Why won't trunk close on my on 2001 Cadillac deville?

Answer 1

Your trunk may not close for a couple of reasons. If you've got an electric motor pull-down type of trunk lid, the problem is near the latch mechanism. Either the electric switch near the latch is worn out, or the electric pull down motor has failed.

The first thing I would do is check any fuses related to the trunk pull down.

Next, I would suspect the little switch At Fault. In almost every case I've encountered, it was the switch, and it's not an expensive part from the dealer -- usually under $25. It is certainly worth buying one and installing it to see if that fixes the problem.

I replaced one on a 1992 DeVille, and Cadillac does not always make things obvious. I think once I found it, replacing it only took a few minutes...and as I remember, an Allen wrench.

I'd bet $100 it's your trunk close switch.

The pull down motor, on the other hand, IS an expensive part...like hundreds of dollars. If you don't want to put a lot of money into the car, try a salvage yard for the electric motor, or maybe even try to retro fit a non-electric lock/latch assembly to the trunk. You could see if Cadillac offered manual-non-electric trunk latches for your model, or maybe some salvage parts for another GM car might work.

If you're not comfortable doing work on your car or it seems more trouble than it's worth, take it in to a reliable non-ripoff oriented dealer or trusted mechanic.

Chances are the labor charge should be very small for something like this.

I had a 1989 Camaro with the electric hatch. That had a similar problem but in this case, a little spring in the lock itself was a little messed up and had slipped out of place. The previous owner was told by a dealer it would cost $500 to fix it because the dealer automatically assumed the pull down motor was at fault.

I tried to fix it myself, I mean, what did I have to lose? I fiddled around with the lock and the spring for a day or two -- it was obvious there was a problem there.

I managed to put it all back together the way it was supposed to be without a auto manual book. When I tried it, it worked perfectly. I didn't even have to buy a part.

Good luck! Any time you go to a garage, whatever the mechanical problem, tell the garage what is wrong with any details you can think of, but let them diagnose what is causing the problem.

With the trunk latch, have them give you an estimate... if they need time to look it over, then you could say something like, "If it's under $100, go ahead with the repair. If it's more than $100 then call me first to get my ok. I may want to think about it."

That way you preserve your right to your own options, or can take it somewhere else if you think the price is too high.

If you're considering big repairs, get a detailed estimate in writing first. No one should ever balk at this. It is a good business practice.

To be fair, always remember it is possible a mechanic may have to exceed the estimate due to reasonable unforeseen difficulties.

Having things in writing and having good communication about costs, parts and what will be done prevent many misunderstandings or hard feelings. A last thought, don't quibble over a few bucks if things are done well and the mechanic is really busy. Good luck!!