I HAVE AN 88 T/A WITH THE MOTORIZED HATCH PULL DOWN. WHEN I HIT THE HATCH BUTTON THE HATCH OPENS AND THE MOTOR PUSHES IT UP, HOWEVER ONCE IT HAS HIT THE TOP POSITION THE HATCH IMMEDIATELY DESCENDS AND LOCKS DOWN. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THERE IS AND ADJUST TO CORRECT THIS ON THE MOTOR. MAYBE TO MAKE IT LESS SENSATIVE TO THE DEAD WEIGHT OF THE HATCH. MAY I ALSO ADD THAT THE HATCH PISTONS ARE NEW, SO THEY SHOULD NOT PLAY INTO THIS.

 

Contact "lonsal" from the boards, he sells rebuilt motors and parts for them, so he should be able to diagnose your problem.

It also seems like you have a problem with your caps lock key... when you put it down, it never comes back up

Good luck with the motor

 

Hello! Coming to you from the Persian Gulf area.

Sounds like you might have a short in the wires that control the hatch motor. If you remove the back cover on the trunk wall, you will see the motor switch with a tounge that occupies the lid latch area. Should be plastic. Coming out of the switch to the bottom left you will see three wires: orange, white, and black. These wires operate the up and down function of the power to the switch. Two of the three cause the motor to unwind or wind.

You may have a loose connection or a broken wire.

Good Luck.

 

IF THE WEIGHT OF THE HATCH STAYS ON THE MOTOR IT DESCENDS. IF I GRAB THE HATCH AND LIFT AS SOON AS IT HITS THE TOP THE MOTOR STAYS UP. IT SEEMS TO BE THE HATCH WEIGHT WHICH TRIGGERS IT TO DROP.........

 

I have had the same problem with my firebird for years. I just started using the key but have had the panel out where the motor is hundereds of times during stereo work. As a matter a fact I think if I remember right the rear panel has something to do with the problem. or the adjustment of the hatch. Does it pop when you lift it up when you do open it ?

 

I HEAR A POP WHEN I PUSH THE RELEASE BUTTON AS IF IT WAS HELD DOWN UNDER TENSION, WHICH WOULD MAKE SENSE. THE HATCH THEN SLOELY RISES UP AS THE MOTOR LIFTS IT. THE PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN IT HITS ITS END RANGE OF MOTION UPWARD. JUST AS IT STOPS IT WILL SLOWLY START TO DESCEND BACK TO THE FULL LOCKED DOWN POSITION. ONCE IT STARTS TO GO BACK DOWN YOU CAN NO LOGER LIFT IT BY HAND.. YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL IT HITS BOTTOM AND THEN PUSH RELEASE BUTTON AGAIN, AND DART OUT OF THE CAR TO GRAB IT..

 

What Mark was saying with his 6o thousandth post was please stop using CAPS... Most people type in normal sentences... it makes you look like yer yelling... netiquette..

 

I've been doing the same thing for a long time... I am taking my car with me to work this morning. I'll see if I can adjust it out or find out the cause.

 

88TRANS: Don't be so quick to rule out the hatch struts because they are new. The struts you have are either the wrong ones or too weak. I do not recommend GM struts. They don't have enough of a gas charge to work for very long. I do recommend after-market struts that have a lifetime warranty (available at most auto parts chain stores). Be sure you get the correct ones for your car. The main problem you have is that OEM heavy rear spoiler. You have a few ways to correct your problem. 1) Return the "new" struts you have and get the stronger aftermarket ones. 2) Replace the OEM rear spoiler with the much lighter aftermarket fiberglass one. 3) Run around quick and grab onto the hatch to lift it off of the hatch pull-down unit.

Your hatch pull-down unit is functioning correctly. The striker sensing switch (beside the latch) is correctly sensing the presence of latch hook. As soon as it reaches the top the tab on the lift rod flips the reversing switch and it powers it down. The only problem with this sequence of events is the presence of the latch hook. Your hatch should be nowhere close to contacting it. On my 88 IROC (equipped with 2-1/2 year old Pro-Lift brand hatch struts from Pep Boys) the hatch raises completely up when I press the hatch release button or turn the key to manually release it.

The correct sequence is: 1) release the hatch (which raises fully). 2) the hatch pull-down unit powers up until it reaches the top. 3) the reversing switch is flipped by a tab on the lift rod, (preparing it to pull the hatch down if the striker sensing switch senses the latch hook). 4) lower the hatch. The striker sensing switch senses the hook and powers the unit down until it reaches the end of the stroke. 5) a second tab on the lift rod flips the switch on the reversing switch, (preparing it to lift again).

