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1989 Iroc, the button on the middle counsole does not pop the cover. How can I trouble shoot this or fix it? How have the people with this same issue fixed theres?

Thank you.

92droptop

On my 92 for some odd reason the tonneau button is on the same fuse as the horn and some other stuff. I would start by checking for blown fuses and from there get a continuity meter and run from the switch to the mechanisms that pop the cover. no continuity means you've got a cut wire somewhere.

Just so you know, the tonneau button is on the cover on the 92's so the continuity test is a whole lot easier.

Bill Speed

I have an 89 Firebird Formy, the cover is released on the drivers side with a pull handle...no electrics involved. I hadn't heard of that
There is an electric trunk release. Wonder if you can bypass something like that as I could with my electric gas cover (inside trunk is manual release)
Bill

URNEXT

yep, there is the manual cords to pull on both sides to pop the cover. i was just trying to think of a way to trouble shoot the switch/button. it is the switch in the middle counsole between the electric window buttons, when pressed of course you would feel the tension on the button and than the cover would pop open. now when you slide the button back there is no tension and the rear cover does not release.

i will have to check the fuse's but i am afraid it is something else inside the counsole.

NoCal91Convert

The tonneau cover release switch will not work if the power hatch is not all the way down and the switch is made. That is, there is a switch in the mechanism of the power hatch that lets the tonneau know it is OK to be released. If you look at the motor that closes the hatch you will see a white plunger on the bottom. If that has come loose or if it is not being made the tonneau will not work. At least that is how it is on my 91 convert.

Let me know.

URNEXT

on my 1989 vert, the tonneau cover pops open when the middle switch on the counsole is pressed. but now that middle switch does not pop the cover. (that is the issue i am trying to figure out). the cover does not have a power hatch, it must be pressed back down manually.

NoCal91Convert

Exactly. If the plunger on the trunk motor is not made nothing happens when the switch for the tonneau button is used. Does your ride have a power hatch pull down?

URNEXT

the trunk has a power motor to pull the trunk lid down.

NoCal91Convert

To prevent the tonneau cover from opening when the trunk is open the pull down motor has to be at the bottom. If it is not, OR, the plunger mechanism on the motor is not pushed in, then the tonneau switch will not work.

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

Does your trunk pull-down motor function correctly? The striker-sensing switch could be bad on your trunk pull-down motor. That will cause the tonneau release switch to stop working. The tonneau thinks the trunk is open. This is a safety feature to prevent you from popping the tonneau with the trunk open.

Lon

URNEXT

yes, the motor does pull the trunk lid down and seems to be working okay. not to ask a stupid question, but how would i know/check?

BigBadLou

iTrader: (3)

One thing you can check is the ground on the switch. Pull the switch upwards from the console and disconnect the wires. I believe (but am not 100% sure) that the brown/white wire is the ground. The other wire opens the tonneau cover when grounded. Ground it (i.e. on the parking brake) and see if that works.

If not, check the switch on the hatch pulldown mechanism, as the guys already mentioned.

Also, there is a relay under the center console, I'm not sure if that belongs to this circuit but it might be the culprit too.

Anybody got a wiring diagram?

Lou

Bill Speed

While my center Firebird console has an odd cellphone like connector, between the power window rockerswitches there is only a 4 way side mirror adjust that has stopped working, just South of that a left/right slide switch that selects which mirror to adjust. No top release button on mine. do all Camaros have this or was it an option for both Bird and Chev?
After unhinging the center post (Corvette owners get two!) Then the tonneau is released with the two side pull cords, where things get tricky in my case, they can fall behind the screw on trim panels so I kept mine loose mostly. Not cosmetically very good idea maybe, but hey.

My trunk pulldown, a carry over from earlier Cadillacs, BTW, stopped working, but there is a physical striker plate with 5 or 4 metal plates that match the hatch's spring plate/latch. I think maybe I have some corrosion issues... Can you power up a connection or multitest a wire there? I bought a multitester but not too adept at using 'em
Bill

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

The cords are the manual release and are to be used in emergencies only in the event that the electric tonneau solenoid quits.


The spring-loaded plate with contact pins has NOTHING to do with the tonneau release. It was used from 1982-86 to power the hatch wiper motor. From 1987-90 it was used to power the HMSL (high mount stop light, aka third brake light). It is still a good idea to clean the contacts occasionally with WD40 and a scotch-brite so the brake light or wiper motor will work properly.

