I've got what appears to be the hatch pulldown button in the center of the console. It's the only button there, with a picture of a camaro and a big arrow pointing down behind the rear. Yet, I checked down the hole containing the trunk latch and there isn't a motor in there at all. Is this button to something other than a hatch pulldown? FYI, this is on an '84 Sport Coupe.

 

Sounds like a trunk release button. If it is not working then you may have a bad relay/fuse etc.

 

Would that be the actual switch or found in the fuse box, or perhaps both? Where are they even located?

 

I would say if their doesn't appear to be a motor there, either it was removed somewhere before you bought the car or the center console was replaced with one from a car that had it.

You could probably find a motor/ wire harness at a JY, or use the switch to control something momentarily.

 

If the hatch opens and closes properly, count your blessings you don`t have the hatch pull down motor assembly. They break and are expensive to repair or replace. You should be able to get a solenoid to open the hatch operated by that switch for not much. Next time my hatch pull-down unit breaks, that`s what I am doing, getting one like yours.

 

Nope. !982-85 didn't have a hatch pull-down motor. It was a slam-latch. What he has is the optional solenoid hatch release.

Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

 

"jimdutro" is right,the hatch pull down option is more trouble than its worth,the gears are plastic and eventually strip,then you cant lock your hatch anymore. hunting junkyards for a good one is a next to impossible task.
I personally dont understand the point of the power hatch pull down anyway,the standard hatch lock works great and is super reliable...even if the solenoid should fail you can still use your hatch with the key.
if the power hatch pull down fails,you cant lock your hatch.

 

The pull down motors were good because they allowed air to escape the closed-up car gradually rather than slamming the hatch closed and forcing the air to escape through the weather stripping around the doors and T-Tops. The slam hatch helped cause a lot of body sealing problems in the earlier cars.

Most of the time when the pull-down is busted it will not pull the hatch tight - but it will still lock. In order to convert to the slam hatch system used in the earlier cars you need to remove the original pull down mounting bracket and install one drilled out of an 82-85.

Other than that you will need to remove the rear trim panel, close the hatch and let it pull down, then climb in the back and unplug the pull down motor. Then open the hatch with the key and re-install the hatch trim. This will cause the motor to stay in it's lowest postion and you can just use the key and Slam it shut. If the pull down has the optional release soleniod on it than you should leave that plugged in so you can still use the button on the console to open the hatch.

 

my 1990 has the pull-down motor hatch. yup, the housing cracked, the gear stripped. luckily aftermarket replacement parts are available and actually pretty cheap, considering the whole assembly from GM was over $300. The parts do require disassembly of the motor to repair and replace. the TDS gear housing has some reinforcement alum epoxied in at strategic locations.

I got a spare motor assy off of ebay, but that gear also stripped after a couple months.

it took me an afternoon to get it all fixed and working hunky-dory. it's a pretty straight-forward process. I actually like the pull-down feature, probably the only "luxury feature" on any of my vehicles.

I guess 15 years of service for the original assembly ain't too bad.