I have seen too many broken deck lid release switches in my time.
And I am here to put a stop to it…

Pop off the rocker switch from the main body.
(be careful, as the main body will break at the rocker pivot points, but that’s easy to replace as it is the rocker part that is broken in most switches)

now you are looking at this…

The main cause of failure is that people will push the switch backwards.
Forcing this slider…

against this post on the contact board…

causing this part of the rocker to break

fill this area up with JB weld or glue or whatever.

This will keep the spring wire held in place.

The rocker cannot be pushed the wrong direction.
And it will save your trunk release switch.

Excellent thread. One of the few that get the DONK stamp of approval. + for you

------------------

quote Originally posted by donk316: Excellent thread. One of the few that get the DONK stamp of approval. + for you

same here i got to go do that soon

DEFINALTLY doing this when i get home

Hmmm, on my car (88 GT) you can not push the switch in the wrong direction - well you probably could if you pressed hard enough (probably the pin holding it back)...just wondering if it would be better to remove the pin from the switch that way the switch 'can' move both ways and won't have to be forced in the down direction, breaking it. Just a thinking, never took a switch apart to look at it.

Tim

You just saved everyone at least $15 at one point or an other! Great thread.

------------------
Bobby from NW Indiana
86 Fiero GT, Looking to ad a 93 Northstar soon
thespeedshop@sbcglobal.net

quote Originally posted by Mickey_Moose: just wondering if it would be better to remove the pin from the switch that way the switch 'can' move both ways and won't have to be forced in the down direction, breaking it.

I already did it. But it’s harder.
And you have more chances of screwing something up.
With this way you only run the risk of breaking the clips that the rocker pivots on.

If you take the contact board out, you…
Run the risk of braking the main housing in 4 places
Have to remove / cut / unsolder the little wire that powers that little light bulb.
Then once the circuit board is out, you have to deal with the slider, a spring, and a metal plate that is the contact on the slider. Keeping all of this in place while you try to put it back together can be a problem.
Then once the modified circuit board is back in you have to resolder the wire for the little light.

but feel free to mod it however you like.
that's the best part...

------------------
Buddy - there are two "G"s in my name
Ling = 84SE-350-N2O-Poly-Mr.Mike seats-Sequential turn signals-short shifter
Julia C = 85GT stock (mostly)
KCFOG

Buddycraigg...you do great writeups. I actually just finished fixing my switch a few weeks ago however my fix was much easier. All i did was take the switch from my parts car and put it in my daily driver. If you don't have access to another switch this is a great fix. Keep up the great posts.

-Caleb

[This message has been edited by 84se-Stock (edited 02-04-2004).]

THANKS.

but i really hope at least a few people will do this.

SAVE THE SHAWN

err, i mean switch...

hey, you still gonna tell me how to fix my shift cable?

quote Originally posted by Avery Montembeault: hey, you still gonna tell me how to fix my shift cable?

oops, be right back.

Buddy,
You should send this to the Great Fred. He will put it in the KCFOG newsletter for you. I would send it but I want you to get ALL of the credit.
By the way, now lets see you come up with a way to fix them after they are already broken.
That Todd Guy

thefierofarm.com
Bates City, MO

AWESOME!!! now i dont have to go buy a new one!!! Or i could shell out $15 hmmm.... + or $15
+ for you $15 saved for me!!

------------------
-Bobadoo Funk-

http://bobadoofunk.tripod.com/funksfunkyfiero/index.html

quote Originally posted by thefierofarm.com: I would send it but I want you to get ALL of the credit.

Just to let every PFFer in on the joke.

I try to submit one or two tech tips each month, for the KCFOG newsletter.
I’ve mentioned anything from squeegying your windows with a wiper blade, to only the 84s having all three break lights on each side due to the extra relays on the firewall.
And each time I say something our chairman / newsletter editor feels that he has to say something to the effect of, “Buddy says…”

The joke comes from me using tips that Todd has mentioned previously to the group, but somehow if I say it, it seems to be worthy of being in the bible.

Just to bump this it took me a few mins. to find it, I am going to be doing this very soon, again a good tech thread thanks!

------------------
Bobby from NW Indiana
86 Fiero GT, Looking to ad a 93 Northstar soon
thespeedshop@sbcglobal.net
Nextel 2 way is 111*32*19163

+ from me as well, nice writeup

hans

So which way DO you press it, just so we're clear? I tried up and down, and mine didn't work, so guess it's time to fix it eh?

------
|_UP_|
|-----|
|_DN_|
------

???

And I'll be doing this when I get the car back from the shop!

[This message has been edited by RWDPLZ (edited 05-01-2004).]

Buddy...

You've done several nice articles... Now get them into a web site so people can find them easy in future.

That exact reason is why I originally started my cave. People can find all my major articles without digging thru the archives.

------------------
The only thing George Orwell got wrong was the year.

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top of every forum page...)

quote Originally posted by RWDPLZ: So which way DO you press it, just so we're clear? I tried up and down, and mine didn't work, so guess it's time to fix it eh? ------ |_UP_| |-----| |_DN_| ------ ??? And I'll be doing this when I get the car back from the shop!

if you can push down on the switch then this

is already broken off.

I try not to talk bad about GM but they really screwed up here.
They put the light behind an image of the deck lid open on the bottom side of the switch…

Now is a normal person going to instinctively press on the top of the switch or on the image screaming, “PRESS ME”.

quote Originally posted by buddycraigg: ...or on the image screaming, “PRESS ME”.

That's what I thought too, but it didn't work, so I tried the top, and that didn't work either. Oh well I'll replace it and try this so I don't have to replace it again! The old switch was looking pretty worn anyway.

quote Originally posted by RWDPLZ: That's what I thought too, but it didn't work, so I tried the top, and that didn't work either. Oh well I'll replace it and try this so I don't have to replace it again! The old switch was looking pretty worn anyway.

check the wiring, especially at the connector at the decklid. i spent far too many hours fooling with the switch only to find the metal connector was loose in the plastic housing, not getting a good contact. DOH!

Is that the same rocker the pwr window switches use?

MJ... No. Power Wind is a different switch. Trunk is similar to the rear defog switch but only moves in one direction. You might be able to use the rocker bit but that is all far as I remember right now.

Buddy... Keep in mind that Forum article links aren't stable. Cliff moves things to the archives every so often and it breaks all the links. (My cave always has a few broken links due to this.) The KCFOG web page looks nice... Now you just need to layup your articles and post them.

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 05-02-2004).]

The reason I asked about the rockers is that I have put leds in my window switches, and need a rocker that will allow the light to be visible. I glued some semi-tranparent plastic lenses in my window sw rockers, but it looks kinda crappy-ok-it looks REAL crappy. There used to be a picture of the finished rocker in this thread, but it's rode the thunder I guess.

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Archives/Archive-000001/HTML/20020825-2-020164.html

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 05-02-2004).]

So if the grey rocker is broke can I just get a new one from a parts store or do I have to replace the whole switch?

[This message has been edited by Dgzfiero (edited 05-02-2004).]

I just got it done and its working, thanks alot!!!!! You saved me about $15 the shipping.

------------------
Bobby from NW Indiana
86 Fiero GT, Looking to ad a 93 Northstar soon
thespeedshop@sbcglobal.net
Nextel 2 way is 111*32*19163

Just did it while I have my dash out. Thanks for the tip. +2u