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Hi,
This message is really for those first time DIY'ers who might be having problems with their trunk not opening or door locks not working. All this is on an 87 9kt and might help others.
Trunk Will Not Open:
Symptom: Hatch would not open; exterior handle gave freely when pulled, with no clicking of the release from the hatch's latch.
Tools: You'll need a flat head and torx screw driver.
1. Fold down your rear seats and crawl into your trunk.
2. Remove the inner handle that is located at the back of the hatch; this is the handle you'd use to help pull the hatch back down when it is open (although I never do). Two torx screws hold it in place.
3. You notice that this handle helps hold the hatch's interior fabric in place. Also holding it in place are plastic screws/pins (six I think), arranged in a line running along the top-most portion of your fabric covering. You can pry these out with a flat head screw driver.
4. Remove the fabric covering, giving a little tug on the plastic fastener that helps hold it in place on the driver's side.
5. The key and locking mechanisms are now exposed to you. Notice the rod that extends from the key to the latch/strike pin at the base of the hatch. The rod is attached at both ends by plastic fasteners. When you pull on the hatch relase on the exterior of the car, this rod lifts, pulling on the latch and opening the trunk.
6. In my case, the plastic fastener at the bottom end of the rod had cracked, allowing the rod to pop out from the eye hole in the latch. If you can, fix the plastic fastener with crazy glue, and insert the end of the rod back into its hole; it should be a snug fit. (Make sure the glue is nice and dry before you put the rod back in.)
I actually dropped and lost the plastic fastener on the ground, and so used electrical tape to attach the rod to the latch. But to do this, I had to remove the striking pin/rod (what the latch fastens around to hold the trunk closed). (You'll need a socket wrench to remove the pin assembly; when you put the rod assembly back, be sure to align it properly or the hatch will not stay closed). Once you've got things all set, replace the fabric covering.
Door Locks:
Symptom: Difficult to pull lock up and down on door; or door lock falls inside of door, leaving a hold in the door where it should be.
You'll need a torx screw driver set and a pair of needle nose pliers. (Note that all the work is done on the interior side of the door.) Also place a tarp or canvas beneath your work area--you'll be glad you did later.
1. Remove the covering to the door's ground light (red/white cover). Remove the bulb inside. Note, to the right, the bracket that helps keep the door panel on and is what also holds the light bulb fixture in place. Look closely and you'll see another torx screw to remove right behind the bracket. BE SMART: place electrical tape on the two contacts that hold the bulb in place.
2. Look at the map holder/pocket on the door. You should see two plastic "buttons", which can be removed. (I used a needle nose plier and succeeded in mangling them quite well.) Remove the two recessed torx screws that are hidden by these buttons.
3. The interior door handle also has two round plugs on it, both of which hide additional screws (I think; I only had one screw there). Gently use a flat head screw driver to help remove the plugs.
4. Now remove the window switch, which is in a small ovular module. A small grove along one side should help you pop it out. Disconnect the the switch from it's wiring.
5. Remove the torx screw which is revealed when the switch is removed. Also remove the round casing the surrounds the door handle/switch area. Another screw should be revealed as well when it is removed.
6. If I recall right, there is at least one plastic fastener which also helps hold the door in place. Pull along the edge near the rear of the door (I think) to pop it out.
7. You're now ready to remove the door panel. Lift upwards on the panel (you can use the handle to help). It might take a little bit of pressure, but it will come off. When it does, you'll note, and maybe hear, a bunch of tiny metal fasteners pop off and fall to the ground. They may also fall inside the door panel, so you might have to fish for them a bit.
If the panel won't come off, check to see if any obvious screws have been missed.
8. Ok, you've removed the door panel, and at this point you could fix a lot of different things in the door. You'll notice a sheet of plastic-like material (quite like what you'd use to wrap things when shipping them)taped to the door. Take a good look at it before you remove it, so that you can put it back in place the right way.
Two things happened in my case. The door lock's knob, which pokes out the door and allows you to lock and unlock it from inside, had fallen off, back into the door. That's an easy fix, it just screws back onto the locking rod.
Also, a plastic fastener that holds the locking rod in place had shorn off. (The locking rod runs from the rear of the door to the front, and has two plastic fasteners on it.) So, although the door lock still works, you couldn't manually lock the door from the inside.
For the time being I simple removed the rod (it's easy to do; look to the read of the door, inside the panel), and suspect I might need to buy a new one since I don't see how to fit a new plastic fastener on it.
Another problem with my doors is that it is hard to pull on the exterior door handles to open the doors. Unfortunately I didn't have time to fix them, although others here have given tips on how to do it.
Have fun!
P.S. Reverse the steps to but the door panel back in place, remembering to reattach the little metal fasteners to the metal lip of the door, where the window rolls up and down. Also, some how while I did this, I blew the fuse for the central door locks, so be careful!
, Tue, 17 Apr 2001 16:11:19
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