Electric Trunk Release Device Problem

1995 Buick Lesabre, Southwest Florida (rainy season)

So the wife starts complaining that everything in the trunk is constantly getting soaked. A few weeks later she is livid and mad at the shop that repainted the car (and me of course) apparently for causing this.

I look at the trunk tonight and notice the trunk when shut it will not latch. Maybe has a successful latch 1 out of every 10 slams (light or heavy). I think she has been leaving the trunk open yet it hangs low. That explains the wetness.

I oiled the trunk latch mechanism, no change. The latch mechanism will not stay "locked" once the catch near the floor (or the shaft of a screwdriver) pushes on it.

After further inspection I found that when I activate the remote or dash trunk release, the electric release device attached to the trunk lock causes the no latch condition. So when I removed the device, the trunk closes fine.

Looking at the electric trunk release device itself it seems when it engages, it dies not retract. When it engages, the protruding piece pulls right, but doesn't return left.

The electric trunk release device doesnt appear to be repairable as it is rivited shut.

How does the release work? Is power applied in one direction to move the protruding piece right, then power is reversed to move it back left?? I did this on the bench with a 12v battery and no return to the left.

http://thealdens.org/Vehicle/1995buicklesabre/electrictrunkreleasedevicem.jpg

What is the best source to obtain a replacement electric trunk release device?

Thanks!

I had the same exact problem you're having with my car! I also found researched and found the exact same problem down to that little peg not returning to position, like yours. I varified the actuator's operation by removing the one in my dad's LeSabre and I saw that the peg did in fact return to the original position, unlike mine. My local junkyard has a ton of early to mid 90 model C and H body Buicks and Oldsmobiles available to snatch parts from, so that's what I did. Also, I took a friend down there with me, and I wired the actuator up real quick while he pushed the trunk release switch to make sure it worked properly before driving all the home with it. My trunk has closed properly ever since!

I took apart the electric trunk release device itself by drilling out the rivits. I don't see any problem with it. I oiled it up good and still can't get the plunger to retract back to the left automatically. If I reverse the power to the device the plunger does indeed retract to the left.

Question though: Does power come from the trunk relay plus and minus, then after a second or so does the polarity reverse (coming from the relay to the trunk release device)?

Reason i ask is because I can't figure out how the plunger is to return to the left without the electric trunk release motor temporarily getting a reverse of polarity to make that happen.

I am starting to suspect a trunk release relay problem now.

Help???

Sounds like you possibly need a new mechanism. I just put a salvaged latch on my wife's 97 Lesabre. She really slams trunks to make sure they are shut. This takes a toll on the trunk latches. It would no longer latch at all. Not sure if it is the exact same type latch that you have there. I could trip the latch by hand with the trunk open and the release button in the car would open it okay, but, when shutting the trunk, it would no longer trip and lock on the latch bar below. I had previously filed on it some to get more adjustment out of it. I had lowered it to help it latch. The bottom trunk bar does not seem to be adjustable. Found a salvaged mechanism for $10 which works great. Most of the Lesabres in the junkyard were missing trunk lids, so most of the latches were gone. Had to really look to find one that matched. I am fairly sure that mine only uses power one direction, to open the trunk. To latch it, the bar below trips the mechanism. Again, it might be somewhat different for the 95.

Well today I ended up finally purchasing a replacement "trunk lid actuator" from the local GM dealer.

I though I would post in here information that came on the box and price so that if there is anyone else with the problem perhaps they can do a search on Ebay or Google by part number.

The part number of the trunk lid actuator I removed from my 95 LeSabre as printed on the part: 16625144.

The part number of the trunk lid actuator I purchased this morning from the GM dealer as printed on the part: 16640848 and 102B07. AC Delco UPC: 0 21625 87097 7

Cost from the GM dealer was $43.32.

Merry Christmas all!