Hello, I am new to this site and new to 3rd gens. I just got my first 3rd gen (YEAH! ) 2 days ago and I am having a problem with the rear hatch. Whenever I press the hatch release button the motor raises it up a few inches then it makes a loud click like it is caught on something and it lowers the hatch back down. I tried for over an hour last night to open the hatch up and I also tried to get a screwdriver in the part where the hatch closes (the metal thing- sorry I am so technical on the names of the parts) and pry it out but I had no luck. I was wondering if anyone knew how to get the hatch open, I searched the board but didn't come across anyone with a similar situation. My car is a 92 Firebird if that helps with anything, and also the hatch lock cylinder was completely removed so there is nothing there just a hole- was wondering if I could just pick up one from a junked Firebird and have it rekeyed and that would work (not about the hatch opening, but about being able to lock the hatch assuming I ever get it to open and close). Thanks everyone.

 

I usually have to make a mad dash for my hatch as soon as I press the release button, and I still don't make it half the time. Have you tried pressing the button while someone else pulls up on it?

You can try taking the plastic panel off that covers the tail lights and the motor, but that's not going to be easy with the hatch down.

 

You say the lock has been removed? I am not sure if this may work, but at a junkyard, I saw one that had no lock and used a screwdriver to open the hatch through the lock mounting hole.... Of course that one didn't have the pulldown mechanism, just the manual latch...

 

Hey, thanks for your posts. We (dad and I) each trying pulling the latch up as the other hit the switch and we couldn't get it open at all. It feels like it is almost locked down and won't release from... the latch, I guess. We also tried the screwdriver idea and we could not get it to budge either. Thanks for the ideas guys....I am hoping this is maybe something simple that I am overlooking and not thinking of. But I just cant figure out why the hatch won't release up. If anyone has any idea what may work I would greatly appreciate it. I was wondering if I could somehow crawl into the trunk area (cause I may be small enough to do that) and take off the plastic paneling- is it possible I could get to the hatch release and possible pry it open with force?

 

Now that is going to be nearly impossible, pulling the plastic paneling off. There are two sheet metal screws at the top of the plastic, sandwiched between the hatch trim piece and the latch trim piece, and if you cant get them out you're SOL. What you can do is remove the light from the panel and insert a screwdriver in there when you see there is a slotted hole in a cam-like thing inside the release. If you turn the screwdriver in this thing, the hatch will release unless seriously jammed, but you will need another person to haul up on the hatch as you turn this otherwise it will latch itself shut again.

Oh, and the click you've been hearing is the pulldown's reversing switch telling the motor to bring the hatch back down because the hatch is still latched....

 

Maybe there's a way you can cut power to the car after it goes up... like someone sit at the battery or something and disconnect it as soon as it goes up, right before it clicks, or after.

Might give you more time and room.

you can get at the lock/cyllinder from inside the car, if you take the plastic panelling off...

 

Like said above let it go up as far as it will and then pull the battery cable, you can then fit a screw driver in between the hatch lid and the interior trim. You will need to go to a junk yard and look at the latch and see how it works so you can do it without being able to see it.

Or if it comes to it, cut the rear panel in the middle and unbolt the latch from the car. Un fortantly you just killed a good peice of interior plastic but you should be able to find a replacement in the junk yards or ebay. Its held on to the car with 10mm bolts, I think I recall that right.

Then go to top down solutions up top to get the parts to fix the latch. And buy new hatch struts, this helps avoid getting that latch broken again, oh yea never slam it.