Electric Tailgate (MARK 3)
This is the installation guide for Tesla Model 3 Electric Tailgate (MARK 3) from EVOffer.
Last updated
This is the installation guide for Tesla Model 3 Electric Tailgate (MARK 3) from EVOffer.
Last updated
Lock Assembly with Latch Motor
Motorized Strut * 2
Drill Bit
3M Tape
String
Main Control Unit
Small Control Unit
CAN Connector (20P for 2018; 26P for 2019-2020)
CAN Wire
Power Tapping Wire
Power Wire
Trunk to Lid Wire
Light Wire
Strut Extension Wire * 2
Diagonal Cutting Pliers
Wire Stripper
10mm Hex Socket
T-20 Screwdriver
Wire Fishing Tool
Pry Tools
Short Wrench
T-45 Socket
Small Flat Head Screwdriver
Electrical Tape
Open the liftgate and remove the trunk lid trim piece. You can simply pull down the trim to remove it. It is recommended to use pliers to remove the green fasteners that remain in the trunk lid. Ignore the white fasteners.
Remove the 2 indicated trim pieces.
Before replacing the strut, place a foam between the rear glass and the strut.
Use a small flat head screwdriver, slide into the little hole on the top of the strut, push the trunk lid upward a little bit and then pull out the strut. (Caution, the trunk lid might start to fall down after the top joint is removed. It is recommended to have someone help to hold the lid) Do the same to the lower joint of the strut. Repeat the same step to the other strut. It’s recommended to remove both struts before placing the new strut.
Place the new strut by inserting the strut into the ball joints. It is recommended to install only the left strut first so you have more room to work with the wiring before installing the right strut.
Run the lid area wire (the wire with a small grey connector) from the trunk area to the lid area, using the rubber tube on the right side. Use a fishing wire to run the wire.
Plug the small black connector to the small module. Also connect the big green connector to the same module. Stick the small module inside the lid.
Locate the trunk handle connector. Pull out the grey lock, press and pull out the connector. Connect the connector to the yellow connector from our wire. Connect the other end of the connector back into the trunk handle connection.
Remove the connector from the lock unit, insert that into provided connector. Connect the other end back to the lock unit.
Using the provided drill bit, drill a hole to the trunk lid trim piece to install the trunk button.
Connect the last connector (white) in the lid area to the trunk button.
The trunk lid part is all set. You can install the lid back in place. The white fasteners should be still staying in the trunk lid. We don't recommend to remove it. Instead, try to slide in to the white fasteners. To watch the video, click here: https://youtu.be/vL1epiXHlrY?t=888
You can run it through the rubber seal of the trunk. The advantage of it is that it is very easy to run the wire. We recommend you to do this way if you don't feel comfortable removing your bumper.
If you are going to install foot sensor, and your car is built before July 2019, you probably need to remove the bumper to install the foot sensor. In this case, we recommend running the strut wire behind the bumper. Please refer to the foot sensor installation guide on how to remove the bumper.
The third method is the most recommended and also an easy way.
Remove the trunk seal from the side.
Feed the strut wire down the gap as indicated. You might need to use some screwdriver to pry the gap a bit bigger to feed the connector through.
Remove the bottom cover.
You can see the strut wire. Use your hand to feed the wire back to the car trunk area through the hole (The holes are covered by a blue rubber cap. You can either choose to cut a hole on the rubber cap or just remove the rubber cap).
You can choose to connect the 12V directly to the battery or to the VCC right inside the car cabin. Wiring to the 12V battery is easier, but a little wire might be visible between the door and the fender. The VCC right method is a little bit more difficult, but manageable.
Run the 12V wire from the right side of the car to the frunk area. Then connect it to the + terminal of the battery. (Step by Step instruction will be provided in the future).
There are two spots that you can tap into the 12V constant power inside the cabin area. We recommend to do it on the right side, because you will also run the CAN wire on the right side. Some pictures below might show the left side but just do the same thing to the right side.
Remove the small cover.
Use a flathead screwdriver to remove the push pin that holding the big cover
Pull out the big cover.
Now you need to remove the trim piece below the dash.
For LHD car, there should be just 4 push pins holding the plastic piece. After you remove them, you can remove the small cover in the middle. For RHD car, there are an extra T-20 screws that you need to remove.
After removing the cover, you can access the VCC right in the car. There 's a thick red wire that ends in a 10mm hex nut. Loosen the nut, and then insert the 12V fuse wire into the spot, tighten it. A short wrench is recommended.
Remove the white female plug, insert the long 12V wire into the plug, and then insert it back.
On the back of the middle armrest, use a allen key to remove the cover. You can do it by inserting an alley key into the bottom of the cover, and then pull the cover out. There's a white 20-pin connector (for 2018 and 2017 Model 3) or a blue 26-pin connector (for 2019 or after Model 3). Unplug that connector, and plug our connector in between.
Now run the CAN wire from the middle of the car (right side) to the cover under the front seat.
Run the CAN wire and the power wire back to the right trunk area. We have a video to guide you here. The video show it on the left side, but we would recommend to run it to the right side: https://youtu.be/vL1epiXHlrY?t=1846
Do the ground connection in the right trunk area. There is a 10mm bolt there for ground. If your car is a SR+, it's the same spot, the 10mm is the one that holding the black cover.
Using T-45 screwdriver, unscrew the two screws and replace the lock unit. Place the latch motor to the right side of the trunk. It is recommended to record the latch location before replacing.
Connect all the wires to the control box (with matching color), and place the control box inside the trunk area. Connect the CAN, power, the black connector, latch motor connector, strut connectors. You can leave the white socket idle.
Manually lift the door to your desired height, long press the added trunk button for 5 seconds until you hear a beep sound (This is also how you adjust the liftgate height). Now you can try to press the button again to close the trunk. Reinstall all the trim pieces and enjoy the system. If the trunk cannot close all the way, consider adjusting the closing force.
