# trunk will not open



## 06spiceredterps (Feb 8, 2011)

Hello,

The trunk on my 06 GTO will not open using the key pad. I can hear the mechanism operating at the truck lid when the button is pushed, but it doesn't open (trunk will open with manual operator). Before I open the lid looking for the problem, does anyone have any suggestions about this? Thanks!


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## 68OldGoat (Nov 23, 2009)

Using the key fob to open the trunk is a little tricky. I found that if you can hear the trunk releasing with the fob, you have about 1 second to open the trunk or it will re-lock itself immediately. Try opening the trunk almost at the same time you are hitting the fob button.


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

68OldGoat said:


> Using the key fob to open the trunk is a little tricky. I found that if you can hear the trunk releasing with the fob, you have about 1 second to open the trunk or it will re-lock itself immediately. Try opening the trunk almost at the same time you are hitting the fob button.




Mine stays open once I push the button.


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## 68OldGoat (Nov 23, 2009)

Does the trunk pop open like it is spring loaded, because mine doesn't pop up. Maybe that is why it re-locks itself. Is the trunk supposed to be spring loaded?
:cheers


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## dustyminpin (Jun 19, 2006)

Your automatic latch on the inside of the trunk is broke. It is a very common problem. It happened to me. You gotta take the felt liner off the top of the trunk lid (popping the black plastic rivets out). Then take a big phillips screwdriver and take the latch off. Once that's off, you can hit the key fob and watch the cable move and see where it's broke. There are two separte cables that go to the same latch. One is the manual cable, the other is the remote keyfob cable. That is why your manual latch under the passenger side headrest works but your keyfob won't. 

My first go round, I took a heavy duty coat hanger, bent it into a small S shape, and used a puddy that I bought from O'Reily's that has the same effect as JB weld that you have to roll together in your fingers to activate, and once it gets warm to the touch, you apply it where you want it. I took the end of the cable where the factory latch had broke off and stuck it to the coat hanger hook I had made. It worked for about a year then the puddy broke. 

My second go round I went to Wal-Mart and bought one of those cheap "make your own fishing leader kits" from the sporting goods section and took the leader wire and made a little hoop and ran it through the factory latch. It works and probably will never break, but the way I've got the fishing leader rigged up in there is rubbing up or pulling against the wiring in the trunk for the trunk light and unless you lift the trunk as you press the keyfob, the light doesn't come on or flickers on and off. 

Once the trunk is open I can hit the release button another time or 2 and the light comes on. It's not that big of a deal to me, since I lift the trunk the same time I hit the button anyways, for the same reasons the guys above stated. If I had more free time and more ambition, I'd get back inside the trunk and find out what is rubbing or pulling on the light wires and fix the problem.


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

68OldGoat said:


> Does the trunk pop open like it is spring loaded, because mine doesn't pop up. Maybe that is why it re-locks itself. Is the trunk supposed to be spring loaded?
> :cheers


It doesn't pop up, but it does sit just above the lock.


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## 06spiceredterps (Feb 8, 2011)

I think you are on target with the path forward to fix my problem - many thanks!


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Check the adjustment knobs. They are those big black plastic looking screws one on each side of the underside of the trunk. If they are not adjusted properly you can hear the mechanism releasing but the trunk's not unlatching, the trunk does not pop it just releases. Thats your issue.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

My trunk "unlatches". No noticed movement, but you can open it. It also stays unlatched until I hit the door lock button. Or drive the car.


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## BobS (Jul 28, 2005)

+1 on the adjustment knobs.... I never would have guessed this.

My trunk release was actuating (via keyfob, or glovebox switch), but unless I was right there to lift the trunk, it would not unlatch.

Half a turn (outward) on the rubber stops fixed it. Now the trunk unlatches every time, and pops up ~3/16" when I hit the button.


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## HP11 (Apr 11, 2009)

You might have actually over adjusted it as mine just unlatches when I hit the button; it doesn't pop up (as others have also stated).


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## SoCalAussie (Sep 23, 2017)

This is spot on. I repaired mine by bending the end of the remaining steel cable into a small U shape, inserted it through the hole in the release lever, then clamped it tight so it couldn't come out of the hole. There was enough slack in the cable, and it was stiff enough, to do this.

I also adjusted the two rubber stops described elsewhere in this post by unscrewing them 1-1/2 turns and that fixed the problem of having to quickly lift the trunk while simultaneously pressing the release button on the key fob. The trunk now remains unlatched since the rubber stoppers now lift the trunk slightly when unlatched, preventing it from re-latching.


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## sk576c (May 11, 2013)

The adjustments on the trunk are where exactly? 
Took a picture and circled the little black pins on each side the trunk latch. Are these what everyone is referring to? They simply look like push pins that wouldnt turn but maybe I'm wrong. 

I just picked up this goat (are we allowed to call these goats??) and there were of course small issues here and there. One being that the trunk wouldn?t open the first time I tried the key fob. I pushed down on the trunk and then hit the button again and it worked, been working since. When I hit the button I hear the mechanism. I?ve opened the trunk and flipped the latch to the lock position and then hit the fob button and the latch immediately unlocks even though the mechanism sound is slow as if its running on a battery and the battery is about dead. I?m wondering if this means I need to replace the latch mechanism? Or would these adjustment tabs everyone has mentioned actually help???


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