Hello all,

Great to be on this forum and to see so many enthousiasts still active! I'm from the Netherlands and have a '92 Pontiac Firebird, KITT-conversion.

I'm hoping that someone can help me with my hatch pulldown problem. It's stuck.
When pressing the button to open it, I only hear a little click, but nothing else happens. The pulldown system has locked my rear hatch but it does not pull down any more nor release the hatch.

I have already disconnected the pulldown unit from the body so I have better access to it. Does anyone know how to open the hatch manually?
See attachments.

Is this a know problem and if so is there anything I do to fix this?
Thanks very much!

 

Isn't there a keyhole on the back of the car? My 88 has a keyhole that you can use to manually open the hatch. Insert key and turn clockwise, hatch pops open. I don't ever use the push-button. Don't know if I even have one, lol.

I had some other problem with the pulldown, that I can't remember now, and I was able to use a flathead screwdriver to move some part that resolved the problem.

Good luck.

 

 

The only thing the button on your console does is to remotely unlock the actual latch. It's no different than using the key on the back of the car. That being said, if there's binding or too much tension, the remote mechanism may not actually pop the latch. Best bet is to use the key, or possible have someone apply some down pressure on the hatch/decklid while hitting the switch.

As for the unit not pulling down anymore, there are a few different components that could be causing the issue. Bad motor. Cracked motor housing. Stripped gear on the motor itself, or possibly binding on the guides as mentioned. You really need to get in there and trouble shoot it a little bit to see. You can hit up Lon at Top Down Solutions for parts. He's a board sponsor, and has helped MANY of us through pulldown motor issues!

 

I got the unit off with the help of . A big Doh! comes to mind

I attached the unit to the car and reattached the connectors. I pressed the little latch-switch down to start the motor but nothing happened.
Perhaps something wrong with the power. Maybe a defective fuse. I'll check the Haynes manual and see if I can locate the right one.

The housing looks fine. I'll take it apart though and see if I can find any broken parts.
As for using the key: I don't have it anymore

Thanks for all your replies!