Stuck rear hatch

[gotrootdude]

I shut my rear hatch today and now it won't open. Anyone have any suggestions that can help me spring the latch?

[Pu241]

I'm assuming you can't open it with the key.
Crawl over or work from the back seat and pop off the interior panel covering the hatch lock. Then carefully peel the plastic back so you can manually disengage the locking mechanism.

[Sparky]

I know once I was able to get one to release from the inside with a screwdriver...ask Dean!

[gotrootdude]

[I]'m assuming you can't open it with the key.
Crawl over or work from the back seat and pop off the interior panel covering the hatch lock. Then carefully peel the plastic back so you can manually disengage the locking mechanism.

I've already done that and pushed the locking rod back and forth but it doesn't seem to be locked.

Maybe that rod fell out of where it hooks into the latch. I'll keep trying. I'd hate to have to take off work to take it over to a body shop if I can't get this thing open.

[Pu241]

I've already done that and pushed the locking rod back and forth but it doesn't seem to be locked.

Then I bet the mechanism is under tension from misaligned or bent hatch, striker, or something else.
Try pushing down or in on the hatch while using the key.
If that fails then have someone do that from the outside while you attempt to manually disengage it from inside the car.

[gotrootdude]

I'll continue working on this tomorrow. I'll let ya'll know if I get it open.

I did find out that I have the wires and right latch for a hatch light in there. So, a little good news. I was planning to wire in a couple of strips of smd leds in the hatch so it's something I was wondering but haven't got around to looking until now.

[jglutz]

From inside the car like PU421 siad...find the wire/rod that goes from the release to the latch and pull the rod up. This is how the latch opens.

[knux511]

Someone should get a pic on here and show him the moving parts.... I would, but i gotta go to work

[91blufestiva]

Hopefully it's not off like the one I saw at a different junkyard today, it was a 88 LX, I tried opening the hatch, but it wouldn't open, so I crawled in the backseat, and tried pulling on the lever, but it just came right out, then I noticed that the lever was off of the latch. I wasn't going to go thru all the work to get it open, so I left it.

[knux511]

Get a flat tip, and pry around from the inside, gently, mind you, and push in all directions. If its locked, there is a little lever you need to push out of the way, then you can move the release to the open spot.. hope that helps

[gotrootdude]

Still haven't got it open but I haven't had time to spend on it and haven't needed it yet..

[gotrootdude]

Got it opened, still can't figure out how it got stuck like that but it's pretty coated in grime and needed a cleaning and lube anyway.

[EightZero]

I had the same issue. My solution, pull out the entire mechanism, once the door is open of course, and spray it down with brake cleaner. Then play with the open/closed settings for a good 5-10 minutes. My spring wouldn't move or do anything at the start. Afterwards, it was working perfectly.