Hello!
Today I added a hatch release switch to my late 1991 Firebird Trans Am. (hatch mechanics assembly with the plastic part, wich should open by switch without adding a solenoid as far as I know up to now)
So well, after attaching the relais behind the passenger side panel, switch has functionality!:
First it seems to open the hatch, but doesnt release it really, then it pulls the hatch back down.
What is going wrong? Why doesn't it release the hatch?

Thank you so much for help and answer!

 

There is a "ramp"that needs to be in the back of the hatch pull down that unlatches the hatch after the motor brings it up.

http://www.top-downsolutions.com/lat...ody-p-152.html



I just made my own.

 

Sounds to me like your hatch struts are not strong enough to open the hatch after the mechanism let's go, thus the hatch is still making weight on the switch and so the motor reverses, grabs it, and pulls it back down.

 

Nope, that's not it. I thought that's how mine was. I'm guessing that if the car didn't come with the option from the factory, then they left out the "ramp" I was talking about.

 

Thank you for your answer!
Do you have a picture of this "ramp" or do you know where I can get such one?

Thank you so much!

 

They are in that link I posted. I don't have any pics of the one I made though. I basically screwed a piece of bent metal to the inside back of the pull down housing at an angle.

 

Depends on which motor assembly he has as to whether it has that "ramp" piece - there are at least 2 motor assemblies that I know of.

Before you rigged in the release switch and everything - when you used the key, would the hatch raise up on it's own when opened? If not, you need new struts.

 

Sorry, which one exactly do you mean? "Used lift rod"?
Thank you!

 

No, the picture of the piece is on the right side. Where it says Latch Release Block...to the right of that.

 

Here is a question I have (seeing you got this far). Was the wiring in the car between the dash and rear and you just added the switch components? Or did you have to add the wiring harness as well?

 

I didn't have to add wiring harness! As I read in this topic, this is already added (must be since 86 or so):
https://www.thirdgen.org/hatch

As my Trans Am is a LATE 1991, it has the plastic part hatch release assembly and doesn't need a solenoid (as it was needed until 91).

 

Sorry that I didn't see that... thank you so much! I think that's exactly what I was looking for!