When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I just bought a modded '88 IROC. Latch motor was missing so I bought a new assembly. The unit worked the first time ( i.e. The motor sucked the trunk down) but the next day when I opened the trunk the motor didn't go back up. Now I have to slam the hatch to get it to close again. When I checked the unit, the motor was hot to the touch. I assume this is some wiring issue. Any ideas?
Did you open it after it pulled down to verify that it came up, or did you leave it overnight the first time it closed? Probably the assembly was installed too far down and the reversing switch did not trip, causing it to run constantly. When properly installed you should hear an audible "click" when it reaches the bottom. Since it did not get all the way to the bottom, it's possible that the motor has bound up and will not spin. If that's the case the only solution I found was to loosen the motor mounting bolts and get the rotating assembly loose again. Once you figure out if the motor is bound up or not (try actuating the striker switch with a screwdriver instead of the hatch), you can try moving the whole assembly up and adjust from there.
I did not pop it immediately. I don't recall if I heard a click. I was just pumped that the trunk perfectly aligned once it went down as it was way off before. I'll try your suggestions. The assembly was already most of the way in the down position when I opened the box. Had to close it pretty hard to work the first time now that I think about it but dismissed it since the motor eventually caught.
And just to be clear when I say move the whole assembly up I mean loosen the three bolts holding it to the body and move the entire thing, not just the moving part. Just to be extra sure that I got that across .
Cargo light is hooked up already. Not sure what this goes to. Adjusted the assembly height with the 3 bolts. Good news is the trunk now shuts without having to slam it and it's still in good alignment. Bad news is that I still can't get the motor to work.
Is the motor moving at all, or has it moved at all since the initial closing of the trunk? If it is moving, what happens if you hold down the striker switch with something like a pencil while the hatch is open?
Where exactly is the striker switch? I held down what I thought was the striker switch and nothing happened. The motor hasn't moved at all as far as I'm aware since it initially closed.
It might be that the motor has become jammed if it is not moving. Try manually flipping the reversing switch if you can get to it (it's the switch the four wire plug goes into). If not you may have to take some stuff apart in order to unjam the motor. I think for mine I had to take the motor off of the housing and manually turn the sector shaft. Just be aware that it's a pain in the butt to get it back together since the motor contacts are spring loaded. Since the motor was hot I assume it still has power but might be good to double check.
Also that white wire is for the cargo light but is not used on your model of car. You can try wiggling things around if the motor is getting power to try and unjam it. Always possible that something else is electrically wrong as well.
It might be that the motor has become jammed if it is not moving. Try manually flipping the reversing switch if you can get to it (it's the switch the four wire plug goes into). If not you may have to take some stuff apart in order to unjam the motor. I think for mine I had to take the motor off of the housing and manually turn the sector shaft. Just be aware that it's a pain in the butt to get it back together since the motor contacts are spring loaded. Since the motor was hot I assume it still has power but might be good to double check.
EDIT: Redacted, wasn't thinking straight.
I'll try messing with the switches tomorrow. I actually have a spare motor so I may just replace it if messing with the switches doesn't help.
Also that white wire is for the cargo light but is not used on your model of car. You can try wiggling things around if the motor is getting power to try and unjam it. Always possible that something else is electrically wrong as well.
I actually found an old post from back in 2008 that basically said he same thing. So no worries there. Thanks for your help on the motor. Hopefully something works tomorrow. At least it's shutting flush now without slamming, even if the motor doesn't work.
The reason why the motor is hot to the touch is that it is still live and has not shut off because the pull-down unit had not completed the down cycle. You need to loosen the three 13mm screws that attach the frame of the pull-down unit to the body, then raise the pull-down unit a bit and tighten the screws. You MUST hear a CLICK when the pull-down unit completes the down cycle. That sound is the reversing switch being tripped to shut off power to the motor. In your case since the pull-down unit hasn't completed the down cycle it will not come up until you press and hold down the striker-sensing switch to power the pull-down briefly until the motor completes the down cycle CLICK. If the motor hasn't fried when you release the striker sensing switch after you've heard the CLICK, the unit will power all the way back up and again CLICK when it reaches the end of the up cycle.
The white wire with a small black connector on the end was used from late 89-early 91 to turn on/off the optional cargo light. It plugged into a black/orange stripe wire. It is a switched ground and provides the ground to the light. Earlier models used a manual switch to turn on/off the cargo light.
The reason why the motor is hot to the touch is that it is still live and has not shut off because the pull-down unit had not completed the down cycle. You need to loosen the three 13mm screws that attach the frame of the pull-down unit to the body, then raise the pull-down unit a bit and tighten the screws. You MUST hear a CLICK when the pull-down unit completes the down cycle. That sound is the reversing switch being tripped to shut off power to the motor. In your case since the pull-down unit hasn't completed the down cycle it will not come up until you press and hold down the striker-sensing switch to power the pull-down briefly until the motor completes the down cycle CLICK. If the motor hasn't fried when you release the striker sensing switch after you've heard the CLICK, the unit will power all the way back up and again CLICK when it reaches the end of the up cycle.
The white wire with a small black connector on the end was used from late 89-early 91 to turn on/off the optional cargo light. It plugged into a black/orange stripe wire. It is a switched ground and provides the ground to the light. Earlier models used a manual switch to turn on/off the cargo light.
Lon Salgren
I'm thinking the motor may be fried. I'll try the striker sensor again tonight and if it doesn't work then I'll swap the motor out. Thanks for your help
Just an update to close this off. The motor just started working without me having to do anything. Maybe I hit a magic bump in the road or something. Problem now is the interior switch to release the hatch suddenly stopped working.
Hi Lon, i just noticed the latch switch inside does not work now. It worked previously before the motor randomly fixed itself as mentioned above. I can hear the solonoid clicking in the back when I hit the button but the latch doesn't release. Any ideas what would be causing this?
04-11-2017, 07:55 PM
. 
