Help! Trunk pull down problems

[David #19063]

Hello,

The trunk pull down on my newly acquired 94 Fleetwood is stopped in the up position.  

I have had the car a month now and only had this issue 3 times now, although twice, it was not in the full up position.  Once, I was able to flip a little black lever on the bottom that made it work again.  But this time not.

Does anyone know these well can can talk me into trouble shooting it.

Worst comes to worst, if we can get it down I can disconnect it to leave it in the down position.

Thank you,

David

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

David,

I take it that it is electrically operated, onlike the 70s ones that were spring loaded off the boot hinge?

If so, then all you would have to do is open the boot, press the lever to imitate the boot lid closing, and when the pull-down is down, then sisconnect the power source and voilla, it is forever down.

But, hey, I have never seen the later ones, so I am only grasping at straws for you as nobody has answered your call.  

And, I can understand your frustrations at having to drive in the rain, hail, sleet and snow with the boot not fully shut.   And, not to mention the suction effect on the exhaust gasses filling the interior.

Cant have you falling asleep at the wheel, now can we.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[George]

If the pull down is electrically operated. Check the ground, mine somtimes comes disconnected, and the trunk lid stays slighly open.

[David #19063]

Hello George,

Yes, it sounds like an electric motor...that is when it works.

Where is the ground?

I will be taking a look at it tomorrow after work.

David

[Jim Tighe]

For whatever its worth, I have a 91 Olds 98 with this curious feature, and have found that the darn thing wont close if I have opened it with the remote button on the dash.  Have you, by chance, been opening yours that way?  If I open it with the key-in-the-lock method, it works ok.  To me this device is another solution to a problem that never existed.  

[David #19063]

Jim,

Yes, I agree, this is one of those unnecessary technology items.  It is cute and is nice when it works, but when it doesnt, it really bites.

My trunk is stuck in the full up position.

I will also try using the key as you suggested.

We are to get snow the next couple days so Id like to get this resolved.

David

[Dan]

I had the problem on my 93. The problem turned out to be  alignment as my wife seldom drove the car and did not know to close the trunk easy. Hence she slammed the trunk and bent the receiver bracket. After fighting it for two days I finally tried to close it while watching the alignment.  Aligned parts and trunk closes fine. Dan

[Wayne Womble]

I think that they all probably have emergency release mechanisms now, but my dad in his mid 70s, crawled into the trunk to check something out. I dont remember what now, and the automatic latch swallowed him up like Jonah. Didnt want to give him up either.

[David #19063]

Hello Dan,

I will check the alignment.  Thank you.

Also, I was wondering is one or more of you would check your mid-90s Cadillac trunk switches?

With your trunk open, please try to discover which switch/sensor triggers the trunk pull down.  There is a little black lever on the trunk lid itself that moves when the latch catches.

Also, on the car itself, where the latch catches is a larger lever/flap that seems to press down on a little black lever.  (The little back lever is flipped up/down by two metal tabs sticking out of the bottom latch that powers up & down.)

Maybe someone can try them to see if one or the other is the trigger switch or if they both have to be tripped.  

Please post what you learn.

Thanks.

NOTE:  When you power down the latch with the trunk open, you may want to hit the door open button to raise the latch before you try and close your trunk.

David