liftgat lock grand cherokee ltd 96

[nico.boleslawsky@g]

help !!! my liftgate is closed and i can only open the window part of it
i hit the unlock button and i hear it unlock but when i grab the handle to open it it doesen't open
is there any way to take the panels off from the inside,so i would have access
to the locking mechanism to maybe fix it ??????????

[dksob81]

Try pushing in on the liftgate while pulling the handle and then lift. I had this problem along with about 80% of the jeepers on the forum. This always did it for me. After I got it open I sprayed the latch down with some PB Blaster and worked the latch, using a screwdriver to close it and then opening it using the handle, just keep doing that back and forth a couple times.

[Maui_Dave]

Hey Nico,

I had this problem a little while back and the only thing I could find was that you had to open the panel to get to the latch. After I did that I found a much easier fix. Check out my post below.

Liftgate latch does not open - FIX

By the way, this is an awesome website with a ton of info about Jeep Issues. The best thing to do is do a search. Most likely you will find a thread relating to your problem.

Good Luck - Dave

[CanaMark]

I got this problem as well. I tried everything to try to open it. But I will try lube the key and pushing it in. I might just bust off the cheap plastic handle and jerry rig something.

[Maui_Dave]

Trust me, I tried going through the panel. It's a nightmare. You can only get to all but 4 screws (two angled you might get or strip, two are impossible unless the liftgate is up).

The actual problem is that the latch assembly is just corroded and locked up. Once the door was off I unscrewed the latch assembly, took it to the workbench and gave it a serious going over with Liquid Wrench and a lot of actuating. I dried it off I and used marine grease (more water resistant).

I also attached a wire to the latch arm and thread it through a hole in the panel. Now I have an emergency release just in case I get kidnapped in my own vehicle !!! Oh yeah, or if the thing jams again I don't have to go through all that BS!

But if I had to do it again, I defitnitely would have gone with removing the hinge and striker bolts. It would take less time, less damage and less cursing!

Dave