dawnne'ssecrets

I have tried to look at every thread, every post to try to solve my problem but with no luck. My hatch pull-down had a weak motor...my car is an 87 Firebird. It ran and would not stop, I turned the key and it opened, did not close, the end. OKAY, now, I had a completely new mechanism waiting-the whole thing, not just the motor. Brand new, not rebuilt. I installed it in the car and voila-the mechanism raised up, detecting that the hatch was up. Then when I went to close it, it latched, but it would not pull down. Nothing wrong with the motor. Again, everything is brand new. I tried to reset it-nobody really gives a good description of what to push either. Okay, now what do I do with it? Clueless.

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

Welcome to the forum! In the latch mechanism there is a small lever on the left side towards the rear of the car. Push it in until it draws the latch all the way down, then release it. It usually needs reset because the hatch struts are worn out and the hatch won't raise when the release is triggered.

Mark RWC

A good way to see how the what hatch motor and latch assembly are doing is to open the hatch. The motor should has raised to it's full height. The latch that catches the strike on the hatch in order to pull it shut is now visible.The latch has a black piece of plastic that is the lever that hit the switch on the motor to tell it it run. The black plastic can be hard to notice at first. If the push the switch lever down the hatch motor runs down. When you let go it lets the motor run the assembly all the way up.try this and see what your new motor is doing.

From what you are saying try lowering the hatch motor and latch assembly. Loosening the mounting bolts and lower it a little at a time until you have it were it pulls the hatch all the way down.

The attahed photos show the switch with the tip of the scredriver touching it

dawnne'ssecrets

I am so sorry...I don't think I explained it correctly. When the new mechanism was looked up, as soon at it was plugged in (white rectangular connector), the mechanism raised all the way up. When the old mechanism was in the car (the old motor, switch, rails, etc.) as soon as I opened it up when the motor wouldn't shut off-it did open with the key-it would not latch anymore. Now it latches with the new mechanism. You can open it with the key but it is just that-latched and bouncing around. Someone told me that the new mechanism might be bad...the whole thing is new, not rebuilt and I have had it for the day when the other one's time was up. I was prepared. Plus it moved all the way up when it was plugged in, sounding like new. I am trying to look at the pictures...it is an actual button? I tried pushing down on a plastic lever from an old post that I found which didn't help, why I am here now. It is as if the motor does not work when I saw it move.

dawnne'ssecrets

I am still looking at the pictures and looking at my mechanism and it doesn't seem to look the same. My car is a 1987 Firebird. The license plate is not right in back of it-for some reason it makes a difference-I have read way too many posts-I don't even understand that, and my car has no button to push in the front-a hatch release. You have to get out of the car and use the key, that is it. There are no power windows or locks, thank goodness.

Mark RWC

The motor will raise up when it is plugged in.The strike mounted on the hatch pushes the black plastic lever down I showned in the photos. Puching down on this plastic lever makes the motor run or pull the hatch down.
Try pushing down on the black plastic lever with your finger and the motor will run down. I think you motor is good.

dawnne'ssecrets

As soon as I plugged it in, the mechanism rose up, and it sounded like new. I have pushed on that lever and it doesn't do anything. It doesn't move or make noise. This whole thing has been in my closet in my room, not in the garage, not in the cellar since I got it. It was never used, not at all. I unplugged it and plugged it in again to see if it did anything too before, and nothing-it is still in the up position. That was it for the motor, I guess, now? I didn't do anything to it.

dawnne'ssecrets

The whole mechanism was expensive, too from Year One/Next Generation but I considered it a wise investment. I have had it for a while...again, I was prepared since the first time there was a problem years ago we were really lost. My father just disconnected the battery since it was stuck in the down position, the motor was running and the key didn't work.

Mark RWC

Maybe the fuse supplying power to the white connector is bad or failed when the motor tried to pull the hatch down.. Did you check to see if you still have 12 VDC?

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

The WHITE connector is for the cargo area light ground. The Blue connector is the power feed to the harness and hooks to the RED wire with a WHITE tracer from the body. If you hooked the red/white wire to the white wire you probably grounded out the hot lead and did blow a fuse.

rusty vango

there is a pull down relay back by the hatch unit.maybe yours is bad??

