i posted this in the electronics forum too, but i usually don't get much help there. but here is a link to the sister thread anyway
electronics

so i am installing a dash button hatch release in my firebird. i got all the parts from a junkyard exept the switch, that i just purchased off e-bay. i have tested the slinoid (thing that makes it pop, that is a selinoid right?) and it works. but i am tryng to wire it up with little sucess. i have altered this photo to make things easy.
the black wire exiting left goes to the selinoid
the plug on the left goes to the switch
then three wires come out of it
orange grey and black
a brown wire comes from the relay, i think it is ground. a yellow wire goes into the relay that seemslike it would be hot, but the connecter has a brown wire with a white stripe. the same color code that connects to the parkingbrake lever.
there is an orange wire in the mix too, but it goes into the connecter but never goes to the relay?

any help would be great

 

Que!


I'm a little confused... 9 times out of ten all the wiring you need is already in the car. You need the solenoid, the relay, and the switch. The wiring for the switch will be behind the switch panel, wrapped in gray/brown adhesive backed foam. Peel away the foam and plug it in. The relay is a typical GM horn type relay, the wiring will be under the passengers side of the dash, again wrapped in foam. Peel and plug in. The solenoid bolts to the hatch pulldown in the trunk, there should be one black wire that connects to it, it won't even be wrapped up. All in all its about a 15 minute job. I don't know why you'd be installing wiring unless earlier cars don't already have most of the wiring.

 

BTW I've got a radio pod and two doors with power window motors, all the wiring, etc out of an 86 Firebird parts car. Email me an offer.

 

my 86 does not have the wiring allready. but like i said i got all of it from the 91 that donated this thing. (also got a t-top headliner worth repairing and a wierd clip that holds up my hatch)

so i just ned one of tricksters wiring diagrams

you've got mail

 

well, i've got a pop-switch in my car now....but unfortunatley i wasn't there to install it. The switch was put in when my stupid spring popped on the hatch, so, i wasn't able to insert my key. My buddies did the install one night, when i got a new radio, seats, hatch pop, and other little goodies. I also found a hatchpop/pull down setup, but the pulldown feature wasn't working anymore, so i had to use just the hatchpop because the one that they put in crapped out on me.

 

What year cars have the wiring already in them? Would 88 have it?

 

Hello Tony,

Obviously your e-mail got lost by the e-mailman or my e-dog ate it. anyway here are the diagrams that you wanted. Remember, these diagrams are for a camaro and on your car the "LID" fuse is located on a separate red/white wire as a in-line fuse in a wire bundle near the fuse panel. It runs down the driver side of the car to a 8 cavity connector under the left rear speaker and from there to the hatch release and pull down assembly. These diagrams show manual as well as automatic tranny. Hope they help.

 

page 2

 

page 3

 

page 4

 

page 5

 

page 6

 

And if that isn't enough to convince you guys to buy a GM/Helm service manual from helminc.com ... well... nothing will.

 

no i emaile the guy that said he had power windows. i had faith you would find this eventually. by the way those diagrams rule. i am going to buy that book. i don't know if they are what i need yet cause its 430am and i just wanted to check real quick to see if anyone answered. i'll try this at around noonish tomorow and get back to you guys.

 

Hey Trickster, in that last diagram you posted, what is that C309 for? Is that the one mounted to the rear trim for the HMSL or rear wiper if equipped?

 

Hello Maverick H1L.

Long time no hear, how are you doing? Yes, that connector is for the high mount stop light or rear wiper if equipped.

 

I'm playing the waiting game. I have to wait until my head bolts come in to do anything else...

I suppose I originally had the HMSL spoiler or hatch and the DPO replaced the entire whatever and left the wiring behind to cause trouble... I know I have an 87 car, but I have a spoiler from a '90's Camaro, so I'm told, so I am missing the light... Yet another thing that has to be replaced I guess....

Any way I can get some similar diagrams for those cars not having the release? I'm stuck in between a rock and a hard place in that I have all the wiring I am supposed to have for the release mechanism, but I don't have the release. The wiring in the back was highly butchered by someone in the past and I don't know what is supposed to be there and what is not. I have the pulldown but not the release solenoid, but I have the rest of the circuit in FACTORY wiring which baffles me...

 

people do wierd **** to cars. i feel sorry for the poor sap who buys my bird (like i would EVER sell this car) i have removed all kinds of stupid ****. but... i did remove ALL of it. i leave no evidence! i'll keep you guys updated. i still have not had a chance to try and fix this stuff yet.

 

Hey Maverick,

Here is a diagram of an 85 with just the release mechanism. If there is another diagram that you need, give me a holler and I will see what I can get for you.

