BMW 1 Series Tailgate Fault: Hall Sensor Problem?

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars and had a similar issue with my 2013 BMW 3 Series diesel last year. The symptoms were exactly the same as what you're describing with your 1 Series. Took it to my regular workshop and they found it was just a loose connection in the wiring harness near the tailgate. They had to clean and reseat some connectors, and everything worked perfectly after that. The whole thing cost me 95 Euro, which included diagnostics and repair. Before spending money though, what's your exact engine variant and mileage? Also, does the tailgate make any unusual sounds when you try to operate it? This info would help me share more specific details from my experience.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I've got the diesel model with 78447 KM on the clock. Actually, when trying to operate the tailgate, there's a clicking sound followed by a slight buzzing noise. Just had my service done last month and everything else is running fine. Interesting that you mention the wiring harness, I did notice the issue started after some heavy rain, so that loose connection theory makes sense. Did your BMW give any warning lights on the dash when this happened?

Hey again! Yes, my 3 Series had exactly those same symptoms, the clicking and buzzing noise. And funny you mention the rain because that's when mine started acting up too! My car had about 85k on the clock when this happened. I did get a warning light on the dash, it was the general yellow warning symbol. The car also showed a "tailgate malfunction" message on the display. Since you're describing almost identical symptoms to what I experienced, I'm even more convinced it's likely the same wiring harness issue I had. One thing I didn't mention in my first reply, before taking it to the workshop, I actually tried disconnecting the battery for about 15 minutes to reset the system. It helped temporarily but the problem came back after a couple of days. That's when I knew it had to be a physical issue rather than just an electronic glitch. Given how similar our situations are, I'd say there's a good chance you're dealing with the same problem. The hall sensor usually gives different symptoms, more like erratic behavior rather than consistent issues. If you want to save some money, you could ask your mechanic to check the wiring connections first before replacing any parts.

Thanks so much for all these details! Yes, I'm getting that exact same yellow warning light and tailgate malfunction message too. It's really helpful to know about the battery reset trick, I might try that just to rule things out, even though it only worked temporarily for you. Given how similar our issues are, especially with the rain connection and those specific sounds, I'm feeling more confident it's probably the wiring harness. You've saved me from jumping straight to replacing the hall sensor, which would've been much more expensive! I'll call my mechanic tomorrow and ask them to specifically check the wiring connections first. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience in such detail. It's definitely made me feel better about the whole situation, knowing it might be a relatively straightforward fix.