Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

My car only has 60k miles on it and the rear hatch pulldown motor has never given me any trouble. Then all of the sudden today it won't even close, the latch won't engage at all. I just assumed the motor burned out or something but now my friend tells me the sensor might be messed up or something. I need to find out what is the actual problem before I replace the motor for no reason and the hatch still doesn't work. I need to fix this ASAP since my hatch won't even close, so I can't even drive the car.

82 Iron Duke

iTrader: (21)

The plastic gears go bad fast, get rid of the pull down and you will be good.

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

If the actual motor is what went bad then I have no problems replacing it, it should last another 15 years. I just don't want to replace it and have it still not work because the motor was good and there is a bad sensor or something. My friend's motor died and he could still slam his trunk shut, mine won't close at all so I think something else might be off. I had to put a bag with about 10lbs of clothes in it on the wing just to make the trunk light turn off.

82 Iron Duke

iTrader: (21)

See,
All the trunk accessories are meant to wear like everything else. I had all of the options and I did away with them and stuck with manual , everything works great

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

Start by checkign the Tech Article I wrote several years ago. Check that you have power at the red with white stripe wire that plugs into the blue wire.

Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

nedry

Another option would be to have someone machine you a replacement gear out of barstock. Classic Industries does something similar for Firebird headlight motors, maybe if we could convince them there'd be enough demand...

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

Ok, I just read that the newer motor was put in camaros from VIN 171xxx on. My car is 141xxx. I guess I'll check for power first before ordering an all new motor, I just wish I had more time to deal with this problem. Work is kicking my ***.

Demon355

iTrader: (1)

Will manual hatch latch work/fit in a car that came with power hatch motor? My motor is pretty much dead and I can get a manual one for free...

mateo

Actually I just diagnosed mine....did every possible test....found out that its the actual reverse switch portion that went bad on mine...I went ahead and replaced the tracks too with TDS nylon ones...they are great product.

The magnets in the case were off in mine too...so i replaced it with teh case from my 92 cadillacs motor since I have that one working manually now.

Wind it down enough for you to close it, that is what I have done until I get my reverse switch.

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

I guess I'm out of my element here, I don't know anything about how this motor works. I just want to find out if it needs replaced or not, because all I could do is a complete replacement. I don't think I could repair any individual break downs. I also don't want to go through all the trouble in taking out the interior trim until I'm actually replacing the unit. I guess I'll just replace the whole motor and hope for the best.

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

It's just four plastic screws to remove to pull off the rear hatch trim panel. It's not that hard at all. Diagnosing the motor is a bit more involved though. Follow the tech article I linked to in my prior post. Check that you have power at the red with white stripe wire that plugs into the blue wire. There are two ways to get to the terminals on the motor to test it. If you have test probes you can power the terminals on the motor through two small holes in the reversing switch. If you can't figure that out, then you'll have to remove the reversing switch to get to those two terminals. Again follow the tech article and you'll be fine.

Lon

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

Thanks. I guess I'll borrow a power tester from my friend.

IrS89IROC

Is it clicking when you press the button? The plastic rail guides go bad all the time with mine and the latch mechanism will move in a hinge like movement and unless you have it at the right angle you wont be able to close the hatch

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

After messing with this stuff, I've decided to go manual as well. What do I need?

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

If yours did the same thing mine is doing, then did your battery die? I think the motor is trying to close and is draining my battery over and over.

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

I have the first design, thanks for the help! Just ordered the replacement, but it ended up costing me a battery in the end too dammit.

Screamin86

iTrader: (1)

mine went bad too just makes a wurring sound and woulnt pull down. it drained my batt. overnight so i jumped it and got to school went to get my bag from the back and it did tht then i realized what happend. s i just unpluged the motor but luckaly mine will latch but not ulldown all the way. could that be the gears? im surprised ive never had problems with it befor car itself has almost 218,xxxmiles on it!

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

Mine went from working great to being 100% dead instantly. It popped open, then when I went to close it that was all she wrote. Nothing. Nada.

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

If the motor runs, yet the latch portion doesn't move, then the gear nut is bad. Check the Tech article I wrote for repairing the 1986-87 & 1988-91 pull-down motors:https://www.thirdgen.org/tech/hatchpulldown.pdf

You may find that the motor housing is also cracked or that the guides are bad. I have all the parts you'll need to repair it.

Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

Screamin86

iTrader: (1)

if its the geas i might be able to get a set made from a friend of mines dad. he took a plastic worn out bushing for a clutch that came out of his sons 79 chevy and made another one just like it out of bronze. now it works better than new! and it would be a freebie. i just gotta check everything out

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

I went to replace mine today, and it started behaving differently. I pushed in the latch with my finger and the motor started working again, it came all the way up and down a few times. I was actually able to get it to latch the trunk and turn the light off, even though it didn't pull it all the way down. I suppose this means I need new rails right? I already bought the motor so I'll replace it anyway.

techno101

My pull down unit screwed up too. I had to set a rock on my deck lid to keep it closed. I purchased a repair kit from TDS and replaced the motor and rails and motor cover. My hatch unit is working far better than it ever did. There is only three bolts holding the unit to the car, its not hard to work on either. Lon at TDS has everything you'll need.

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

If you haven't had your pull-down unit apart to diagnose the condition of the pull-down there is a simple way to diagnose it. Grab hold of the latch portion. Try moving it up and down, side to side and front to back. If it moves up and down, then the clear plastic part (called the motor housing) is bad. These often crack where the 3 screws hold it to the frame. The up and down movement is the motor housing moving. If you get side-to-side or front-to-back movement the guides in the tracks are bad. These guides are important bacause they keep the latch portion aligned as it travels up and down. If it get misaligned it can jam or get off center. The teeth of the gear nut will be broken when this happens. Check the Tech Article I wrote to see how to correctly disassemble the pull-down unit to repair it.

Lon

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

Thanks, I just ordered the Nylon guides and gear nut from your site. I guess I bought that 60$ motor for nothing, live and learn. I guess it couldn't have lasted much longer anyway. I just hope my power window motors stay strong, lol.

djc69z28

IROC-ZPost Message Forum: trunk hatch

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

By submitting that link are you trying to say that my posts on the IROC-Z web site were more helpfull than those I posted here? lol

Lon

rmgopher

My pull down on my 87 firebird just stopped working, I order the TDS replacement kit and replaced it yesterday the pull down is now working and better the ever the guides are a lot better then the old ones which was the cause of the pull down not working because are four were in pieces.

camaro8tysvn

iTrader: (1)

im getting power the reversing switch but to get the motor to work. ive done everything i can to help the conection from cleaning the contact points to switching it with another switch i got in a spare hatch assembaly at a swap meet. previously i just tie wrapped it tighter to the motor but this doesnt work anymore.

does anyone know anything i can do to fix this.

vorgath

These plastic rail guards, what do you guys do when they break? Mine are messed up and my entire power hatch mechanism is shaking and jumping on every bump of the road.

Is this what I need ?
http://www.top-downsolutions.com/pro...roducts_id=107


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lonsal

iTrader: (2)

Those 91-92 guides are used on the late 1991 style pull-down motor. If your pull-down unit has a tan colored injection molded plastic frame that attaches to the body, then yes those are the correct guides. That style of motor uses just two guides.

If your pull-down motor has a large metal frame that attaches to the body, then it is the 1988-91 style pull-down. You'll need the TDS 101170 guides. Four guides are used on that style of pull-down unit. The TDS 101170 guides are also a direct replacement for the 1986-87 which originally used two shorter guides per track for a total of 8 guides.

Lon

vorgath

Awesome, thanks for the info, Lon. I'll probably put in an order for those tonight or early tomorrow.

Heck my thing is making so much noise right now, can't imagine what the subwoofer will do to it.

It sounds like .. imagine you guys removing the bolt holding the spare tire and the jack.. and let it all wobble.. every bump I hear it

camaro8tysvn

iTrader: (1)

lonsal u seem to know alot about figuring out hatch problems do u no anythign that can helo me

heres my problem again

im getting power the reversing switch but to get the motor to work. ive done everything i can to help the conection from cleaning the contact points to switching it with another switch i got in a spare hatch assembaly at a swap meet. previously i just tie wrapped it tighter to the motor but this doesnt work anymore.

thanks

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

This is extremely frustrating. I fixed the pulldown several months ago thanks to what I saw in this post, but now I think I have to do it again. If you read what the guy in that link says, now mine is doing THAT. Trunk latches, but now pull down. If that is the sure sign of a bad striker switch, where can I get one and how do I replace it?

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

Which of the 91 pull-down motors do youhave. I sell the striker-sensing switch for both styles. The early ones (1986-91) are attached with a single hex-head screw. The plater style 91 pull-down (with a tan plastic frame) has the striker-sensing switch attached by the pin that holds on the housing for the spring. You have to pop off the push nut that is on the pin. Did you first determine if the pull-down unit is getting power?

Lon

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

I have the early type, and it does have power.

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

Is the hatch light being turned on and off by the striker-sensing switch? This is a simple test to see if the striker sensing switch is working on 1990-91 model year cars. 1986-89 had that light controlled by a manual switch.

Lon

Camaroz29

iTrader: (3)

Yes, that light turns off if I depress that switch with my finger. I guess if that means the sriker switch is good then my motor is done this time. I guess that is what I get for slamming it when it didn't catch once.