While carrying some long cargo, I used a bungee cord to tie down the tailgate on our 2005 V70. I put one end on the latch, which ended up getting pushed to a latched position while it was open. The latch now thinks it is locked and will not unlock no matter what I try. This means that I can not close the tailgate all the way. I've pushed and prodded quite a bit. There is a small hole to the right of the latch mechanism, but I didn't want to push anything in there for fear of breaking something. What can I do to reset the mechanism so I can properly close the tailgate?

 

Is the latch itself lock if yes you can try to hold the handle loike you trying to open it and use a small screwdrive to push the latch to open

 

Thanks for the advice!

I was out earlier and happened past a Volvo dealer. I went into the service department and asked them about this. It was then, when they showed me, that I realized that in all the playing around I had never tried the manual latch that is hidden inside the license plate holder. Operating that and operating the lock caused it to unjam. D'oh!