If this happens to you, first step is to turn off the light in the trunk so it won't drain the battery, then reach through the back seat and secure the lid somehow for the time being, I used a bungee cord.
The fix is both cheap (as in $1.25 in parts for a spring) and easy. I was expecting to buy a new (used) latch but once I opened up the old one it was clear I wouldn't need to. You basically pull the latch out then look for a broken or missing spring inside the latch mechanism, as described below. These instructions will also get you to the lock actuator, if your car has that problem instead (follow up to step 7).
- All tools I used on this quick job. The awl was handy when I cut the spring in step 8.
- 0_tools.jpg (215.13 KiB) Viewed 2091 times
- step 1 - remove the two tail light covers, they snap right out
- step 2 - remove the 6 pop-in retainers for the edge of the fabric on the trunk lid. I use a trim removal tool, if you don't have one then you may want to treat yourself on this job with some of the $$ you saved and get one, they are super handy.
- step 3 - move to the center and remove the 3 bolts (10 mm) that secure the pull bar to the latch and mount the latch to the trunk. Two bolts visible here (arrows), the third is up along the inside of the trunk.
- step 4 - the latch mount bar drops right off once you remove the three bolts. The latch stays in the trunk lid.
- step 5 - eyeball these connectors, in the next step you will unhook them.
- step 6 - once these are unhooked, you can remove the latch up and out of the trunk lid from the inside. In this pic it is sitting in the trunk.
- step 7 - remove the 4 phillips screws holding the latch assembly together. Once I did that I saw a broken spring sitting inside. At this stage be careful not to drop any parts or let the assembly fall apart completely. The latch isn't very complicated if it does, just a few levers could fall out/off but I like to keep things together on a quick job like this. If your car has a bad lock actuator, you can now remove the actuator from the latch and swap in another one.
- step 8 - this shows the broken factory spring and the closest I could find at the local hardware store (top image), then how I cut the replacement to be closer to the original (bottom image).
- step 9 - new spring installed inside the latch. Click the levers back and forth it will be obvious how it works.
I would cut the spring a few coils shorter next time but it does work fine as is. Try to select a spring that has a similar tension to the old one, if you can find the old one inside the latch somewhere.
Including the trip to the hardware store to find a replacement spring it probably took 75 minutes, I am not a fast worker.
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