Keeping your liftgate up and running is high on your priority list—and ours too. That’s why preventative maintenance checks are so important, even for the small components on your truck. This week, make sure your Purkeys liftgate charging system is safe from water intrusion!

Water intrusion in the liftgate battery box can cause electrical shorts in the charging plate assembly, specifically the connection to the DC/DC converter.

If this happens and the connection is shorted, the Deutsch connector may burn out (see photo below). This burn-out will cause the charging plate assembly to malfunction, which in turn will not allow the liftgate batteries to charge properly.

To prevent this issue, complete these two easy steps:

  1. Remove the rubber clamp (see photos below) and allow the black wire to form a drip loop so that water will not enter the connector to the converter.
  2. Install a zip tie around the four wires at the connector (see photos below) and allow the tail of the zip tie to point downward, creating a secondary drip path for water.

If you have experienced water intrusion in the connector of your Purkeys converter, click here to download our product bulletin for more information on replacing the connector.