How to disable hansdfeee lift gate sensor?

[jeffbco]

A sensor on the lift gate could easily detect an object in the way. I do engineering for the food industry, and there are numerous types of safety sensors that manufacturers utilize on machinery...proximity sensors, light curtains, photoeyes, etc. My guess is that GM (and perhaps the whole auto industry) has decided that the "safety feature" is the gate reversing when it feels resistance from hitting an object. My question would be, is that acceptable when the object is your kid's head? Not trying to be argumentative here, I may be exaggerating the risk.

Someone here should put a helmet on and see what kind of force causes the door to reverse.

 

[nj16yukon]

Haha, and we need video or it didn't happen!

 

[chicagofan00]

A sensor on the lift gate could easily detect an object in the way. I do engineering for the food industry, and there are numerous types of safety sensors that manufacturers utilize on machinery...proximity sensors, light curtains, photoeyes, etc. My guess is that GM (and perhaps the whole auto industry) has decided that the "safety feature" is the gate reversing when it feels resistance from hitting an object. My question would be, is that acceptable when the object is your kid's head? Not trying to be argumentative here, I may be exaggerating the risk.

Personally I think that would be a bit much and I think it could become a bit too much of a hassle at that point. So if you have something just barely sticking out into that area but it's something a cloth or other flexible material that doesn't matter if it were to get "crushed" it could be a bit of an annoyance. Or should that sensor malfunction then it could expand the zone even further and never want to close automatically. I get your argument completely and I too wouldn't want it coming down on my kid's head either but I think in general they have reached a good enough line of safety features for its purpose.

Someone here should put a helmet on and see what kind of force causes the door to reverse.

I haven't tested it on the coming down part but I have tested it on the opening part as it's done it to me a couple of times when I accidentally had the fob in my pocket and was trying to scoot behind the truck with the garage door open and had to stop it right away. I didn't need an excessive amount of force to stop it but it also wasn't a light tap either. Definitely would have been dented had it hit the garage door.

 

[pfennig_san]

Update on the GM fix -- Not a 100% fix, it tried to close on a commissary bagger loading groceries but I caught it and held it up. Still, the GM fix was worthwhile as it is much better now (It hasn't tried to close on me). I wish I knew how to permanently disable it without messing up the rest of the liftgate. I don't expect to ever use the kick function and it will always make me nervous having anyone near it that is not familiar with it and could get knocked in the head.

 

[adventurenali92]

Very informative thread to read through. Several of my clients have the latest Gen gm suvs. And several with the automatic lift gate always ended up opening on me when I'm either hosing them down or near the lower bumper area. Usually resulting in the tailgate hitting me in the face while I'm trying to work. The first time it went off, I didn't know that was a feature or that I needed to disable the liftgate, and it actually hit me so hard while I was down low working on the bottom of the tailgate, it broke my prescription glasses that i cant see without. To say i was frustrated did not even begin to describe how I felt. Given all the comments about the sensors and how it would extremely hard to improve on them, what I don't understand is why is it an all or nothing feature? Whats the logic in that and how is that practical? I agree that it's useful when your hands are full. But it isn't useful when I'm trying to detail it, so why wouldn't the designer put in an option. Have it engaged when in normal use but be able to disengage it selectively without deactivating the whole automatic lift gate. I use the automatic lift gate when detailing it, I just don't want it to open when I don't tell it to. It seems as though that was a major step backwards in tech and user friendly feature design. I get that there will always be the cost issue, and having the selctability costs more, but say on a $60+k ltz package suburban, denali, or escalade, you'd expect to have that caliber of features with selectability. But I also know from experience with 2014 and newer range rovers that I detail for a couple of my other loyal clients, that the automatic/hands free lift gate operates exactly the same way. I've messed with them and you can't disable the hands free without deactivating the whole automatic tailgate. And the price point on those vehicles are insanely high compared to the gm fully optioned suvs. So why not on those higher end vehicles either? Again it seems alot of tech is taking major steps backwards instead of forward.

 

[nj16yukon]

Personally I think that would be a bit much and I think it could become a bit too much of a hassle at that point. So if you have something just barely sticking out into that area but it's something a cloth or other flexible material that doesn't matter if it were to get "crushed" it could be a bit of an annoyance. Or should that sensor malfunction then it could expand the zone even further and never want to close automatically. I get your argument completely and I too wouldn't want it coming down on my kid's head either but I think in general they have reached a good enough line of safety features for its purpose.

Think about the sensors that are currently employed on many of our cars...parking sensors, lane departure, collision warning, adaptive cruise...just to name a few. Many of these systems are much more complex than a simple "blocked/not blocked" sensor that you could place on the liftgate.

I get your concern about the flexible object. I would set it up so that if the sensor is blocked, you de-activate the hands-free operation. Let the button on the gate override the sensor. If the object is solid enough to prevent closing, the standard system kicks in and the door reverses.

Maybe I'm letting my manufacturing background cloud my judgement. But I see firsthand how safety standards differ for a machine that starts automatically, versus a machine that has to be started with input from an operator.

 

[jeffbco]

Think about the sensors that are currently employed on many of our cars...parking sensors, lane departure, collision warning, adaptive cruise...just to name a few. Many of these systems are much more complex than a simple "blocked/not blocked" sensor that you could place on the liftgate.

I get your concern about the flexible object. I would set it up so that if the sensor is blocked, you de-activate the hands-free operation. Let the button on the gate override the sensor. If the object is solid enough to prevent closing, the standard system kicks in and the door reverses.

Maybe I'm letting my manufacturing background cloud my judgement. But I see firsthand how safety standards differ for a machine that starts automatically, versus a machine that has to be started with input from an operator.

Given all the recent issues of airbags, ignition switches, etc., I wonder what GM's legal department opined regarding potential liability with the motion activated tail gate? Must have received some "blessing" to make into production across multiple products.

 

[nj16yukon]

You would certainly think so. These systems aren't designed on a whim. I found a similar thread on a Ford Escape forum, with multiple people complaining of unwanted opening/closing, including 1 guy who was hit in the cheek and was bleeding.

 

[chicagofan00]

Maybe I'm letting my manufacturing background cloud my judgement. But I see firsthand how safety standards differ for a machine that starts automatically, versus a machine that has to be started with input from an operator.

I think you've made great suggestions but I'm sure the bean counters at GM have done the math with regards to the research, development, and testing of the more advanced systems and instead determined that the system in place is good enough and safe enough for the cost. In fact as you said all the other manufacturers seem to go this way as well so there has to be some cost method behind it all.

I don't see any other system getting put in place until some of the German manufacturers start to implement the tech in the higher end SUVs and cars. They are usually the ones to test out the newer or more advance tech and safety items. If they prove to be a success and they start to filter it down the line to their lower models then the other manufacturers tend to start incorporating it in their designs as well.

 

[jeffbco]

I think you've made great suggestions but I'm sure the bean counters at GM have done the math with regards to the research, development, and testing of the more advanced systems and instead determined that the system in place is good enough and safe enough for the cost. In fact as you said all the other manufacturers seem to go this way as well so there has to be some cost method behind it all.

I don't see any other system getting put in place until some of the German manufacturers start to implement the tech in the higher end SUVs and cars. They are usually the ones to test out the newer or more advance tech and safety items. If they prove to be a success and they start to filter it down the line to their lower models then the other manufacturers tend to start incorporating it in their designs as well.

And I'm sure GM was reacting to the competition's offerings - I can't see an overwhelming demand for this option. I would rather have had a true keyless entry system as an option.