 

You may have misread my above statement. I have the pulldown and NOT the release. I was hoping for some diagrams of connector locations on those cars which do not have the release. I also need to know how the rear compartment light is wired in a non-release system, whether it is run by a manual switch or what.

 

Hello Maverick,

Sorry about that, try these.

 

page 2

 

page 3,

The power source for your cargo area light comes from this connector. It is located under the left kick panel above the hood release.

 

I'm confused as to where the black wire on the selinoid connects to. Is it a ground wire or is it suposed to go to the front of the car to the relay???
I'm trying to install one in my car too. I have found all the wiring behind the dash panel. I just need to get a switch and a relay right.




Knight75

 

Hello Knight75,

Yes the black wire goes to the relay through connector C206 which you will see circled in the picture labeled page 6 in one of my posts on this thread. Yes you will need a switch and relay if everything else is already there. Just check your wiring to be sure it is routed and installed properly.

 

Trickster you da man! Thank you:hail:



Knight75

 

Ok, I am in the middle of this mod as well but am stumped (on an 85 FB). I got the switch and solenoid and wiring harness that attaches to the switch. The wiring harness then plugs into the connector on the dash. The wiring for the hatch release appears to be going to that connector (orange and black/white wires and I also have the empty connector behind the left kick panel with the black wire (for the solenoid.

So you are saying the relay is not already in the car? Where does it go exactly (my GM shop manual says under dash to right of the steering column, but I can't see where it would hook in (can't see the appropriate wires)? Do you have to cut open the wire looms and cut the wires to splice it in or is there a spot to just plug in the relay?

Also, is the parking brake switch already wired in to it or would I have to do all that as well?

 

Okay, according to the book I have, the relay is taped to the I/P wire bundle under the dash to the right of the steering column. If I remember correctly, it is the same type relay as the horn relay.

 

yeah, that is what it says in my book too but I don't see aspot for it. Do you have to cut open the wire looms and cut the wires or will there be a spot to plug it in? If there is no spot to plug it in then it will be next to impossible to get to the wires.

Is the horn relay the one at the base of the column?

 

You may be looking on the wrong side of the car for the relay. Mine is underneath the passenger side dash paneling, tucked in between the dashboard and the heater box.
The regular horn relay should be in the convenience center behind the ALDL connector to give you an idea of what the connector you are looking for looks like.

And if you are asking, my wiring is all factory in that area except for the radio wiring.

 

No, the horn relay is in the convenience center with the turn signal flasher and audio alarm system.

 

I do believe I said that...

 

You did say it and posted it while I was still typing it. Was just too lazy to go back and edit it. How's your ride coming along Maverick?

 

hmmm passenger side. The book says near the steering column for 85 but I am certainly going to check as it can't hurt. So are you saying then that you had a harness that you just had to plug the relay into?? That's it? And the harness looks like the harness for the horn relay?

 

For some reason the only parts I was missing from the system were the switch and solenoid. I don't know why. There's a BIG, FAT wiring harness that runs the width of the dash, and my solenoid harness is included in that big bundle of wiring. Unfortunately, so is the solenoid wire that runs from the relay to the solenoid, and I don't really want to split the bundle to run the wire .

Oh, and Trickster, I am getting a 3.1 dropped in next month. Until then, I have nothing to do with it. And even after I get the engine installed, I still can't drive it due to lack of funds .

 

in the junkyard car that i got all my parts from (91) the wiring was all in the center console area, thats where i am putting it in my car. since it has to connect to the parking break relay it makes sense.

 

So did you have the harness in your car already to plug the relay into??? Or did you have to go locating and splicing wires??

 

Well lloked at thepicture in the book again this morning while at work. THurns out there is a typo (it said to the right of the steering column). I looked for the location of some of the other items in the diagram and it turns out the poor sketch actually referred to the passenger side. Checked when I got home and I found the harness!

Thanks for the suggestion Mavrick. Probably wouldn't have thought to check if you didn't mention it.

 

Anytime . I just need to get myself the solenoid to have the complete system, along with the non-power hatch assembly because my motor housing is broke and I don't feel like buyin a new one for $30 from GM...

 

ok i know it's been a while. i am installing a new pull down unit as well and i am still confused. the white wire coming from pull down unit. where too?

thanks

 

The only white wire there would be the cargo compartment light to the light switch. There is a red/white wire that goes from the hatch pull-down to the lid (in-line) fuse in the wire bundle by the fuse panel.

 

i purchased a "working" unit on ebay and i can't get it to work. this sucks