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How to Use Your Hands-Free Power Liftgate

Difficulty Level: Novice | Time Required: 5 minutes | Tools Required: None | Related Parts, Products, Services or Technology: Key fob

Available Hands-Free Power Liftgate with logo projection and programmable height, if equipped, lets you open and close your liftgate with a simple kicking motion below the bumper. On some vehicles, an illuminated logo projection will appear on the ground to show you where to kick.

Operation Instructions:

Open Your Hands-Free Power Liftgate

Adjust Your Liftgate’s Lift Height

Open Your Hands-Free Power Liftgate

With your key fob in your hand, pocket or bag, approach the liftgate.
The logo projection will automatically turn on as you get within 1.8 metres (6 feet) of the rear of your vehicle.
Kick straight over the logo, or at the sensor for older vehicles. Note: Kick straight within .127 metres (5 inches) of the bumper — sweeping the foot side to side or stepping on the logo projection will not activate the sensor.
The liftgate will open after giving you time to safely step away. The rear lights will flash and a sound will chime to alert you that the liftgate is opening.

You can also use a kicking motion to close the liftgate:

Kick straight over the logo projection, or at the sensor for older vehicles.
After a two-second delay, the rear lights will flash and a sound will chime to alert you that the liftgate is closing.

Adjust Your Liftgate’s Lift Height

The power liftgate has the following lift-height presets:

MAX — Liftgate opens to its maximum height
¾ — Liftgate opens to three-quarters of its maximum height
OFF — Liftgate can only be opened manually

Hands-free power liftgate preset symbol.

To tailor how high your liftgate will rise:

Select the ¾ setting on the liftgate switch.
Open the liftgate.
Manually adjust the liftgate to the desired height.
Press and hold the button next to the liftgate latch for three seconds. The location of this button will vary depending on your vehicle. The turn signals will flash and a chime will sound once the setting is stored.

Hands-free power liftgate control symbol.

Q&As

I’m kicking right over the logo projection, but the liftgate isn’t opening for me. What am I doing wrong?

Try these troubleshooting tips:

Make sure your kick is not too fast or slow. The “in” and “out” kicking motion should be completed within one second
Move closer to your vehicle
Kick directly toward the underside of your vehicle. Do not kick the bumper
Make sure that your kick comes within .127 metres (5 inches) of the bumper of your vehicle
Make sure that your key fob is within approximately 1 metre (3 feet) of your vehicle

What if I don’t kick quickly enough and the logo lamp turns off?

The logo projection only helps you find the location where you should kick. It doesn’t affect the hands-free control of the liftgate.

Sometimes I take several loads to my vehicle. If my vehicle has a logo projection, will it turn on each time?

The logo projection only illuminates for 60 seconds at a time. If it’s already on when you come back, it will stay on for 60 more seconds.

Why doesn’t my logo projection turn on when I approach my vehicle with my key fob?

There are several explanations that could apply:

Only certain key fobs — your vehicle fobs associated with Drivers 1 and 2 — will turn the projection on. Your fob may not be able to illuminate the logo projection
The battery may be in a cool-down period to preserve its charge. This happens when the logo projection has been turned on five times in 5 to 10 minutes. It will illuminate again after an hour
If the logo projection is still not showing, ensure the underside of the vehicle is clean and clear of debris
If you approach the liftgate and stay there for several minutes, the projection will not turn on the next time the liftgate is used
If the vehicle hasn’t been used in 10 consecutive days, the logo projection will not turn on

In any of the above scenarios, your liftgate will still open with a kick.

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To find out if your vehicle has this feature, contact your dealer or refer to your vehicle’s equipment list. Please check your Owner’s Manual for more information about features.

Blazer 2019, 2020-2021
Equinox 2017, 2019-2021
Suburban 2017-2021
Tahoe 2017-2021
Trailblazer 2021
Traverse 2017-2021