So I replaced a bulb in my tail light the other day, and when I wrapped everything up and went to close my hatch, it didn't retract down at all. It locked, but it didn't go down. So I pressed the release button inside, and it started to pull it down. As I held the button, it lowered it. It will also go up once it "bottoms out" using that method. I have it at the "low setting" right now. I manually unlock it with the key and then slam it shut after I'm done with the hatch.

I tried pressing that little black lever and it does nothing. I wiggled all connections and cleaned the terminals with no luck. It's my best guess that the thing is probably dead- but I don't understand why it would still work when I pressed the button inside on the dash.

Thanks for your input you guys.

 

you've got a problem with your reverse switch or your limiter switch. very fixable.

 

Relay perhaps

 

definate possibility. could try tightening it...could've come loose while you were working.

 

Please ellaborate

 

the relay is the easiest thing to check. the relay is mounted to the body of the car next to the pull down motor. unplug it and plug it back in. the reverse switch and the limiter switch are a little harder. I'll just tell you the process that I went through to check mine. if you've got any more questions just say. when the motor in my 91 broke(because these things are made of cheap plastic...) I took the motor apart, put in the new gear, and put the motor back in the car...still nothing. I took the motor back out and removed the reverse switch and applied a direct 12v to the motor, pulled down just fine...reverse the wires, went up just fine. I used a multimeter on the switch itself...only sent current one way, just to put it up. So I put a new reverse switch in. and still nothing. I pressed the limiter switch down and the light was going off...but it wouldn't redirect the power to pull the hatch down....obviously it's bad. yanked one out of my camaro. sure enough, the motor pulled the hatch right down, no problem. Let the questions commence...