Hi, I'm having a problem with a trunk lever thats located right to the lever of the gas tank doors on the left bottom of drivers side.

The problem is that when i pull the lever, and go to open my trunk, it wont open, allthough it can be moved up and down slightly. Only way i can open the trunk is either use the key, turn it and hold, lift the trunk up, or have someone HOLD the lever all the way up untill i can open the trunk.

Anyone had problems like this one? What should i take a look at first?

Thanks in advance.

I did a tech tip on this before here on 2GNT but the photo links have changed and I can't edit the old post to update the links. I'll repost the info here with the current photo links.


"Tech Tip for 2G hatches that don't unlatch properly on the first try."

If your hatch doesn’t completely unlatch on first attempt and you need to pull the cable release again or turn the key once more in order to get it open then this mod is for you.

After a search through the forums I found several other people were having the same problem with the hatch not releasing completely upon the first try. One member suggested that this was a feature and not to fix it which is not true. The trunk does have a double latching safety feature to help keep the hatch secured in an accident but this has little to do with why it opens poorly after having worked fine for years. Others have suggested that the gas cylinders are getting weak which is also false. The gas lift struts have nothing to do with the trunk popping open. They only serve to hold the hatch open after it is raised up. Yes, a weak gas strut will prevent the hatch from staying open, especially on the first cold day of winter, but it does not assist in popping the trunk up those first few inches.

So now that we know what isn’t causing the problem let’s see what is and fix it. This mod was done on a 98 2G RS without factory alarm. You might have an extra wire going to your hatch release but it won't affect the fix. This repair takes less than a half hour. Tools and parts needed: Blade screwdriver, drill with 1/8” or 3/16” bit, large pliers, strong needle nose pliers and safety glasses because springs have a way of finding your face when they fly off!

The first thing you need to do is remove the plastic panel on the rear inside of the trunk. There is no need to remove the two plastic screw access caps just in front of the latch. Those covers would only be removed if you need to adjust the latch up or down slightly if your hatch doesn’t close correctly. Gently pry the bottom of the panel out, towards the front of the car, at the lower corners. There are four hidden clips on the back similar to door panel clips. Once the corners are loose, push the panel up and release the 6 clips hidden along the top of the plastic molding. Set aside the plastic cover.



You’ll now see the latch exposed with the hatch “pop” spring right there where it’s easy to get to. Do NOT loosen or remove the latch. On my Eclipse the spring had completely released its energy (coils were all touching) before the lid was lifted enough to clear the latch. I verified this by sitting inside the spare tire well with the lid closed and then popped the hatch. I was unable to slip a piece of paper between the coils of the spring which verified it would not be able to lift the hatch the last 1/16” it needed to clear the latch mechanism. All I had to do was increase the distance between the spring end points to gain a little extra power. To do this I bent the tab on the driver side slightly toward the driver side. To gain even a little more leverage, without over-stretching the spring, I changed the location of the hole on the lever at the other end of the spring mount to gain a mechanical advantage. As you can see in the photos I simply drilled a new hole just below the original one. These two steps fixed the hatch to pop up problem whether using the cable release, key or my added alarm electric remote solenoid. The spring could possibly be changed to a stronger one if you have added weight to your hatch. Test it out before putting the cover back on and of course, lube the latch up with some good lithium grease before putting it all back together.

Haha, you have a writeup for everything.

I just removed my spoiler and it fixed the problem. :D

Yeah mine works just fine without the turbo spoiler, but as soon as I put the spoiler back on it is too heavy and wont pop all the way open.
-Todd

sweet. I need to do this!

Thank you so much man, ive expected single answer or somethin like that, but write up?! I appreciate this a lot THANK YOU THANK YOU :)

EDIT :

Just did it 20 minutes ago. Works nicely, didn't have to drill, but in case it starts acting strange, ill do that too. Anyways, thanks a lot

F-it...i just walk back there and use my key... :thumbsup

ive got that crap too. good post

My car lacks a hatch popper as well.

My key works just fine though.

new gas shocks can also help if the hatch is too heavy w/ a wing.

Nice write up i think i'll get around to that soon.
I always end up holding the latch with the seat belt then opening it from the back. My lock is seized the key wont turn. haha

Mine did this as well. Also my trunk wouldnt stay up. Once I got new hatch shocks/struts it fixed the problem. I have no wing.

Good job AZDave :thumbsup looks like someone is cruisin for some points!

That's it!
I hate AZ Dave
I was just about to indulge in a few hour search for the cause of my trunk not opening properly. But AZ-Dave spoiled all the fun.

P.S

Just joking!
Great write up!
Thanks.

I just did this today and it worked. I did not drill a new hole I just bend the thing a little (did not have a drill available but was very fed up with it)

I was very mad (non 2g related reasons) when I was doing this, in the moment of "passion" I broke a piece of plastic from the second row as in picture above. Be careful take your time.

And let's thank Dave again.