Mark RWC

The relay is for the release button on the dash or center consule to be able to open the hatch via the soleniod on the hatch motor from the drivers seat if I remember correctly.
He indicated he does not have a release button. Some hatch motor i have seen in the junkyard do not have that solenoid.

Scott 88 GTA

Did you reuse your existing Striker Switch? Or was a new one on the replacement unit?

http://www.top-downsolutions.com/hat...h-pull-down-un

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

Rusty is talking about the extend relay(refer to the diagram). It has nothing to do with the hatch release.

dawnne'ssecrets

I am sorry that I have not been able to get back to this sooner. The entire mechanism is new. The whole thing. One unit. Just like the other. Switches, motor, everything. There is no cargo light...I know someone asked about this, so there are wires that are not used, same as the old one. There is no hatch release in the car. It only opens by key. When I plugged in white connector, it went all the way up as if it detected the hatch was open, which it was, now only latches and does not move. White connector plus ground wire to body are only electrics used, same as the old one. Help.

dawnne'ssecrets

Again, everything is hooked up as the old one was. There are wires not used like the old one, which worked for years. A lot if years.

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

Going to have to tell you this again. The blue connector is the power feed to the unit, it hooks to the red wire with a white tracer. If you only have the white and ground screw hooked up, you have no power. Please look at the diagram I posted.

Scorpner

iTrader: (4)

Here are installation instructions from Top Down Solutions, on the fourth page towards the bottom. If you end up needing parts again I recommend going with them as they offer help with the units as well.
https://www.thirdgen.org/tech/hatchpulldown.pdf

FWIW, the motors rarely go out as the mechanism is designed to break before it overloads. The symptom of the motors continuously running does indicate either a damaged gear nut, a faulty, or misaligned switch. The unit needs the signal to shut off the motor or it will keep running.

They can also be damaged from slamming the hatch lid too hard. You would see cracks by the attachment points on the clear plastic body.

Also, did you get the right replacement unit? They are different after 1987.

dawnne'ssecrets

No, that is all fine. All is hooked up. What I was trying to say was that there are two wires that were not hooked up on the old one, and are not hooked up with the new one. Those have to be for a hatch release or cargo light, neither of which the car has.

dawnne'ssecrets

I checked...the units are exactly alike. With the old motor, it stopped running as soon as I opened the hatch. It was going for a while. No cracks on new or old mechanisms. Thank you for the link with instructions. I am going to check it out and I hope it helps. There was a video somewhere that did not help since they were replacing parts and not the whole mechanism. This is getting frustrating.

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

There are only 3 connections on the unit harness. Blue (12v+), white (unused with no cargo light) and black(ground) The hatch release is part of the body harness, not the pulldown motor harness. Have you checked for 12v+ at the red wire with white tracer from the body harness? Are you sure your ground is good?
Next, probe the four wire connector just above the motor with the white plug. When you push the lever for the latch switch as though the hatch is closed, the orange wire should be grounded. When that lever is released as though the hatch is open, the white wire should be grounded. If you don't have a multimeter, now is a good time to borrow one or get one. How about a picture of your connections since you keep giving conflicting information on how it is hooked up?

FlyDoc

Make sure your grounds are good!
if your hatch is not grounded your motor will not work.
the ground on the hatch uses the deck, to the window frame, to a hinge, to the body.

98% of my electrical issues have to due to bad grounds.
have fun.

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

Untrue, the hatch can be completely missing and the motor will still work. The black wire grounds to the body with a 7mm screw.

dawnne'ssecrets

The conflicting information here has to do with the mechanism you are showing, as I said before. Both the old one and the new one are not the same as the one you show. My old one and new one are exactly like. Whether GM meant to put it on an 87 Firebird, whether it was for a different year, I have no idea. The motor isn't even in the same orientation as the one you show. If I had my computer I would upload a picture and show you.

dawnne'ssecrets

I was reading the .PDF file with all of the instructions...thank you for directing me to this. I wish this person had their own forum on thirdgen. Someone I talked to who has a 3rd Gen, not the same year said that they had a problem before with a unit-though the unit was used, it really wasn't. It was sold to them by someone else who couldn't get it to work. Though that is not the case with mine, the person said there was a manufacturing defect in the housing...something in the way it was made caused a problem where it would not work, not a problem with motor, wires, switches...the person who told them this was an electrical engineer, and he tested the hell out of everything. This really does sound familiar. Now I am left with a decision...the person has a hatch mechanism that they have had for a while but it is hardly used...it was put on a car that was modified for drag racing (was no longer street legal). It is a solenoid. Now can I put a solenoid on in place of the manual-I have heard yes and no-or do I have to take the parts off of the solenoid to use with my original one-the new one that I have has pretty much been written off by everyone. The solenoid one looks like mine except for the addition...the motor is even oriented the same way.

