On my newly aquired '87 IROC VERT, the truck doesn't close all the way. At first glance, it would seem that the power pull down motor isn't working.

Should I be looking for a bad fuse, or is it more likely a bad motor or something else?
What typically goes wrong with these?
If it's bad, do I replace it with a hatch pull down motor (are they the same?).
And last, is there a way to get the trunk lid to close all the way while I decide how to proceed with repair/replacement?

Thanks for any help you can offer...

 

It may very well be a fuse. Anything else not work on the car? I think it is on the same circuit as the power drivers eat. If the power seat works then it is probably the pull down it self. As far as I know, the pull down is the same on the coupes. Just grab one from a scrap yard.

On another note, would love to get a few pics on that car. You beat me to Pete by about 5 minutes!

 

I've already had a few offers from people wanting to buy it for more than I paid for it - apparently there weren't too many '87 IROC verts. I think that barring a really sweet offer, I will hang on to it and restore it back to new. My 5 year old daughter loves it...

I will grab some better photos of the car tonight after I wash a few years of dirt off and clean it up a bit. Here is a photo from Pete when he pulled the car out of his garage.

 

mine likes to eat those plastic 7 dollar gears nuts about every three months, but other than that, i haven't had any real problems with my hatch/motor.

it could use some new guides though....might run a little faster.

 

Check that you have power at the red with white stripe wire. The fuse for the pull-down motor is a 15 amp located in the #3 SLOT (third column from the left, top row). Check oout the Tech Article I wrote. I have all the parts to repair them if upon inspection you find you need anything.

Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

 

I will check that tonight, thanks lonsal

 

Wow - nice article. I'm going to take it to my friend's shop on Saturday and try to get one of my two spare motors to work.

Any tips on testing the motors to see if they are electrically functional?

Thanks!

 

To test the motors it is just a matter of supplying +/- 12v to it. There are two small holes in the reversing switch that allow you to test it with test probes. Alternatively you can remove the reversing switch by removing the Phillips-head screw attaching it to the clear plastic motor-housing. You'll expose the two terminals on the motor that the reversing switch makes contact with.

Lon

 

i have the exact same problem with my red iroc right now.

 

Yeah, it so lame. That's one option I could live without. But, since it's there, I am obsessively compelled to repair it!

 

I finally put in the new motor, and it works perfectly!
(well, the switch in the console blows the interior light fuse whenever I try to use it to pop the trunk - what the heck is that about?)

I had to replace a fuse before it would work, now I feel stupid, wondering if I had replaced it before if my other 2 motors would have worked... I guess I should go test them.

It would be great to have two good motors, I guess I could sell them - but I would rather have two bad ones and feel vindicated that it wasn't just the fuse!

 

Convertibles don't have a trunk release solenoid (unless you've added one as I did). The trunk release was re-routed to the tonneau on convertibles by ASC. Regardless, it sounds as if you have a short.

On coupes the hatch release solenoid is powered by a black wire (crazy color for a positive +12v source if you ask me). The solenoid is electrically isolated from ground by the nylon guides. There is a ground wire from the 10mm screw mounting the solenoid to the ground location below the hatch pull-down unit.

Good luck hunting down the short.

Lon

 

Wow - I wasn't expecting that answer! I think I heard that before, but it didn't make sense at the time. Maybe I need to get to work on tracing the wires to the tonneau cover release solenoids. I would MUCH rather open the cover remotely than my trunk! Thanks, Lon!

 

Verts do not need this feature. Just grab an old one from a mid '80s coupe. The reason that these power latches were installed is because there is huge air pressure preventing the hatch from closing in coupes. I know from experience - closing the back hatch on a coupe without one of the windows cracked open or without the pull down feature is a PITA. On Verts, there is sufficient air leakage and the small trunk lid does not generate that much air movement when closing it.

Do yourself a favor and just throw an old latch on your car.

 

I actually thought about that, and I will if it dies again. But since it's working, I will just leave it for now. Thanks, Hylton!

 

Not as simple as it sounds. The older style slam-latch has a different mount pattern on the body. You'd need to cut out the mount from the older coupe and attach it to the car (weld, screw, pop-rivet, etc.).

Lon

 

That sounds like more work that swapping out mine for one of my spares if it breaks again!

 

I forgot to mention previously, the hatch release solenoid and pull-down motor are powered by two different fuses. Also the fuse for the pull-down motor is not in the same location for Camaro and Firebird.

Camaro: hatch pull-down motor fuse is in the #3 position (third column from left, top row). The hatch release solenoid is in the #11 position (third column from left, third row from top).

Firebird: hatch pull-down motor fuse is an in-line fuse adjacent to the fuse block. The hatch release solenoid is in the #11 position (third column from left, third row from top).

Lon

 

Would it makes sense then that when I hit the hatch release (apparently really the tonneau cover release) that the fuse that also handles the interior light blows? Do they share that fuse?

Just trying to make sense of how this is set up, so I know if I am chasing the correct wires... thanks for your help!

 

Yes.

According to the Camaro Owners manual: #11 fuse powers the glove box light (non-existent), cigar lighter, hatchback lid release, horn relay, interior lights, power antenna, PDL's, radio/digital clock, computer command control. It is a 20 amp fuse.

FYI, you can order a new owners manual or service manual from Helm Inc. at www.helminc.com. I highly recommend getting a Service Manual for your car. It is specific to your make, model and year of car. I did a quick search, your Owners Manual is $20 and Service Manual is $75. Both showed good in-stock.

Lon

 

Thanks, that makes perfect sense, then.

Yes, I am going to order both book, great idea!

 

Well in my 91' Vert someone already put a manual latch in but the problem i have read about and am running into is that when you do this you of course unplug the wires from the pull-down motor and tape them off and leave hang. Well when you do this your switch for the remote to the tonneau cover will not work anymore due to the fact that the switch is linked to the pull down motor. Supposively when the trunk is open you cant pop the tonneau cover and when it down you can. I've read this is to prevent the two coming into contact with each other and causing damage (which has happened on my car) I dont know if this is totally true but its what i recall reading.
If it is, is there any way to get my tonneau cover remote switch to work with out putting in another pull-down motor?

 

I forgot to add. My replies pertain to the 'verts prior to model year 91. GM changed to a manual latch on the convertibles for 1991-92. You could put in a pull-down motor, but it would have to be from a 1991-92 coupe. Just make sure that it has the tan colored plastic housing rather than the earlier style which has a metal frame. The change was made some time during the 1991 model year. Early ones would still have the old style hatch pull-down with a metal frame.

Lon

 

I dont think thats true but i could be wrong because mine has the whole harness back there for a pull down motor. But how would i get my remote switch to work without it any ways?

 

Hi have a 91 vert and it came with the pull-down motor. It is also true that when the trunk is open the center console tonneau release won't work, as you stated, to prevent it from slamming into an open trunk.

I also had a problem with mine where the wire in the trunk lid disconnected so it never made connection with the pad by the pull-down unit. This caused it to stop working.

Was searching for a solution...didn'r realize how old this thread was...shouldn't have replied.

 

I just picked up an 89 Iroc Vert last night and the Trunk Pulldown was shot.Once I opened the trunk I couldnt get it to latch shut.I had a few good spares from junkyard cars laying around and just swapped it out.Works fine now