When I bought my car the previous owner had the hatch pull down completely disassembled. I have tried to reassemble it to see if it actually works. He was wrong on the cruise why not this. I have an 87 formula and I downloaded the pdf describing the repair process. https://www.thirdgen.org/tech/hatchpulldown.pdf
Here is what I can't figure out. I have one white wire with a small black connector that I have no idea where it goes. I can't find anything that it connects to. See the pdf above and look at figure 5. You'll see the white wire with the black connector in the upper right hand corner of that image. The relay appears to be the only item within reach of the connector but I don't see any place where it connects!

 

I don't think it connects to anything, I have recently repaired/tweaked mine and that was just hanging there.

 

For your model year the white wire is not plugged into anything. It plugs into a black with orange stripe wire on 1989-91 model cars to turn on/off the hatch light. Your year has a manual switch for that.

You need to check that you have power at the red/white stripe wire that plugs into the blue wire. If not check for the LID fuse.

Lon

 

Thanks Lonsal, I appreciate the great DIY articles posted. I tested power at the 4 pin connector and it is there. When I shut the hatch I get no clicking, moving, grinding, noise etc. It appears to be completely dead. I think normaly there is usually a broken housing or stripped gear but it still attempts to "work". The switch on the latch attached to the body is the reversing switch correct? When I press that switch power is interupted when testing the white wire. Is it possible I have a bad relay? Though I would think if I have power to the blue wire at the connector it is still working? Thanks again for your response.

 

Well, I have power to the blue wire and the relay has been replaced. I have the 4 pin connector. Blue, white, orange and green. I assume the white wire is ground. Any ideas? Just so I have this correct. I should be able to latch the hatch and the pull down will seat it. It appears that the hatch locks in the latch when lowered depressing a switch and then the pull down finishes the job. This should work with no key in the ignition, correct. Or, when you unlock it with a key or hit the power trunk release? Thanks

 

how can I manually test this unit? apply 12v to the blue wire pin on the motor and ground to the white wire? I need to get this fixed

 

any help

 

+12 v to the blue wire, the black wire with a internal-toth ring connector is ground. The white wire is unused for your year. On 89-91 the white wire was plugged into a black with orange stripe wire to provide a switched ground to turn on and off the hatch light.

The switch that is attached to the motor housing is the reversing switch. The switch adjacent to the latch is the striker-sensing switch.

Lon

 

Thanks Lonsal, the black wire goes to the relay and then to the hatch sensing switch. The white wire goes to the sensing switch while an orange wire comes from the hatch sensing switch to the 4 pin connector on the motor. The 4 pin connector has the blue power wire which I know has power, a white wire from the relay, the orange wire from the sensing switch and a green/brown wire from the relay (sorry, colorblind). I know I have power to the motor and it is grounded, I think and still no activity so I assume I have a bad motor or switch. If I apply direct 12V power to the "blue" pin on the motor reversing switch and the ???? wire on the reversing switch it would be grounded then? As I stated the black wire does not go directly to the reversing switch but to the relay and then the sensing switch. I do know when I apply a test light to the blue wire and the white wire I get current until I depress the hatch sensing switch. I'm still confused. Thanks again for all of the responses.

 

Well, I managed to get it working using a different unit altogether. I have a few questions. When it pulls the hatch down it doesn't line up "perfectly" with the rear quarters. The lip of the hatch sticks out a little when compared to the end of the quarter panels. My guess is this was probably true from day one? Also, when the hatch goes down I hear the reversing switch click as mentioned in lonsal's instructions. When I release the hatch with the key it works fine. However, when I pop the hatch with the release button on the dash it clicks but does not release. I assume that the hatch motor should release when using the dash switch otherwise it makes no sense to have the switch!! Any thoughts?

 

You need to align the hatch. Two areas to do that, the hatch hinges, though not much movement there. Second is the rear metal piece that attaches to the hatch glsss. There should be a Tech article on how to accomplish this. The problem is that the hatch struts push on that metal piece expecially when the hatch is closed and the hatch struts are fully compressed. You need to adjust it back to its original location and tighten it down then reattach the hatch struts. Once you've done this your hatch pull-down may work correctly as far as releasing when you press the hatch release switch. Fix what you know is wrong first. Once you've got the hatch alignment corrected check the alignment of the hatch hook to the pull-down latch. Make sure the latch is centered on the hook. Move the pull-down unit if needed. The pull-down unit could also be a bit too low. Adjust it up a bit and see it solves the problem. You just need to have it pull-down enouth to seal the hatch seal. Yo don't want the pull-down unit to pull the hatch down too far or the clear plastic housing will be in tension and break.

Lon

 

Thanks, Lon. I got the switch working by adjusting the pull down but I think I need to adjust the hatch first. I'll find the tech article and start there. In your post you indicated that you don't want it to pull down too far to avoid breaking the clear plastic motor housing correct?

 

Correct.

Lon