You can simulate what is happening. Release the hatch and quickly lift it out of the way. Allow the unit to cycle to the top of its cycle. Now press on the striker sensing switch (small black switch next to the latch). Keep your finger on the switch until it has cycled all the way down. You'll hear a click as it reaches the end of its cycle (reversing switch). Now momentarily remove your finger from the striker sensing switch. This simulates your releasing the hatch. Sometime during the up cycle press on the striker sensing switch again. This simulates the hook of your hatch, (which failed to fully raises up). When the unit reaches the top of its stroke, guess what will happen? The reversing switch will flip and it will power down right away.

So, either replace the "new" hatch struts with stronger aftermarket struts, get a lighter aftermarket spoiler or get a good exercise workout for free every time you release the hatch.

Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

 

lonsal,
thank you very much along with all the other respondants. all the responses are very much appreciated. i do have new aftermarket struts. in fact they are the same ones you have from pep boys (prolift). i am looking into getting a new fiberglass spoiler. hopefully that will do the job for me...thanks again

 

WALTERSB,
I WILL ENLIGHTEN YOU AS SO WHY I AM TYPEING USEING ALL CAPS. VERY SIMPLY THERE ARE TWO WAYS IN WHICH MY TYPEING CAN GO. ALL UPPERCASE OR ALL LOWER CASE. SINCE NEITHER ONE IS MORE CORRECT THEN THE OTHER , I CHOOSE TO USE THE UPPER CASE. REASON FOR THIS YOU MIGHT ASK? I AM NOT NEAR THE KEYBOARD AT ALL WHILE I AM TYPEING. I AM USEING A REMOTE MOUSE AND ONSCREEN KEYBOARD; THEREFORE , IT IS NOT ONLY EASIER FOR ME TO SEE THE WORDS THAT I AM TYPING, IT IS ALSO EASIER FOR ME TO TYPE THEM (LESS KEY STROKES). IF VISUAL TEXT MAKE YOU HEAR YELLING IN YOUR HEAD I BELIEVE THERE ARE OTHER FORUMS WHERE PROFESSIONALS MIGHT BE ABLE TO BETTER HELP YOU . NETIQUETTE? DOES THE ABBREVIATIONS U-YOU, LOL-LAUGH OUT LOUD, PITA-PAIN IN THE A** , ETC.. ANNOY YOU AS WELL. SO MUCH FOR YOU NORMALITY. ITS THE CONTENT OF WHAT YOU WRITE HERE, NOT THE STYLE IN WHICH YOU WRITE IT.

 

I agree, its your hatch shocks. i replaced mine, and it fixed that problem. one note, get the most expensive ones from pep boys, not the cheapest ones. get the ones for spoiler + wiper. they will have more charge in them.

 

OHOHBLITA
ILL TRY UPGRADEING THEM. THANKS FOR THE INPUT.....

 

My problem was cured today by adjusting both the hatch and the pull down motor. I had to open mine with a key because I just wasn't fast enough even to get the hatch open before it started back down. When I opened it, There was a little catch to it and made a pop noise when I opened. It wasn't coming out of the latch when it opened. Struts were new. aligned it up and it works good. BTW my hatch (Back glass at hinge) bolts were loose on the right hand side and that was probley what caused the original problem. I thought it looked a little croked..

 

I was just out in my car.. Hit the hatch and it came right back down. Started thinking about it and it hit me... DUH .. Lube the latch with WD40.. generiously give it a few tries and it should be fixed. It really should be that simple. man mines been like that for years too. Well atleast the hatch is square on the back now.

 

90FORMULA-X-F,

I WENT OUT TO TRY YOUR SOLUTION. IT WORKED...UNBELIEVABLE, I WOULD HAVE RIPPED EVERYTHING APART BEFORE I TRIED THAT. I USE LIQUID WRENCH ON EVERYTHING EXCEPT THIS, DONT KNOW WHY...NEVER TRIED.. ALL THE SUGGESTIONS WERE GREAT. IM SURE A NEW WING WILL ALSO HELP...THANKS

 

Glad to hear it. Mines working too..

 

Mine ain't workin' no more...used to anyway

I'll have to look at it again when I get the chance...it's a 1989 convertible too, I might add.

I have no idea why it stopped working though. What parts need the WD 40? I can wrangle up a can me thinks.
As for Nettiquette... I hear about that subject from a few Usenet newsgroup folks who just appear **** to me. I don't have to much of a problem with it, but I do try to use caps and small letters to help in easing reading.

Bill