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

An 87 should have the motor I posted. Does yours look like this one? If so, that is a 91-92 style.

Edit: You have been asked a few times to verify that there is power on the wire feeding the unit (red/white tracer) . Not once did you say that you checked or there WAS power to it.

BIGMiller654

My car is a 1990 RS. I have an issue with the hatch not pulling down as well. It always worked like a charm until this year when I opened it to put the t tops in back and then it wouldn't close. I have power to the pull down motor. All of my fuses are good as I just checked them. What I was thinking might be the problem is the mechanism on the hatch itself that comes down and contacts the aluminum to get the motor to do its thing. Does anyone know how this works exactly? I checked the power to the "switch" below the third brake light on the actual hatch and there was none. Where does the power come from to get to that area? I thought initially it was a motor issue but that has been changed and to no avail. I would appreciate any help.

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

If you are talking about the contacts on the trim panel covering the motor, they have nothing to do with the motors function. It is a self contained unit. The hatch just trips the lever pointed out in post #3. Post #21 describes the way to see if the switch is working. I have seen the switch lever break off and the motor would not function at all as well.

BIGMiller654

Does anyone know how the hatch mechanism works as far as the pictured switch and contacts go? I have no power to the mechanism hanging from the hatch that touhes the small metal plates. I checked the striker switch and it is intact although all that it does is turn my hatch light off. There is no motor action. Mind you I changed that motor. Is it possible the reverse switch went bad and the motor doesn't know that it needs to go down?

BIGMiller654

Here is some more pictures of what I'm talking about.

racerx520

iTrader: (1)

those last 2 pictures are for your third brake light on the spoiler. my car sometimes has the same issue in the spring weather. for some odd reason for whatever reason, i have to pull the emergency brake and then it'll go down. sometimes i need to pull the emergency brake for the hatch to go up. not sure if that helps you at all.

Mark RWC

The connector is used to power the third brake light on some third gen cars. It also is used for power for the rear window wiper on vehicles that had the option.

BIGMiller654

Ok guys I think I need a new reverse switch. Took motor back apart to make sure it was good and it ran. Motor kicked in slightly when the reverse switch got plugged in so the mechanism must not have been clear up. I believe the reverse switch is stuck I the up position. Thanks for the replies.

sorrys70

I just set mine in a nice sealed closed position and welded it there. No more hatch issues!

CharcoalBird

iTrader: (4)

To clarify, the mechanism pictured is the 91.5 - 92 Style. Halfway through 91 model year they switched to the plastic style units. My 91' for instance has the metal unit, not the plastic as pictured.

Another thing to look at is all your plugs. Make sure none of the wires going into the plugs are frayed or broken. This can prevent it from functioning correctly. I had this problem.
-Jim Rousey

siuol

Hi Joe Tag, I know this forum is old but it has helped me. My 87 firebird is new to me and the rear hatch never did work. I reset the small lever as you mentioned and now it works as it should. I can't tell you how much time I spent on this problem..

Thanks,

Louis

Johndw1

Hello, I'm looking for a Hatch Pull Down Switch the hole where it mounts to the assembly was brittle and it broke. Everything works perfect when activation the switch, but I can't mount it shy of trying to scotch weld it in place. does anyone know where I can get one?

Thanks in Advance.

dagwood

iTrader: (5)

hawksmotorsports.com

jstew3d

I have 12v at the red/white. Continuity to ground on the white wire when lever is up and on the orange when down. When I push the latch switch down though, still no action from the motor. Took the motor out and connected to the battery. Both directions spin. Any ideas? 1989 gta.

atikovi

Unless I'm mistaken, that relay is just to activate the cargo light. If you look at the diagram, the load side sends ground to the light. Nothing else.