Problem with boot opening on its own and then not properly closing/sealing.

[nem]

Problem with boot opening on its own and then not properly closing/sealing.
This morning I discovered my had opened by itself overnight. This was problematic because I had changed the boot setting from "low" to "high" the day before while unloading items at another location. With the "high" setting, the boot opened far enough to hit the canoe I have hanging above my car in the carport, leaving scratches on the boot lid.


The Problem:When I tried to close the boot, it would go through the closing motion and appear to latch, but it wouldn't properly seal. The final sealing mechanism that normally engages after the boot closes wasn't working.


I contacted the dealer who insisted it was impossible for the boot to open on its own. When I sent them a video of the sealing issue, they said they didnt know of any quick fixes to this and i needed to bring the car in.

Before heading to the dealer, I noticed something odd about how the boot was closing. Instead of the normal soft close for the final few centimeters, it was kinda slamming down. This made me suspect the boot's position sensors weren't properly calibrated - it seemed like the system had lost track of where "fully closed" should be.

The Solution:I manually opened the boot to its maximum position (100% open), then pressed the automatic close button. The system gave me a beep beep error signal. When I tried using the car's menu to close it, I got an error message telling me to close it manually. So, I carefully closed it by hand, and the boot immediately locked and sealed properly.


After this reset process, the automatic system worked perfectly again. The boot now closes with the proper soft-close action and seals correctly every time.


What i think happened is that the system seems to have lost its "home" position reference. By manually cycling it through the full open-to-closed range, I essentially recalibrated the position sensors, allowing the automatic system to function normally again.


TLDR:
If your automatic boot won't seal properly after closing, try this reset:
manually open it to 100%, then manually close it completely.
This should recalibrate the position sensors and it should work normally again.


As for why it opened on its own in the first place - that remains a mystery. I'll need to decide whether the paint damage is worth an insurance claim or not..

 

[Ian Key]

I had a similar problem with my boot although not with it opening on it's own and "fixed" it the same way.

There is a thread about a similar problem with the boot not locking here

Post in thread 'Boot Lock'

Aug 30, 2025

Just picked mine up and the tailgate had the same problem as @Cluckers. i.e. it wasn't locking when closed with either the button or the key fob. I also didn't think it was opening as high as it should.

After forcing the tailgate to its maximum height by pushing it up gently until it stopped and then helping it to start shutting again (it wouldn't move and gave a warning beep) it seems to have cured the problem. It now soft closes and locks whether the rest of the car is locked or unlocked.

I wonder if the perimeters needed resetting similar to resetting auto open and close windows.

• Ian Key

• 

 

[electric dream]

We had this problem with our S5, but cured it by applying a smear of silicone grease to the two round and the two square boot lid alignment/stops, as the friction when dry was causing the problem. The round ones are adjustable with a screwdriver if your boot lid does not close in line with the rear wing.

 

[Ian Key]

We had this problem with our S5, but cured it by applying a smear of silicone grease to the two round and the two square boot lid alignment/stops, as the friction when dry was causing the problem. The round ones are adjustable with a screwdriver if your boot lid does not close in line with the rear wing.

You don't need a screwdriver to adjust the round ones, just turn 90 degrees and adjust the length before turning back again. They look the same as on the MG4.

 

[Lovemyev]

I have had my boot only open by about 25% and then stop, one day at the super market.
It was an outside car park so no objects above or too the sides.
I just went into “manual mode” and lifted it myself, as I have for the last 40+ years.
This is my first experience of owning a power assisted boot on my very own car.
Almost every SUV I have driven in the USA has had them for years of course.
I must admit, there are really handy feature, but like anything automatic, things can be fooled or go wrong .
I have had the boot come down on me once without requesting it.
It was only time I welcomed the warning ️ “bleeping” sound from the car .
Just managed to duck from underneath it before it had me !.
It has never happened again since .
I had put the keys in my back pocket while trying to retrieve some shopping bags from under the boot cover board.
It’s the only time I kept them in my rear pocket, just too save putting down inside of the boot.
Maybe when searching under the board in the boot, the boot button on the fob got pressed somehow and that is what happened.
Another one of life’s mysteries I guess.
I know one other forum member has experienced the same thing and he applied pressure to the boot lid as it descended and it reversed back to the open position.

 

[nem]

Yeah so im no closer to understanding why the boot opened on its own.

I did some test yesterday and the boot sensor will not open the boot if i dont have the key on me, regardless of the state of the car (locked/unlocked).
Also tested opening and closing with the key button and this opens the car (when unlocked) after about 3 seconds of holding the button. I think i need to hold it longer if its locked but i didnt test that.

Im of a mind to talk to the mechanic again to see if they can maybe fetch some logs from the car to see exactly why it opened (what triggered the opening?) and possibly when..

 

[Lovemyev]

When my boot decided to close on its own without warning, I wondered if I had triggered the kick sensor because I was rooting about under boot board, looking for things.
So, the next day I opened the boot with the button and then when it was fully open, I tried closing it via the foot sensor in order to try and prove my theory.
But I found that it was unable to to close the boot via this method.
You have to either have to manually press the boot close button in the trim cover of the boot lid, or use the boot button on the fob to action the close request.

 

[m2mob]

Yeah so im no closer to understanding why the boot opened on its own.

I did some test yesterday and the boot sensor will not open the boot if i dont have the key on me, regardless of the state of the car (locked/unlocked).
Also tested opening and closing with the key button and this opens the car (when unlocked) after about 3 seconds of holding the button. I think i need to hold it longer if its locked but i didnt test that.

Im of a mind to talk to the mechanic again to see if they can maybe fetch some logs from the car to see exactly why it opened (what triggered the opening?) and possibly when..

Hi - I’ve had this with my car - confused me for a bit - then it happened whilst I was working near the car! It was the key fob (boot button) being pressed against the phone in my pocket as I moved!!! Annoying - but not actually a fault!

 

[emmrecs]

I’ve had this with my cat - confused me for a bit

Understandable you would be confused! (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

 

[Ian Key]

Understandable you would be confused! (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

Perhaps he means his cat wandered under the car and set off the smart tailgate sensor

 

[m2mob]

Hi - I’ve had this with my cat - confused me for a bit - then it happened whilst I was working near the car! It was the key fob (boot button) being pressed against the phone in my pocket as I moved!!! Annoying - but not actually a fault!

Perhaps he means his cat wandered under the car and set off the smart tailgate sensor

Doh . Missed that - it should be edited now!!!

 

[deanmonkey]

Mine opened the boot when I parked with offside wheels on pavement. Opened as I walked away. Also have to watch that my charging cable does not go under the back of the car-works every time.

 

[Alb]

I'd assumed the sensor was IR but perhaps it's Optical

 

[Ian Key]

I'd assumed the sensor was IR but perhaps it's Optical

It could be ultrasonic the same as the reversing sensors.

There is an option to turn off the foot swipe to open the hatchback.