Faulty Rear Hatch

I have a 2001 Blazer. The rear hatch is an electronic button that pops the glass and has no manual handle as a back up. The electronic switch is broken, I can hear the motor whining inside but it wont disengage the glass. The owners manual said there was an emergancy access hole under the carpet inside the car to override the elctronic switch. I puuled the carpet up and found no such access hole, plus I cant seem to pull the trim off. Anyone no how to over ride the electronics so I can open the rear hatch??

You can open the liftgate, but cannot get the glass to open?

If this is the case, check out my post on how to adjust the rear glass:
http://www.blazerforum.com/fb.asp?m=22269

In your case, you may be able to drill a hole in the inner trim panel in order to trigger the latch striker, but I'd really have to look at things again to tell you where to drill... The last two pictures in that post show the window latch and the electronic release mechanism.

Let me know if you need more info.

I have the same problem in a 2002. I can't figure out how to get the rear glass to open and can hear the actuator when I press the button. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Alan

Did you read my post above?

No, I cant open my tailgate until I open my rear window. The window opens up, and the tailgate comes down, its not a one piece tailgate. Didnt know if there was a way to pull the trim off with the window closed or anything other than drilling a hole in the trim.

I looked at your post, but my problem is I cannot even open the glass to remove the interior panel.

just a suggestion...my friends trunk on his car used to not open unless someone was slightly pulling on it while he tried to pop it...so my suggestion is to push the button while pulling up... you shouldnt have to pull hard

Ah gotcha. 2dr rear liftgate. Well that changes things... Interesting. Wish I knew someone with this setup so I could pull it apart and get some pictures for you, but I do not.

i have one...i would go look but i dont have it here @ school...im goin home tomorrow @ 9...if its not resolved by then ill take a look
good luck

quote:

ORIGINAL: aharris680

I looked at your post, but my problem is I cannot even open the glass to remove the interior panel.

On the 4dr rear liftgates, you should still be able to pry the trim panel out enough to reach up in there and pop the glass by hand. I can get about a 6" gap on mine.

quote:

ORIGINAL: MCas86

i have one...i would go look but i dont have it here @ school...im goin home tomorrow @ 9...if its not resolved by then ill take a look
good luck

If you could do that, I'll add them to my other post and try to make an all inclusive HOWTO for both the 2dr and 4dr. Never really messed around with a 2dr so I didn't know that they were that much different.

I just had the exact same roblem with my 97. I was able to pull the trim out enough to remove the spring from the striker plate in the gate itself. After I got the rear end open, I took the trim off, and realized that the peice of plastic on the end of the electronic release. I just screw the arm back to it with a self tapping screw. it works flawlessly. If needed, i will pull it all apart on monday, first time i will be back to my truck, and take some pics and do a how to for 2dr blazers.

hey swart, ya kno what...if u want, tuesday when i get done with my exam i could swing by and u could tool around with it...u'll understand it better than me... thats when i was gonna stop by n get the sticker if it was done....just lemme kno

I had this exact same issue on my '96. I was able to get the glass open by prying the trim back just enough to slide a screwdriver in there to release it then after taking the tailgate trim off I discovered that the linear actuator has a plastic arm on the end that releases the window. It just held in by a couple of screws so I just picked up a new one at the local dealership. The piece on mine was green and about 2 inches long that broke off a metal box about 3 x 4". The dealership supplied me with the box and the arm as one piece. Hope this helps.

Here are a few pics i took of where the actuator that pushes the glass up meets the body...


LEFT side


RIGHT side

Need to see the latch area! Not the shock supports...

theres nothing @ the latch area unless i take the rear panel off, which id rather not do...yet

Well... Ok, I guess. LOL We'll have a good look Tuesday!

Has anyone figured out the mystery to the 2dr hatch? Mine has stopped working again!!! It happened before but I was involved in an accident a few months earlier someone rear ended me and the back hatch (bottom half) was replaced so the insurance company was called and they paid for someone to fix it!! haha didnt realize its a huge problem with the blazers (just like the damn chair back lever) So I know theres a way to fix it with out drilling a hole like posted before. I cant find the "electronic over ride switch" and I use my back hatch ALOT so this issue is making me curse! 98 blazer Mine is a set up to where the glass opens first no other way of getting into the back. Open the glass up first then reach into theblazer and on the back side of the bottom part of the hatch is the handle to open the bottom half.

