mj1pate

OK...I have read the previous posts on this topic and have taken steps that seemed appropriate.

The hatch release mechanism cycles as intended, but doesn't open the hatch.
1) I have replaced the cracked alarm male with an intact non-alarm male. I replaced the tongue, spring and pin in the replacement male.
2) I have attached little tie wraps to the release cam, to extend its reach.
3) I have moved the motor chassis mount down so as to extend the swing of the cam and indeed, the cam swings from vertical to fully horizontal.
4) shimming under the male made no difference regardless where I put the shims (front or rear).
5) The female receiver plunger extends quite far down in the receiver well, without obstruction.
6) I have experimented with moving the female mount forward and rearward, without any difference, except that I have found the best location for a secure squeakless engagement, that open and closes easily. There is no shim under the female mount ( I heard there was in some)

I will say that the hatch is finally squeakless, which is a help. But I don't know what to do regarding the remote opening. Ideas?

Mike

jpitman2

There is a nylon bush in the arm at the operating lever where it connects to the receiver. If this bush breaks up and leaves, you can lose enough movement to prevent release. Check for slack at this connection.
The bush is approx 5mm ID x 7MM od x 2mm long. I have made a couple and repaired one unit, retaining the bush with a washer and a 2-56 bolt. You might also be able to find small tubing that would do the job. You would need to drill or file off the peened over alloy retaining the rod to dismantle it.
jp 83 Euro S AT 51k

Alan

with the hatch motor removed - can you unlatch the hatch from inside using a screwdriver at the cam location? check that it mechanically works - since it seems you cam is fully operational...?

Does the cam actually protrude enough to achieve the same release as you did with the screwdriver...?

It may be you need to evaluate wear on the cam hinge points and on the white latching tab.

There is some further adjustability if you take out the motor and adjust the connection of the tangential actuator arm to the drive shaft - unscrews and is repositionable...

Alan

mj1pate

Hmmm...Alan; currently the release cam is normally pointed skyward and swings down to a horizontal position, and then back up to the normal "rest" position. Is this the correct action?

Mike

Alan

Yes this is the correct action - the hinge is at the bottom.

The extension of the cam into the hatch receiver should be approx 3+mm - look straight down the plane of the frontmost face of the receiver... if it protrudes less than this it will probably not unlatch. It may need to be more if your upper hatch tab is worn...

Alan

mj1pate

OK, thanks Alan. The nylon tongue and spring on the male side is new and the male lock housing is a good, robust non-alarm unit. I would have thought that the tie wraps on the cam would have accounted for any cam bushing wear, but I can't say yet if the cam bushing is worn.

The male nylon tongue catches against a metal tang on the female receiver and I assume that the clearance between the release cam hinge and that tang is fixed(?). I'll eventually take the box containing the release cam out and examine it. If I do, I'm sorely tempted to replace the cam with a momentary action solenoid to bump the nylon tongue free....there just must be a conventional way to make this work.

Mike

Rich9928p

A different problem with my S4 - the tumbler seems to be broken. It won't open with the key but opens with the motor release.

It seems like the tumbler is broken - has anyone else had this kind of problem? I'd hate to have to have a different key for the hatch.

Alan

Rich - you mean the key won't turn? - or it turns but doesn't unlatch?

Alan

Mrmerlin

you can buy a new lock cylinder for the hatch and rekey it with your old parts, so all of the keys will match

Rich9928p

The key won't turn - it acts like it is the wrong key. A pin in the tumbler must have broken.

Rich9928p

Anyone parting out such an item?

mj1pate

I have spent more time per hardware ounce on this project than I ever would have thought required. I removed both the male and female hatch lock components and examined them thoroughly. The male lock component is a completely rebuilt, intact, non-alarm unit. The female component looks completely operational: the plunger rides straight up and down without obstruction, the cam hinge has no play, the cam swings down so that its edge barely missses the plunger when the plunger rides up (as the trunk opens). In fact, the cam swings so close to the plunger that the tie wraps that I have on the cam are clearly scraping the plunger as the plunger rides back up. All looks good....but I cannot get this contraption to work together. I am assuming that there is some very sensitive mounting alignment procedure that I am missing. Hints?

Mike

bigmac

This is the Long Island method

ColinB

Mike.
While you have the mechanisms apart.
Reinstall the male section onto the hatch and offer the receiver up to it. The male should slide in and latch easily. Now see if you can release the latch by pulling down on the cam actuator arm. If it does you have a functioning mechanism which is probably not adjusted correctly. You seem to have tried most of the routine "fixes", but as Alan points out, the position of the actuator arm is adjustable and you may want to try that. I posted a description and a picture of this in mid-December under the thread title " FINALLY. Hatch relese working" (excuse spelling) Do a search.

Luck
Colin. 89GT.

mj1pate

Hi Colin;

After all I have tried, I think I've seriously considered the method in Bigmac's picture posted above, even with the key working. Currently, the cam starts from vertical and swings down, fully horizontal. You mentioned that your adjustment made the cam rest at 20 degrees ATDC, and I assume that this would make the cam swing lower than horizontal? In other words, the cam's swing was biased towards the nylon male latch, starting from rest? Or do I have the reverse...is the cam at rest biased away from the nylon latch?

Thanks

Mike