Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Umm, what color is the wire? You've got it covered in the pic.

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

black

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Here's a video for you guys having troubles. You might need to watch this a couple of times while you're doing the install as it's kind of quick (I don't do much work slowly). The first socket shown is a 13mm, and the second is either a 12mm or 7/16" (I used the 7/16). The wire I place on the bolt holding the release solenoid assembly in place is an extra ground in case the solenoid doesn't ground properly. The video starts with the lock installed but without the cable and ends with installing the rear trim panel.

http://s988.photobucket.com/albums/a...HatchMotor.flv

BTW, it's 98MB. Just as a warning, it could take a bit to load. Oh, and the red circles around the mount bolts are alignment marks.

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

ok the plug im talking about looks like the one you plugged into your release solenoid

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Mmmhmm... I just didn't know what that end of that particular wire looked like since I've never removed it from the solenoid, which I bought used the same time I bought the motor housing and gear nut from TDS (whole deal cost me about $80, as I remember, but the prices have gone up since 2004). I just connected that wire to my release solenoid wire coming from the relay (which is the reason why the solenoid doesn't pop half the time because the wire is half the size it's supposed to be) and put the solenoid part in place of my standard lock cable.

:edit: I keep forgetting to mention this: 1985-89 have a single fuse in a holder that is separate from the rest of the fuses in the fuse panel, but is still part of the fuse box. This fuse is a constant power fuse for the hatch assembly ONLY. 1990-92 have this fuse in a 3-fuse group, in the same position, but rotated 90*. If this fuse is either missing or blows, the pulldown will not work.

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

its the wire that you plugged into the silver thing that sits ontop of the moter, also whats the fuse? is it the hatch fuse or the tail fuse?

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Yes, that wire is the release solenoid wire.

The fuse is the hatch fuse. It has nothing to do with anything else in the car. It's called the LID fuse...

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

ok, well i replaced that fuse, atleast i think it was that fuse, and that wire looked almost exactly like the wire i have hanging back there except it comes frim the driver side ( where all the other wires are coming from)

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

I didn't originally have that wire. I already had run the REM wire for an amplifier back there and used speaker wire for that, so I just used the other wire for the release. My car seemed like it had every option short of a V8, manual trans, being a convertable, fog lights, the Bose sound system, power seats and mirrors, and the hatch release. Other than not being a Trans Am, either.

1988GTA500HP

Nice job, Mav. That ought to save a lot of questions. Be prepared to link to this many times as how to install the pulldown motor is a popular question on this sight. I didn't see you hook up the connector for the cargo light switch though. Btw, you're such a chatterbox.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Well, half the time that light doesn't work, and the other half, it's on when I think it's supposed to be off and I come out to a dead battery in the morning. I basically stopped using it when it grounded out on me one day due to bad wiring (see the tape on the light wiring itself?) and it killed the ACC fuse and my radio while I was on a 7-hour drive (and I hated the sound of that Flowmaster something terrible with my badly running 3.1 fuel injectors).

Also, I believe in being seen but not heard and the Mark Twain saying "It's better to keep one's mouth shut and thought to be an idiot than open it and remove all doubt."

Blind Driver

My car is a bit different. The solenoid wire comes from the drivers side and I still have a white wire with a small connector coming from the motor. I'm guessing the blue wire from the motor goes to the red power wire. I need to run up to the JY where this assembly came from and take a second look.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

I thought that I got the connectors close enough to the camera to actually SEE the wire colors (I was only about 4 inches from the lens for crying out loud). The blue wire connects to the red/white wire coming out of the harness. And yes, the factory release wire probably comes out of the harness the same as the pulldown's power wire. That wire wasn't in my factory harness, and, like I posted above, I just piggybacked it off of a wire I had already installed for an amplifier since the wire for that was 2-conductor speaker wire.

I don't see any mention of a white wire for the hatch pulldown other than between the reversing switch and the power relay itself.

