Opening the tailgate with a dead battery

[Cowspotdog]

I have checked the manual and online and couldn't find an answer. I am assuming there no way to manually open the liftback when the battery dies?  I store my jumper cables in the compartment in the back and have so much trouble getting them to when I can't open the lift gate. I have learned now and keep then under the front seat.....but seems odd there isn't a manual way to open the liftgate.

[Smiling Jack]

and let's make that "under the FRONT OF THE FRONT seat."

 

Related question:  How can we lock the tailgete so that it can NOT be opened with the foot sensor or with the fob or with the handle touch or with the driver's area button. ; e.g. so that the parking lot attendant can not access the storage area behind the rear seat.  (Note: there is no lock on my glove compartment either)

[anilruia]

Smiling Jack, have not tried it but there is a valet mode, it probably disables those things.

[Zathrus]

^{Cowspot... you are correct, liftback will not open with dead battery.  I know from experience...my base SE version (manual hatch...no kick opener), did not open when I experienced dead battery.}

 

^{In addition, shifter will not disengage from park with dead battery. This prevents you from putting car in neutral to push car if tow truck access to front wheels is blocked. There is a very cumbersome procedure in owners manual (pgs 215-216) on how to disengage stuck shifter. Or, you can apply 12V via jumper cables and shifter will then move.}

Edited March 26, 2014 by Zathrus

[jmckinley]

Procedure in Owner's Manual is wrong anyway.  If you pry off the cover on the passenger side like it says, there is nothing there.  Only way to disengage is to take off the bezel holding down the shift boot and reach in there and move a little white lever.