Trunk with a mind of its own

[klemklubfoot]

Hello

My trunk is driving me crazy it will come open randomly when I am driving or i'll drive my truck home from work to come around the corner and see that it some how has opened by itself again when i was at work.

Another problem I have is that i have to use keyless entry to open the trunk, i have no keys for the trunk and the little lever on the floor in the cab is broken off.

I know all of the above stuff makes it sound ghetto but it is a really nice car and I really got to fix this ca.use it is a pain in the butt

Oh yeah my car is a 1991 sho, I've put some oil on some mechanisms in the trunk latch but nothing has helped, still not sure if there is some place i am missing lubing but i'll look again.


thanks for the help

 

[rubydist]

you could always buy a new lock cylinder for the trunk - they come with keys.

 

[klemklubfoot]

Roger sounds like an idea, maybe i can **** the heck out of it in other places when I take it apart as well

thanks

 

[luigisho]

I've seen this problem posted here years ago and I forget what the solution was. You can try running a search but I don't know if it was lost in one of the system crashes some time ago.

 

[sperold]

Rockauto has them for $10.00 or $18.00. Make sure the little flat part that goes into the lid mechanism is long enough to reach. I bought one that was too short and I blamed it on the fact the power lock set up might be mounted differently, but I never did figure it out. Make a call before you buy to get the length of that thing.

 

[luigisho]

Check with firebat to see how/if the issue was resolved. http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=91762&highlight=trunk

 

[klemklubfoot]

Thanks for searching for that, I did a search but somehow never noticed this, well lots of things to check, I think i may search for the parts to replace the broken pull handle.

I think it is heat related on mine as well, it was close to 30 degrees celsius here yesterday and it would not latch, so out came the bungy cord.

 

[turbosho]

my 91 does the same thing, i disconnected the cable and it stopped, i have yet to replace.

 

[platoribs]

I've experienced this on both an old parts 92 as well as on my 95. another solution is to disconnect the torsion bars so there's no tension when the lock releases, so the lid won't open.

I suppose you could also just leave a cinder block on the lid

 

[SHO1]

Or weight the inside with a couple pipe wrenches and a ziptie. Had never heard of the problem before, but my '93 developed it a couple months ago and it is def heat related on mine, approx. 90 + temps or if car is sitting in sun for more than a couple hr's w/temps around 80. replaced the latch mechanism for the fix.

 

[auto.guru]

mine had this problem!!!!

i carefully inspected the latch and found that over time the slamming of the truck had BARELY bent the surrounding enclosure. its very hard to notice - but its almost as if it has to be PERFECT for it to stay latched and unlatch.

i basically used a pliers and bent the **** out of it. squeezed it tight.... then the latch wouldnt open. i used a screwdriver and slowly unbent it. the latch would work. but then when shut it wouldnt have enough torsion to open. so i would have to take a screwdriver again and again till i found the perfect medium.

never had the problem since/

 

[auto.guru]

mine had this problem!!!!

i carefully inspected the latch and found that over time the slamming of the truck had BARELY bent the surrounding enclosure. its very hard to notice - but its almost as if it has to be PERFECT for it to stay latched and unlatch.

i basically used a pliers and bent the **** out of it. squeezed it tight.... then the latch wouldnt open. i used a screwdriver and slowly unbent it. the latch would work. but then when shut it wouldnt have enough torsion to open. so i would have to take a screwdriver again and again till i found the perfect medium.

never had the problem since/

 

[SHO91+]

I had this problem on my 91' that went on for a year or more and with varying frequency. What I discovered after having my wife close me in the trunk with a flashlight was that there are two parts of the latch with semi- circular shapes that should wrap around the fixed pin that is mounted to a plate on the trunk lip. At times only one of those pieces on the latch was getting around the pin and although the trunk seemed to be closed properly you could tug around on the lid, or of course have it vibrated from driving and it would pop open. I adjusted the plate the pin is attached to just the very slightest amount (lots of trial and error) and also made sure the rubber bumpers at the edges of the trunk opening were applying some pressure upward on the lid when closed so that the lids ability to bounce on the latch was minimal. Nothing scientific about any of this, but mine hasen't come open for over a year by itself. BTW I have also installed a new weatherstrip which being not so compressed is providing some more pressure upwards on the lid.

 

[klemklubfoot]

"I suppose you could also just leave a cinder block on the lid"

Ha funny you should mention that Platoribs. a guy who was renting my driveway noticed my trunk lid popped open and thought putting a huge rock on it would hold it down. But a gust of wind somehow blew the lid open and the rock smashed its way through the back window. Soo I came home to a smashed out window and of course my trunk lid open again.

Many ideas thanks

 

[kevinspann]

What a retard.

 

[SHO4CY]

I had the same problem with my 91. It would randomly open when it got hotter out. It had something to do with the cable stretching in the heat. Cut the cable and no more problems. I would suggest this as it is easy and cheap. As long as you have keys to the trunk it shouldn't be any big deal.

Noah

 

[operdot]

Also the torsional springs for the lid in the trunk are adjustable, at least on my '94. There are 3 settings, try lowering the torque applied to the trunk lid :wave:.

 

[firebat45]

Check with firebat to see how/if the issue was resolved. http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=91762&highlight=trunk

I never did figure it out, last time I was driving the car it still did it randomly. It seemed to do it more in warm weather. I even tried disconnecting both the manual and electric releases, to narrow it down.

 

[auto.guru]

like i previously stated, ive had this problem before and ive fixed it on many cars.