So today I was using my car and opened the rear hatch and then closed it, all working fine.

I get home maybe 45 minutes later, and pop the hatch at home, now it will not close. I've checked resistance and found that the problem is that the four little plates which make the connection with the prongs on the hatch are not getting power. The fuse is good. Any ideas?

 

Well… Sounds stupid, but after 2 hours of tracking wires from the rear hatch I finally decided to go inside at 1 am leaving the rear hatch open all night:|
went up to bed, and came on here.. after not finding much, I went to sleep. In the morning I woke up, went outside to make sure my car was still good, and was so mad that my trunk was unlocked still, I slammed it.
What followed next was the all familiar electric noise, and a click. Somehow that worked?:S

 

I don't get the problem. It won't open or it won't close? And why would it need power to close?

 

Do you not have an electric hatch?:S

When you open it, the motor actually moves up. Then when you close it, the motor grabs it AFTER the two prongs from the hatch touch 2 of the 4 plates next to the motor.

 

Those plates have power so that when the 2 prongs touch the plates, it completes the circuit which causes the motor to pull down the hatch.

 

You must have some kind of extra fancy hatch motor. Mine just releases the hatch when I press the button and doesn't do anything when I close it.

 

So you're rear hatch closes like a normal trunk?
You slam it, it closes?:P

 

Are you saying if I just set it down gently the motor should grab it and pull it down?

 

Yes, that's exactly how it works. I let it down, and for the last inch or so, you can actually hear the electric pull down motor working and then it clicks closed. If you disconnect the car battery, and open the hatch, it's impossible to close the rear hatch.

 

Ohh, then we must have different types of hatch motors. Mine just closes like a normal hatch and opens either with the key or with the button between the power window buttons.

 

That's how mine opens too…
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/car-...o-sub-box.html
Scroll down to post #10 and click on the thumbnail in the post. If you look on top of the rear grey panel, you'll see a brass looking plate. That is where the 2 prongs touch which in turn pulls down the hatch.

That plate is what wasn't getting power. Which is why it make absolutely no sense that when I slammed the hatch, it closed. But whatever. It works now:P

 

On mine that plate is solely to power the spoiler break light.

 

To tell you the truth, that could be the purpose:P
haha I feel like the biggest moron of life, talking like i know stuff. Well, the motor wouldn't pull down the hatch, and IT IS electric.

 

LOL anyways, the rear hatch would not pull down. The motor wouldn't catch it.

 

My trunk has the little plate and it has those prongs and stuff but I have to slam mine close still I always thought it was the trunk automatic shutter too but then again maybe mine is broken because I replaced the fuse and it made the trunk release work again but the automatic trunk shutter still doesnt work.

 

When you close your trunk, does it normally pull it down the last inch or two? Without slamming it, or applying any pressure? You would actually hear what sounds like something electric, followed by a click as it latches.

That plate, I now realize, is simply for the third brake light. That's my mistake