help w/ hatchback lock

[back alley]

ok, i have a 92 gs and the inside hatchback latch works just fine.however, i can't access the hatchback with the key, it wont open, doesn't turn. according to how i read the manual there should be no problem. am i missing something here or is it just busted?<BR>thanks

[Nottahonda]

Sounds like it's busted. But before you spend your $$ on a new locking mechanism, go get a can of WD-40 and spray it into the lock. That'll only cost ya a couple bucks and it may solve your prob.

[back alley]

yeah, i tried that yesterday but no luck. however the side door locks are very smooth now. i figured it was broken but wasn't looking forward to spending cash on a fix.<BR>thanks

[SmokyMcGee]

i have the same thing... but what i did was disconnect the lock totally.. so thieves can't pick the lock or use a smack hammer on it.

[white fish]

The same thing happend to mine so i removed the lock took it to a locksmith he took it apart and all the sliders were gummed up with black crap cleaned them up cost me $30<BR>"like new"

[EMPTYPOCKETS]

well the thieves got to mine they ended up making the hole about twice the size it should be and i guess the lock got stuck to the puller bht thats what i have a parts car for i did some checking $52 us from the factory

[mx3chom]

hi my hatch wont open at all. when i use the key or the pull thing in the car it pops like it should release, but then why i try to pull it open it wont go open! what is the problem?<P>thanks,<BR>dominic

[Maddbuck]

I had similar problem to back alley, to solve it I put in a trunk pop kit and use the keyless entry to pop it from outside. <P>Also I remember reading on this site under the tsb section about the hatch lock.

[BumpNGlow]

my lock is jammed as well. it bent a key once actually! And when I pop it from the inside, it doesn't pop up like it used to, you have to "shimmy it" as my friends and I call it. You put your weight on it, and then quickly pull up on it(make sure it doesn't close again when you put your weight on it). It looks ghetto, but it'll do for now. I plan on getting a trunk pop kit soon.

[voltaire]

My hatch-lock is really stiff and has bent two keys, although it still works. Since the lever on the inside still works fine, I just use that.<P>I hate how loooong the keys are for the MX-3. Seems it's unnecessary and causes keys to break easier.

[voltaire]

BTW, for locks, almost any other lubricant besides WD-40 is good. WD-40 is good for cleaning, but not really for lubrication since it evaporates.

[RiP401k]

I have never heard of WD-40 evaperating. When ever i use it, it leaves a oily film on the stuff i use it on. <P>Anyway, i know from talking to the dealer in Guelph, ONT that thelock at the hatch is known to seize up. So, what i got told, other then geting a security system, to go a junk yank and get a old that works, if you want the key entry hatch to work.

[94RS]

I had the same problem for the first few months I owned the car, could only access the hatch by using the release lever, the key wouldn't work. I was thinking it was like a G.M. car and I needed a separate "trunk" key. I found the "tongue" wasn't lining up with the latch. A little tug with a pair of vice grips and it lined up fine. Now it works fine with the key.

[back alley]

could you 'splain some more, please?

[94RS]

Over time the weight and large dimension of the hatch can cause it to move out of alignment. It dosen't take much as the "tongue or hook" has very little "target" to grasp the lock mechanism. Crouch down to lock level and slowly close the hatch. Watch to see if the "tongue or hook" in the hatch lines up with the the "bar" in the lock mechanism located above the rear bumper. My "hook" was a little out of alignment and wouldn't work with a key, only the lever. Pulling the "hook" with a pair of vice grips lined it up fine with the lock mechanism and it works fine now. This lock problem seems to be common to mx3's and I think it's from the long, heavy hatch moving out of alignment over time.