I searched, couldn't find an answer.

So I've had a few "glitches" with the rear hatch motor on the 88...keeps running, won't "switch" off, and etc. etc., and the other day i was in a hurry, and it was stuck in the "down" position, and I was able to close the hatch, and with only minimal effort, the hatch closed in almost the right spot. I later made some adjustments to the position of the entire assembly and it now worked fine as a "manual" latch system. I'm a sucker for things working as they should, so i picked up a rebuild kit from TDS, but the more I think about it, I'm almost not sure it's worth all the effort we put into fixing this system.

Why did our cars have this system in the first place? Any reason NOT to just leave it as a manual, non electric latch?

On my 89, when the gear stripped, I tried to do a temp fix and couldn't get the hatch to latch if it was down all the way. Drove around with it about a half inch too high for a week or two until I could fix it. My 88 though, latches just fine with the hatch in the fully seated "down" position. Looks totally fine. Parts are on the way and I'm going to fix it but.......do I really NEED to???

 

My 82 obviously doesn't have the auto pull down and has no issues. It's sealed well. You don't need to slam it to shut. I always wondered why GM put them in. They were even problematic when they were new.

maybe someone could make them lift up at high speeds to put more down force on the rear tires!!!

why don't people just delete it?

 

It's Not Really Needed

 

Not based on any facts or experience, but my guess is that it might be related to the fact that the entire hatch is glass. If you have people slamming it shut and the glass shatters, that's a problem. So they probably added the motor so that you don't have to slam it shut and it will still seal shut when it lowered.

 

Mine doesn't...

 

I think they did it just because in 1988 it seemed really cool. You were getting high society Cadillac technology for gosh sakes!

 

Its obvious that GM gave up on the power pull down as the 4th generation cars never had it.

 

But the 4th gen has a full frame around the glass.

I'm with blacksunshine. I think it's to protect that huge curved piece of glass.

 

I believe it came in 1985, as the rear trim panel changed with the new interior changes. 82-84 didn't have it. I always just figured it was due to newly or more commonly available technologies in power accessories for automobiles. Simply a new "modern" convenience feature.

I can see how it would help prevent glass breakage from people slamming hatches, but they would've only realized such a feature was necessary if a lot of hatches were shattering during the first 3 years, and I don't ever recall hearing any stories about that.

I've owned 3rdgens every year since the 1982 models hit the market, and I never had any issues closing the hatches on my 82 or 83 that would've made me think I might break the hatch, but maybe people were breaking them. Closing my 87's hatch, however, does seem more prone to possible breakage, due to closing it against the hard power mechanism, rather than the rubber moldings.

 

It IS certainly a big piece of glass, and being concerned about it DOES seem like a plausible reason. That being said, as LAFireboyd said, I don't recall hearing stories about breakage. Some of the Caddy's had it too, as Qwik mentioned, and I don't think they even had glass hatches? Wasn't it just the metal trunk?

 

Agreed. I worked in a body shop in the mid 80's and we used to have 'em coming in with shattered hatch glass quite a bit. I personally witnessed my friend's shatter on his 1982 Firebird SE when just shutting it on a cold day. The pull down likely minimized the risk. On the Caddys it was more of a luxury thing I think.

 

I thought i had read it was beacuse so many were being broken early due to slamming shut?
wonder if there's a TSB or any gm documentation about the change.
honestly though, who knows? It's probably just something ed to another car line to keep cost down per part.

 

I seem to remember seeing a TSB or car distribution memo years ago for rear hatch breakage on early production '82 F-bodies. It said something
about a new supplier or a change in the glass tempering process to lessen the possibility of accidental shattering.

 

I always heard that it was due to glass shattering issues, particularly on the early 3rd gens. That is a big piece of glass to slam down and some people seem to close any door with an unnecessary amount of force.

Many or maybe all of my Dad's Cadillacs had this feature (bought yearly 1969 thru 1982). With a normal decklid, it was just a luxury feature which, even as a kid, I thought was kind of silly.

Someone here probably knows the history. But I do seem to remember reading about 3rd gen design and how that big piece of glass was kind of a big unknown during development. Could it be made durable enough? I think there may have been contingency plans to redesign it if the glass proved unreliable. (Maybe they'd have all ended up with that rare notchback design.)

 

Ya know I've always just kinda assumed without thinking about it too much, but figured everyone just sort of placed the hatch onto the pulldown latch, or maybe dropped it like you'd drop a hood from a few inches above. WRONG! I think KSR is completely right. OF COURSE people slammed it!!!!!!! .....which would very possibly break the glass!

FWIW, my wife and daughter slam everything. Including the microwave door!!!!!!!

 

I've always just clicked my hatches into the pulldown. A couple of times someone else was getting something out of my trunk and I almost had a panic attack when they slammed the hatch. Breaking glass didn't enter my mind, but breaking the latching mechanism did.

I know this girl who is all of 5'1". Tiny little thing, but athletic and strong. Every time she gets out of a car, she puts every bit of strength into closing the door. I swear sometimes I'd expected my passenger side door to end up in my lap.

 

I like the electric hatch pull down, basically makes the car feel like a cadillac to me

/s

 

Knew a girl just like that, one time I said to her "alright relax hulk hogan" when she shut my door lol

 

My experience and and feelings, too! Mt 1988 Lincoln Mark VII LSC had the pulldown. Lots of higher end American cars had it, a while back. My 2003 Lincoln Town Car, has decklid UP and DOWN.

The car owner must remember to tell others NOT to slam the trunk. I do not even let them close mine.

 

I couldn't count the number of times over the years I've had to tell my daughter you don't have to close the doors so hard

Not really ever seeing any documentation as to why I always assumed that GM was seeing a high number of warranties with glass breakage and GM do what GM do by using what's in their parts bins and adapting those parts they've had since the mid-late 70's.

 

For short people!

 

The hatch doesn't close on its own from the fully open position. Someone shorter in stature is still gonna have an issue with closing the hatch

 

I just tell them to stand back, then I push the button and watch the look on their face when the trunk closes itself

(2003 T/C Cartier)

 

My 2003 Lincoln Town Car Cartier. 61700 original, GARAGE KEPT, mile car.

 

That's awesome. Very nice car. I love that era of cars.

 

Beautifully maintained Town Car.

I can't say that they were favorites of mine back when they were being produced. But now in that era of lookalike CUVs, giant SUVs, and trucks dominating our roads, it's nice to see a traditional, big, American car. I wish public tastes and the industry could turn back in that direction.

 

Thank you very much!

 

Blacksunshine91 you are exactly right. In 1982 they realized that people were slamming the hatch causing some windows to blow out so they installed the power pull down from the Cadillac to resolve the issue. At the time, the rear hatch was the single largest piece of glass GM had ever put on a production vehicle.

 

Ya I don’t think it has anything to do with slamming.

I think they thought it was what the customer wanted back then.

My moms 88 Lincoln town car had a power trunk lid pull-down.
There’s no glass in that trunk lid and no need for it.