Locked out of the tailgate and tonneau

[Bigguss]

Well, the title pretty much says it all.

We just bought a (new) '07 RTL with the dealer-installed hard tonneau cover, and one of the wife's chief complaints (it's primarily her truck) was that there's no easy way to lock the tailgate. Well, this morning we were heading to Home Depot for some plumbing stuff, and she gives me a sheepish look.

"The good news is that I think I figured out how to lock the tailgate - I poked around and found a rectangular latch that flips up or down (near the top of the passenger side of the tailgate). The bad news is that I locked the tonneau and locked the tailgate to try it out, and now I can't get in either of them!"

Sure enough, they're both locked (the tailgate is locked in both swing and regular mode and the tonneau is manually latched on both sides under the cover). Nothing in the owners' manual, and some quick searches turned up nothing.

Feeling pretty stupid for not being able to immediately figure this out.

Any suggestions before I break down and call the dealer?

[Truckin']

First of all you need to let us know if this is the Honda OEM tonneau cover. If so, didn't you get a key with your purchase? I would drive right over the dealer and let them deal with it. I hope they are nearby. Let us know what happens.

[Bigguss]

Yes, it's the Honda OEM cover.

Saw it had a key (and no, we don't have one... which is one reason we need to go back to the dealer anyway), but honestly I'm not thinking that would help. The tonneau cover closes with two manual latches (one on each side of the cover). I can't imagine the key moves both of those latches... so even if we had it, I don't think it would unlock the cover.

[FTM1]

If you fliped the metal latch up & pushed the key cylinder down it is locked.
So even without the key it can be locked when you push it down. The latches on the sides don't do nothing but keep the cover down. They have nothing to do with the tailgate operation. The little cheap lock is just working.
If it not aligned correct even with the key it could get jammed. We had that problem when we first got the truck over a year ago. Eveything has been working okay since then.

[vegastan]

Hi
I had the same problem. My Wife pushed the button and flipped the latch up the day we bought my used 06 & we had the key but it still wouldn't open. I pushed forward on the cladding on the tailgate after turning the key in the button allowing it to pop up and heard a noise that turned out to be the latch releasing. Personally, I kind of like it like that, as you need to know how to release the latch in order to open the tailgate. My old Dakota had a similar
"problem" with a roll-n-lock, so I kinda had a heads-up on this one. hope this helps before someone rips the tailgate apart.

[oarnold]

In another thread, someone noticed similarity of keys to two different OEM covers and wondered if the locks and keys are all the same. I don't know what the conclusion was. If the original key to your top can't be located by the dealer, have them try a key to another top.

[oarnold]

Originally Posted by oarnold

In another thread, someone noticed similarity of keys to two different OEM covers and wondered if the locks and keys are all the same. I don't know what the conclusion was. If the original key to your top can't be located by the dealer, have them try a key to another top.

Found it:
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/f...issue-rep.html

Post number 5

[Nicholas]

I just had a problem with my Honda OEM cover...seems that somewhere along the line in one of our travels I must of placed a suitcase too close to the tonneau cover lock. Somehow the inside metal plate (shaped like a "T" snaged on something (probably the suitcase) and gotten bent down pointing towards the bed. This metal "T" is located on the underside of the tonneau cover and is what holds the spring tension on the locking plate (the flat metal plate with the cut-out for the push down tonneau lock). I took off the "T" plate (10 mm bolt) and "straightened" it out in a vise then reinstalled the "T". Still didn't work...You can get the tonneau cover to unlock by inserting a long screwdriver and pressing towards the bed on the locking plate. Kind of scary realizing how easy it is to access the bed though with the tonneau cover locked. Previous memory reminded me that the "T'" shaped plate had a slight curve to it. Took it back off, placed it back in the vice with a round shank screwdriver and bent it to a slight curve. Replaced the "T" and the tonneau cover lock now works correctly. You can easily see this mechanism with the tonneau cover in the open folded over position...Good Luck!

[notabadname]

I was checking out the OEM tonneau yesterday, close to buying one, and was disappointed how easily I could get into it (while locked). I only needed to stick my black plastic, 6 inch, "Goody" comb between the rubber seal of the cover and the top of the tailgate, in line with the lock, and apply downward pressure towards the floor of the bed, to get the latch to release. Took me about 5 minutes to realize this. I tried this because I couldn't get the tailgate to release after unlocking the cover, as mentioned in this thread. I figured I would try bypassing it before telling the dealer I couldn't figure out how to open the thing after demoing it on the showroom floor. The first time I opened it with a comb, was after having unlocked it, with the lock cylinder in the raised position, but was unable to open the tailgate. I then decided to see if I could do the same thing with it locked, and it did. Just as easily. So two things: The lock is not engineered well, in that the catch underneath the cover does not retract out of the way (upward towards the cover) with the retraction of the cylinder/plunger after being unlocked. And further, that even when locked, minimal pressure can disengage the tailgate's portion of the lock from the cover's part that is held down by the lock cylinder. The lock is really nothing more than window dressing, only delaying someone with no mechanical inclination, from accessing your covered bed.