liftgate won't open...

ok my mom has a 1990 jeep cherokee Laredo and the liftgate does not open, but i need it to get open so i can replace the brake light, anyone know why it won't open and how i can get it open?
Thanks

nvm i got it open but the pos brake light sh*t was all corroaded and crap and the buld came out wrong so no i couldn't put a new one it the car is just a peice of sh*t

Can we revive this thread? I have a 97 and have been too lazy to tear into the latch mechanism to see what the issue is. Just wondering if others are having this problem as well, and If Jeep is offering any sort of compensation for faulty liftgate mechanisms. Anyone?

can you get it open? i just beat the sh!t out of the button w/ the end of a screw driver and it came open, but now the button says in lol, so i had to hold the door down and lock it...

yeah, I kinda started in on that method after I got extremely fed up with it. I was out on the trail up here in Alaska, miles from anywhere, when my buddy blew a valvestem on his 35" ssr. He didnt have a spare (with the correct bolt pattern... recent solid axle swap on a ranger, long story) so I heaved the tire and wheel into the back of the XJ, left his Ranger on the highlift, and drove like 40 minutes to the nearest shop, only to not be able to get the g*ddamn tire back out of the jeep cause the hatch was stuck shut. I screwed with it for like 20 minutes to no avail, and got so pissed of at my crap luck that I hong-kong-fooey-kicked the hatch so hard I broke my liscence plate fram and dented the hatch.
Stupid chrysler parts bin garbage... :banghead:

i had an intermittent problem with my rear hatch on my 97 and i took apart the inside of the hatch with it closed and was able to jimmy it loose and grease the mechanism. i also adjusted the cable that is actuated by the handle to make the latch open. just open her up and play with things until you get it.