — a wrong torque can damage the engine. These values are extracted from workshop data and may not cover every variant or revision.
📋 Procedure
- Unglue the tape.
- Remove adhesive residue with the adhesive removerD 002 000 A2. Rub the surface with a cloth until it is completely dry.
- Heat up previously the adhesion area with the hot air blowerVAG 1416 to facilitate installation.
- Remove the adhesive tape liner, position it and press the rims with the pressure roll3356.
- Remove the tailgate upper frame .
- Remove the rear lid lining General body repairs, interior70Lining / insulation.
- Release the clip (8) that fastens the operating rod (3).
- Remove the screws (6) (5.2 Nm). — 5.2 Nm (3.8 lb-ft)
- Remove the lock (1) along with the operating rod (3).
- Insert the operating rod (3) into the tailgate, along with the lock. [Note: Pay attention to the rubber wedge that presses the rod.]
- Install the screws (6) (25 Nm). — 25 Nm (18 lb-ft)
- Place the rod (3) onto clip (8) and lock it. [Note: The tailgate handle with cylinder cannot be activated when fixing the rod to the clip.]
- Install the rear lid lining General body repairs, interior70Lining / insulation.
- Install the tailgate upper frame .
Other VW procedures
- Removing engine · 41 torque figures
- Removing and installing camshaft – VW Golf Cabriolet · 47 torque figures
- Adjusting valve timing – VW Passat B5 · 83 torque figures
- Removing and installing camshafts – VW Passat B6 · 39 torque figures
- Removing and installing coolant pump · 53 torque figures
- Removing and installing alternator, 1.6 l injection engine
- Installing and adjusting clutch
- Checking main drive tensioning roller – VW Golf IV / Bora
- Removing and installing pyrotechnical battery isolator – VW · 1 torque figures
- Removing and installing air flow flap control motor V71 with potentiometer for air flow flap control motor G113
Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
Seen a figure that does not match your manual? Write to us — we correct it and note when. support@torqfix.com
The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.