anyone ever had this happen? my trunk wont stay closed, its almost like there isnt a latch at all. or like somone is pulling hte trunk release while i close it. i cant figure it out.

 

first occurance was when i had the car at the garage to get the tires put on, the tech put my stock wheels in the trunk and then came out to tell me that the trunk wouldnt close. i wiggled the key and it latched. but now nothing is working for me. i dont know where to start on the latch to figure out whats wrong.

 

thanks

tim c.

The latches like to get sticky after awhile ..or sometimes the return spring breaks or comes dislodged from where it attaches to. Is it acting like its "bouncing" off something or like the latch isnt returning over the hook?? Get in there with a flat head screw driver and dig around the latch..see if you can move it with the screwdriver. kinda sounds like the return spring is broke. I have had this happen to doors,trunks, you name it..also try WD-40 around the latch as you move it..(open and close just the latch mech with the screwdriver and the key) and see if it frees it up.

 

Its easier to fix than explain:grin: but i have done it a billion times before. Even replacing the latch assembly isnt hard to do.

Good Luck

Yeah, it's happened before................... Ex-wifes arm was in the way and it wouldn't shut all the way . Tim

Yeah, it's happened before................... Ex-wifes arm was in the way and it wouldn't shut all the way . Tim

You have to make sure the arm doesn't come flopping out when loading the body.. Thats a potential embarrassment, especially in a public place. Thats why I prefer to wrap them in sheets before loading them up

My 88 DL always had that problem, luckily my solution was easy...just push the trunk release lever inside the cabin down a bit and it would close all the way. Just a bit picky about that lever inside..chances are your problem won't be that easy though.

Wd-40!

 

...and wrap the body in plastic so there is less forensic evidence

Scott Peterson, 2003

i never leave that much of a body in one peice.

 

 

turned out to be a sticky latch, gotta pull on the little wire that runs to the lock to get it to close.

 

i kinda forgot that this thread existed.

is this a sedan, or a hatch. i have seen both an ea82 sedan and a hatch do this, pushing down on the lever would release it enough to close. if that does not work suspect the cable itself

i got the sedan. the little wire that connects the latch to the lock sticks in the unlocked position when you open the trunk, i just have to give i little tug and it latches fine.

the mechanic likely bumped or rested a wheel on the latching mechanism. it is probably slightly bent or misaligned or needs minor adjustment. i threw something on top of mine and it took a bit to figure out what the freak it was doing. finally figured it out by crawling in the trunk with a flashlight and pulling the trunk down and watching what happened.

That happened to my turbo XT, some Trizol (MUCH better than WD40) and it was fine.