I am going to post this again, since I cannot font my previous post on this issue, other than the one above. You can get your back glas open without drilling a hole in your trim. Plain and simple. First get comfortable inside your truck with a phillips screwdriver, and a pair of needle nose pliers. First think wipe the sweat off your face, as you are probably lucky enough to have it be insanely hot while you are trying to fix this. All right back to work. start by removing the two screws in the gate releease handle and remove the handle. Then grab your needle nose pliers in one hand and with the other grab the hatch trim right above where the latch is, the raised part of back hatch. start to pull the trim straight away from the window, and take your needle nose pliers and remove small spring on the latch. Might be easier if you have a friend pulling or have something you can put between the glass and the trim to keep it out from the window. Once you remove the spring, the back glass is released.

Then with the gate and glass open, remove the handful of screws holding the interior trim to the back hatch. in the center of the gate, there is the actuator with the plastic arm on it. corvettecoop said you can get this part at a stealership. I am in the process of trying to make a peice of metal to put there instead of the arm, for longevity.

You will have to break the trim to accomplish this because on all models, there is a screw in the center right at the latch for the window that you cannot remove without the window open. So break the trim or drill it... That is your choice.

Need to drill a hole dead center right to left and about 2 inches down from top of hump on plastic trim. Just did it to get my window open. You can't pull trim forward because there is a screw tab on the right side of mechanism. There is a factory access hole down in the carpet but if the plastic piece is broken the factory hole won't do any good. Used 1/2 hole. Can be filled with rubber plug when done. Shine light into the hole and you will see a vertical slit. Use small screwdriver through slit and you can get window to release. Hope this helps.

quote:

ORIGINAL: swartlkk

You will have to break the trim to accomplish this because on all models, there is a screw in the center right at the latch for the window that you cannot remove without the window open. So break the trim or drill it... That is your choice.

I'm afraid he's right, you have to cut or break the trim panel. I can't see any other way.



Thumbnail Image

I just found this, perhaps it could help a few of you.

Well if you don't want to hack up the tailgate panel or rip out your carpet,
here's the easy way to open the glass:

quote:

96Blazer at S10Forums.com:

You just pull back the interior tailgate panel right above the bump in the middle
where the latch is. There are no screws or bolts in that area, you can safely pull it back
about 2 inches. Then you'll have to stuck your finger in and push down the release bar.
See the 2 pictures below:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/ss_rodriguez/IM000658.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/ss_rodriguez/IM000664.jpg
(No pictures allowed in this forum , oh well, click the links then)
The first pic is of the latch, it's the gold section.
The second pic shows what you need to push downward.
When you get your finger back there, you should be able to feel for the part that need to
be pushed down. When that part is pushed down, the glass has been unlocked.


Now that the glass is unlocked, it and the tailgate can be opened. Now you can remove the
interior tailgate panel, it has one screw on each side and easily lifts off.

The actuator that needs to be replaced costs $58 from the dealer, so if you don't want
to replace it yet, but still want to open the back, you can leave the panel off and just puch the
manuel release level. Here's the pic of the tailgate:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/ss_rodriguez/IM000669.jpg
It's in the open section right below the latch, hows my fingure pushing it:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/ss_rodriguez/IM000668.jpg

But if you look close in the first pic, you can see where the screw should be. His trim panel is already broken.

You have to either break something or drill something to accomplish this fix.

Ok well, I sorta forgot about this until a member PM'd me about this with a request for the pictures. So here's what I have. These pictures are of a glass up, tailgate down configuration that is used on many blazers. They aren't the greatest, but I've added some arrows to show where the different things are:

#1 shows the cutout through the inner sheetmetal structure of the tailgate, showing you the release arm as well as the latch striker.


#2 is a closer shot showing you more of the insides of the tailgate.


#3 shows the relationship between the latch and the cutout.


Hope this helps everyone that has had this problem. Good luck and again, sorry for the delay!