I have a newly acquired '04 LS. The car is a clean low mileage specimen. Everything is working and doing well....my complaint is that I really need to put some force into closing the trunk. It has the remote release and there is a pop up piece at the latch. When I go to close the trunk I need to almost slam it shut for the latch to catch. I tried adjusting everything and it is better but still requires more effort than I think it should.


Is this normal for the year? Anything else I should look at? Have or do others have a similar issue/complaint?


Thanks


Craig

 

I think mine takes some force to do like I can't let it drop and close. I normally pull the latch that is in the trunk and pull hard and it will close find. I think the trunk is just stiff so it will stay open.

 

Spray some white lithium grease on the hinges. Never had a problem with mine it's as easy to open as it is to close.

 

I didn't explain this very well, thanks for the input but let me try again.


The trunk opens fine...raises up and lowers down fine...no issues, stiffness, etc. Hinges are good.


What seems to be the problem is that the latch mechanism on the trunk lid and the wire hoop it fastens to are not in sync or alignment completely...or it seems that way. I adjusted the mechanism on the trunk lid closer to the hoop and it helped marginally. I can't lower the trunk to the hoop and give a solid push...the latch will not catch and close. I need to almost slam the trunk lid down.


What I have not done...and it is just coming to me...I wonder if at sometime in the past the wire hoop part was bent and someone bent it back close to where it belongs but not quite there. I'll have to look at that next. I don't mind tight tolerances and I certainly want the trunk sealed when the lid is closed but I don't want to feel like I am abusing my trunk lid everytime I close the trunk.

 

Mines the same way. My old 02 ls closed easy as can my. My now 04 ss sc is hard to close. Takes much greater force.

 

Try cleaning then lubricating the latch, and wipe the hydraulic struts down with a rag sprayed with WD40, PB Blaster or spray lithium grease. My trunk used to do the same thing but after doing the above all I have to do is gently pull down on the handle on the underside of the trunk lid and the weight of the trunk lid does the rest and it closes every time now.

 

There's a spring on the shaft mounted rubber bumper on the bar that the trunk lid latches to that is supposed to push the trunk lid up when the latch is released.

Mine is broken in half, but it looks like it was really strong before it broke. It's probably this that makes it had to close.

 

I also have that problem closing my trunk, slamming to close it until it catches. What I have noticed is it is hard to close when it is colder. The summer months were fine. Very odd.
It just barely catches and I have adjusted the rubber ***** tight all the way close to the trunk lit. Is there anyone in the GTA to help?
thx hifivemonte

 

I have the same problem and have had a little bit of success, but it always comes back. When you're looking at the bottom ring (not the hatch), just to the left of it there's a rubber nub that's attached to just a piece of metal that's sticking up. If you push that to the left then close it it should close a lot easier. I'll push it to the left from time to time to help it close, but I'm too afraid to push it too far and break it. Usually it just migrates back to the right and I just have to slam it more than not.