GM Auto techs, Buick Park Ave pwr trunk closer

[craze1cars]

Help please!<br /><br />1994 Buick Park Ave with a power trunk pull-down. It's stuck in the up position and likely burned out. Rather than a stupid $300+ for a new pull-down and/or messing with a salvage one, can I easily convert this to a conventional slammer?<br /><br />My Mitchell collision guide shows only one option for a latch, and then it appears to me that there was either a.) a power pull down unit or b.) a conventional striker part #20730800.<br /><br />So....my thinking is I can juts buy that striker for about $32 list price, bolt it on in place of the power pull-down unit, and be done.<br /><br />Am I missing something here or will this plan work?

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: GM Auto techs, Buick Park Ave pwr trunk closer

motor shows the same. But I also see a "housing" listed. Maybe that would have to be eliminated or added? Of course if you don't want to just buy the striker & be wrong... it's time to go visit a salvage yard & compare the different striker/pull down. I think you can do what you propose.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: GM Auto techs, Buick Park Ave pwr trunk closer

Thanks for the thoughts... I'm dealing with a rather unfrendly local dealer who has warned me that if I special-order the striker I will have to pre-pay and it will be non-refundable if it doesn't work. Otherwise I'd just buy and try. I may find another dealer who will help me out if I travel a little farther. Hoping for a quick and cheap fix that doesn't involve me crawling around snow-covered wrecked cars that may or may not have the setup I'm looking for...

 

[steamboatwilly]

Re: GM Auto techs, Buick Park Ave pwr trunk closer

craze1cars,If it is just stuck,you can release it with the trunk key.

 

[rattana]

Re: GM Auto techs, Buick Park Ave pwr trunk closer

craze1 What is wrong with the mechanism? Is it the power to the mechanism. Is it the limit switch out of adjustment or is the motor burnt out?<br />You might get away with just replacing one component.

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: GM Auto techs, Buick Park Ave pwr trunk closer

Usually with a little tweeking you can get the electric latch to move, manually/some disassembly to the down position and reinstall it. Just leave it unpluged, works as nonelectric now, just slam the dang thang.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: GM Auto techs, Buick Park Ave pwr trunk closer

The power release works fine. The power pulldown doesn't. So it opens and latches closed, but then it doesn't pull down and seal.<br /><br />It's my mother-in-law's spare car and it's stuck in the "up" position so the trunk doesn't seal and she can't drive it in the rain. I haven't even seen it myself as she lives out of state and I'll see it for one day at Christmas. She says it stopped pulling down, so she had a "friend" get it forced down, then they drilled a hole and stuck a bolt through it to keep it down. Then somehow the bolt broke and it came back up (extremely strong motor? I don't know). Those are all her words, not mine. So I have no idea what's cobbled up on it now that they've drilled holes in it.<br /><br />My dream: To come with tools and parts-in-hand to fix it in 10 minutes flat on Christmas day while every shop is closed without doing any troubleshooting. That's why I'm hoping I can just pitch the whole power pulldown mechanism and make it into a slammer with a quick striker change. IF that will work. It kinda sucks trying to fix something I haven't even seen based on a 75 year old woman's description of the problem. I just wanna come prepared with a few parts and tools in the trunk.<br /><br />I also thought maybe I could get it manually pulled down myself and then disconnect it, but I don't know what the last guy did. That may still be an option. Just helping an old lady, and I don't want this to turn into a long project to ruin my Christmas day....

 

[PierBridge]

Re: GM Auto techs, Buick Park Ave pwr trunk closer

You can't make that up ... LOL