1988GTA500HP

The dangling white wire with the connector wasn't used until 1989, just leave it dangling. At least that is what I read on this site and my pulldown, rear defogger, and cargo light all work without it.

Blind Driver

Then my '86 assembly must have been replaced at some time as it has one too.
I connected the blue to "+" but got nothing in return. Not even a click, but the old motor did click when it was connected. I might have a bad motor

1988GTA500HP

From what I read the white wire was there from the factory, in anticipation of the 89 model. Just wasn't used.

Blind Driver

I'm guessing a ground?

1988GTA500HP

You guessed correctly! It was for the 90 and 91 models, not the 89. Sorry about that my memory is slipping. I searched it again and it is a ground used for the hatch light. I guess they eliminated the switch in 90.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Yes, they replaced the manual switch with another part of the hatch motor's switch so that the light would come on when the hatch was opened.

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

so dan, i dont need that wire do i? since my car has another release on it?

drewmech

I just wanted to pop in and say thank you for all the information on this problem. I was having the same issue on my 1992 and pulled it apart today to try some of the things you guys suggested. Turns out all it needed was a good cleaning and some fresh di-electric grease. Thanks again.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

IF there's power, and you hook up the ground wire, and you plug in any other wires to the unit that you can, then you shouldn't need to run any extra wires, and the thing should work as was designed. However, you might want to make sure the gear nut isn't stripped out (nylon gear operated by and operating a steel gear) before you put the motor in, otherwise you'll need to take the whole thing apart (which probably isn't a bad idea, so you can clean and grease everything).

Blind Driver

I hooked up my motor but got nuttin'

No noises or clicks. Power passes through straight to ground

Do the motors short out?

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

The motor itself might not, but the reversing switch and relay might. A little hint: The relay appears to be the same DPDT style relay as is used on power antenna assemblies... A good source for parts could be W-body cars.

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

well the moters already on, and everythings hooked up but i didnt get anything out of it, no sound or movement at all, i pushed both the switched and also made sure everything was plugged in right but still nothing, i bought some new fuses today so ill change that hatch fuse again but i know im getting power back there, the lights coming on and staying on. it wont turn off unless i unplug it.

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

by the way, i just unbolted my old moter and bolted on my new moter and plugged in the wires, so unless i unplugged the ground it should still be grounded

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

The black wire I hook up in the video, not the extra one that I hook to the release solenoid bolt, is the ground wire. It comes off of the harness the same way that the power connector does.

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

ok, tomorrow ill run out just to check all the conections and wires before i change that fuse

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

got my moter working, but now i cant get my hatch to latch shut.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Can you explain this? Does it latch but not come down all the way, or does it not latch?

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

the striker on the lid its self is hitting the latch on the moter at the very bottom so its letting my moter go down but its not up far enough to latch its self.

Blind Driver

Replaced the switch, but now only the relay makes a buzzing sound

I really need to find a working motor assembly

Chevy86 IROC-Z

iTrader: (17)

The relay shouldnt be buzzing. If anything, it should click when you supply power to it. It may be malfuntioning. Get a multimeter and check the positive lead that goes into the relay. The voltage should be aroung 12 volts. If it's too low, then you are losing power somewhere or got a problem in the wiring somewhere such as a corroded terminal or a badly pinched wire that is connected by only one strand of wire compared to a complete intact insulated wire. This is just my best guess.

Chevy86 IROC-Z

iTrader: (17)

Do you have any pictures? Pictures will help clear up a ton of confusion.

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

ill get that picture tomorrow, im thinking about turning my striker backwards because then it would fit correctly

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

junkyards my friend, junkyards

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Look in the trunk of W-bodies or at the blower motor relay in some cars. I'm pretty sure that the relay on the hatch motor is the same one used on the power antenna in most any GM, but the antenna is easiest to access in early-90s FWD W-body cars that have the antenna in the trunk.