Yesterday i just fixed the electric plunger release that bolts on to the pulldown assembly. (bad ground) so now i can release the hatch but i dont know if it is supposed to raise up and open for you when pushed? Anyone know? and the pulldown assembly wont move up or down. everything is connected that i know of. i tried triping the black paddle switch but it didnt do anything. I tested the red power wire that connects to the dark blue wire (power for motor) and i got 12 volts. The original pull down unit was supposedly broken so there was a replacement that came with the car that i bolted in. everything is connected that i know of. I think it is almost all the way down in its travel. I think the motor might be hosed? thanks - Robert

 

You've confimed power at the red/white wire that plugs into the blue wire, so we know the fuse that powers the hatch pull-down unit is good. The hatch release solenoid and hatch pull-down unit are on two different circuits, so your testing of the red/white wire for power was important and helpful info.

There are 5 possible causes for this condition:

Pull-down unit is stuck midway thru the down-cycle. If the pull-down assembly is stopped before it has tripped the reversing switch the motor will not rise when you open the hatch. You MUST hear the distinctive CLICK at the end of the down cycle. That CLICK is the sound of the reversing switch being tripped to end the down-cycle. In your case you also said you pressed on the paddle (striker-sensing switch). That should have energized the motor to power down and complete the down-cycle. If it did turn on and finish the donn cycle, release the switch and the unit should power all the way back up again. Since yours didn't do this, cross off one of the reasons and you're down to four.

Ground wire of the hatch pull-down wring loom is disconnected or cut. Make sure the small internal tooth ground wire terminal is connected to the body ground below the hatch pull-down unit.

Bad Striker-sensing switch.

Bad Reversing Switch. Call me and I'll give you instructions on the phone how to test it.

Bad motor: You may need to remove the hatch pull-down unit from the body to test the motor. Mark the location of the frame to the car body with a permanent marker of scratch awl, beforeeremoving it from the car. Tere are two very small holes in the reversing switch located just above and to the left of the silver cover that covers the guts of the motor. You can use small jumper wires to power the terminals on the motor directly thru these holes without having to disassemble anything. If you can't, then follow the instructions in my tech artiicle to properrly disassemble the pull-down unit to get to the motor and test the terminals directly. https://www.thirdgen.org/tech/hatchpulldown.pdf

Good luck.

Lon

 

Am glad I found this post and printed your article(PDF). Will now have a better understanding of hatch pulldown. Still would like to figure out all wiring thereto.
Thanks