Lon

Speedgraphic

I had this same problem. When I wanted to put the top down I had to pull the little rings on either side simultaneously while holding the back of the top up...

When I installed SFC's I took out the entire interior so that it would not potentiially catch afire during the welding... Before putting everything back I traced the system from one end to the other.

What I finally found was a connection that had come lose in the trunk.

At the bottom of your trunk latch there is a wire (a pair actually) that must plug be plugged in. this wire is in the circuit that powers the solenoids that open the Tonneau electrically. When the trunk is closed the circuit is completed and the system works. If there is something wrong with the closer you could have this problem - OR - more likely you will have the same problem that I had. On my car the wires to the trunk closer had become disconnected. The wire was laying down at the bottom of the trunk. I simply plugged the wire back into the closer (left side bottom) and the system began working again!

Try this. all you have to do is remove the screws holding the plastic cover at the back of the trunk and look at the trunk latch/closer. If you see the wire there jiggle it and ensure connectivity. If you don't see the wire there then look down it is probably laying at the bottom of the trunk as mine was. Plug it in.

If it proves that the wire is plugged in correctly then you may have a sensor or a switch problem and you can troubleshoot from there. To isolate the problem you can unplug the connection and jumper across the two wires. If the Solenoids fire to pop the hatch while jumpered then you know the problem is with the latch.


Let us know how you come out!

Speedy

Bill Speed

First, what wiper, what brake light?? Mine has neither, just wondering why it quit working by itself (raising/lowering of hatch striker) ...very odd. The other comment; I have no electric tonneau release I am aware of. Supply pics of this, I looked at my owners manual and no real mention of anything 'convertible' in there. I'd love that option so I'm not digging for those cables, but pulling the top up and walking around the car to do the opposing side is a minor challenge. I do this by myself most often and luckily I can reach to it around the rear of the car, if not the top forces the tonneau latched again. I can get pics of mine, but that recent red Form 350 vert had a trunk pic as well, virtually identicle to mine

BILL

Speedgraphic

BillSpeed,

When you look at the center console between the seats of your car, there are two switches there that raise and lower you windows. Between those two swithces is another switch. It slides forwards or backwards to activate something... On the hatch cars you this button is a trunk release. On the Vert is serves to release the Tonneau cover.

With the car in park and the trunk closed you should be able to activate the switch and hear the solenoids for the tonneau release fire. It is a very recognizable noise.

To use it, you first raise the back end of the top and while holding it off the Tonneau reach into the car and hit the switch . You can then lift the Tonneau and then lower the top.

On later cars the switch position was moved to the area on the drivers side where the handle for the release of the rear or the top. You might look there for the switch also.

For a little more than a year after I got my car I was still pulling those cables to get the tonneau up and the top down. It was a very fine day when I got that problem solved.

Speedy

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

The center console location is correct for Camaro. For Firebird 'verts and coupes the release switch is on the dash just above the HVAC (heat, vent, a/c) controls. See the picture attached for location in Firebirds. As Speedy mentions the location for both Camaro and Firebird was changed during the 1991 model year. It was moved to a much more user-friendly location next to the manual tonneau release handle.

Lon

Bill Speed

I have a trunk release button there, and the rectangle plastic cover that I've always been curious about, seems also on your example. In the owners manual it lists subwoofer control and something else. factory subs must have been rare though
Bill

Speedgraphic

BillSpeed,

What happens when you press the trunk release button on the dash? The same switch that popped the hatch on non-verts operated the Tonneau release on the Verts. Most likely you don't have a trunk release but have instead a Tonneau release.

If nothing happens when you press the release button/switch check to see if your horn works... If it does then the fuse is working. The next point of failure is the connection or the lockout switch at the trunk latch (see post above).

Good Luck!
Speedy

Bill Speed

The trunk is opened, as intended, but the tonneau cover is not effected in any manner. I still have to pull the side lever for the roof frame latch (drivers side) and then pull eachlatch cord for the tonneau on BOTH sides.
I have only these pics now, but noticed they also show the seatbelt doorjam trim, slightly different then mine. ->
Bill S.

>>

Bill Speed

The above is the plastic dressing that surrounds the rear lap belt. It doesn't look to great installed but I wanted to show the broken one that is removed to fix. Below are the two Formula shots via the recent eBay auction. I had to convert from bitmaps to get these down in size. Hopefully there's enough detail. I'd love to get it electrically released.
-B

Bill Speed

I'll be getting shots of my own details over the weekend holiday...Have a Merry Christmas, Y'all! BTW
BILL