The trunk pulldown stayed in the down position. The trunk lid does not catch now. Last week the the pull down latch would stay in the up position, and then go down after I would start driving. Does anyone know how to check if the motor is bad or the actuator just died? I have not taken anything apart yet. I saw a used motor and actuator for cheap, but it is from a mid 80's Cadillac, don't know if it is worth buying it.

Thank you

97SLS

You can pick one of these up on Ebay for cheap. Just make sure you know the kind you have. Some have a 3 wire and some have a 4 wire. Take it out and look at it before you buy one to make sure it's the same one.

It may also just be the black switch on it which is about $15.00 at the Cadillac Parts Dealer.

Here's how id test it. First id take a Voltmeter and set it to DC, maybe 20 volts, then id stick the black probe into the black wire prong, red probe in the other.
Should show the same as your battery voltage, else you have a wiring problem. else you've localized it to the trunk pulldown motor.

Then id reach up on the trunk lid, and press and hold the little switch..
at the same time, pressing the switch on the trunk pulldown motor. That should bring the 'grabber thing' back to its normal posisition. You might have to press and release the lower one a few times.. make it pop up, so it jats the switch a bit. if that fixes it, its in your switch. (chances are it is)

Id feel the motor, if its hot.. well, who cares.. you know its working.
or was working recently.. also flags the switch as the problem.

Another trick is to, with a screwdriver.. where the little 'grabber thing' is.. pop that little thing thats in the path of it. that tells the motor if its up or down. you'll see what im saying. like a little switch.

I took mine completly apart, cleaned out the pine needles and its ran flawlessly ever since. need a phillips and torx bit plus 30 minutes.

btw, haha 'grabber thing' is called a striker, i just remembered that. atleast i think it is

It could also be the solenoid ,located on the right next to the motor its black and you'll notice 3 wires coming from it . The part is around $15 at the dealer. They have been known to go bad .

Personally I wouldn't buy the motor from Ebay . Its around $100 new from the dealer. I beleive they also have a rebuild kit for it to.

thats not a solenoid, its a switch.. why not a cheaper moter? just wire wound.
electrcity flows threw the wires, picks up apmification every time it crosses and pushs away from the magnet mounted over the motor. causing it to spin.
you could buy two motors for the price of one that way. though the switch isnt included.

does anybody happen to know the part # for the switch?

does anybody happen to know the part # for the switch?

A dealer will know it.