My 2015 Model S actuator quit yesterday...lift gate was closed and locked...with the help of the video posted in this thread , I was able to open the lift gate, and then remove the required panels to expose the wiring and actuator. Emergency exit cable didn't budge.
With the free 1 year subscription to the Service Manual mentioned in the previous post, I was able to find the lift gate ajar/open switch and their wires. The schematic showed that when those circuits are open, it signals that the lift gate is open or ajar. So I cut those wires about 3-4 inches from the latch mechanism and now have no Door Open warning while driving and have full use of TACC and Autosteer. I will solder the wires back together after I get the new Actuator. I have a "manual" lift gate in the meantime. NBD
The two wires going to the actuator showed 13V plus when I plugged/unplugged the black connector inside the right side panel (top left not bottom right). I opened up the actuator and applied 11.1v DC...the magic smoke came out of the little motor when I ran it both forward and reverse. I guess it's shot.
Now, where can I find a cinching actuator?
Thanks for sharing all the info!