How do you repair a 1993 Lincoln Town Car trunk latch that will not close completely?

Answer 1

Two options that I had to do to fix mine.

First Option - Remove the part of the electric motor that is in the trunk. - Get some test leads and make the mechanism turn all the way down to the bottom of the stroke using the cars battery. When you touch the leads to the batter on the connecting clip, the motor will move the mechanism up or down. If it goes the wrong way, reverse the wires - Use your key to unlock the trunk until you can do the Second Option.

Second Option - Go to a junk yard and get all the parts from a dead Town Car. That means everything from the trunk lid (switch, solenoid, etc...) and from the inside of the trunk. You won't need the lock because you can still use the old one. - Replace your broken stuff with the stuff from the junk yard. Cost - about $10 - $15. If you go to a Lincoln dealer, be prepared to pay over $150.

Tools you will need: Small sockets, maybe a screw driver, and test leads.If the only problem is not closing fully there are a couple of other options.One is to loosen the bolts holding the lower latch in place and adjusting them to their limits. They should have adjustment play side-to-side and up-and-down.Another action that has worked for me, especially when installing a lower latch from another vehicle, is to turn the threaded latch rod (worm gear) up or down as required before installation/reinstallation. This establishes a new start point for the travel of the lower latch during closure. This is a trial and error procedure as the two latches must also hook up for closure..By the way, a cadillac latch will also work.

MY MOTOR WAS GOOD< SWITCH WAS BAD..........

I have a 93 Town with same issue. After troubleshooting it I found the motor was fine but the switch on the motor assembly was the problem. Part Nr. 16601101. I did some searching on the Internet but could not locate a replacement. I drilled out the brass rivets, opened it up and cleaned all the contacts. It was easy to see the problem -17 years of dust/dirt/wear. It's now working again. Not sure how long it will last. Some of the contact strips inside were a bit worn. I'll have to hunt up a new switch next time it goes.