I MENDED SOMETHING! (Project Dumpster Fire)

"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
06/17/2018 at 19:17 • Filed to: Project Dumpster Fire

One of the perpetual annoyances with my Saab since I rescued it from my mechanic is the trunk lock won’t lock. I can turn the key through all the detents and feel the mechanism moving, but regardless of the position of the lock I could easily open the trunk. Well today that is no more!

I finally decided that the only way I was going to be able to adequately troubleshoot this mechanism was to take the trunk lid off. I don’t like removing stuff like that because (A) it is always heavier than it looks and (B) it never fits correctly afterwards.

I was not wrong.

Glossing over that, I got the lid off, but thanks to the lack of a harness disconnect, couldn’t get it in an ideal position. In fact this was the best I could do...

Still, I quickly realized that I was going to have to take the latch out. At this point I put the odds of me getting that back together again at 0%, but luckily it all came out in one piece, only needing to disconnect the power lock actuator and the lever the key operates.

Once out, there wasn’t anything obviously wrong except even outside the car I couldn’t lock the mechanism. No matter what I did, pulling the trunk release lever caused the latch release to operate

Despite having several feet of factory service manual, they were also not helpful. I’m going to guess back in the day if someone was having this problem they’d just buy a new latch...

While looking over the FSM diagrams, I did notice the little arm that the key acts on (though another linkage) didn’t look quite like mine. In fact mine looked a little... bent?

I bent it back.

Everything works now.

Turns out the lever that makes the key like... matter was bent such that no matter what the whole mechanism operated.

I put everything back together and only managed to scratch the hell out of one side of the car, so... you know... bonus. (Good thing the paint is crap anyway.)

So now not only does my trunk lock work, but now my power locks also lock the trunk! I’ve owned this car for sixteen years and didn’t even know until recently that the power locks could lock the trunk, so having that working is a huge boon.

Success!

DISCUSSION (10)

Steve in Manhattan > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/17/2018 at 19:45

So much winning!

Urambo Tauro > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/17/2018 at 21:50

I don’t know if this is a Saab thing, or a European thing, as I’m still rather new to both. But did these cars have remote keyless entry at all? I was surprised to learn that my brother’s car won’t let you lock the door before shutting it. Apparently you have to insert the key to do it, every time.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Urambo Tauro
06/17/2018 at 22:35

As far as I know these did not have remote keyless at all. Not sure why. Was that a thing in the early 80s? It wouldn’t be hard to add, I imagine. All you’d need is a remote actuator in the driver’s door that pull down on the actuating linkage. Might even be a way to do it without an additional actuator, but I haven’t checked the schematics yet.

Something like this , but only use the one actuator and put it in the driver’s door.

Urambo Tauro > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/17/2018 at 22:52

Oh yeah, I’m sure it can be retrofitted with an aftermarket system. It just would be nice if there was a factory package that offered a more direct fit. A set like that might be worth it though, if you ever find yourself motivated enough to install it.

I’ve just never owned a car that wouldn’t let me lock the doors on my way out before closing the door. That sure seems annoying, although I guess you probably just get used to keeping the key in your hand for a few more seconds after removing it from the ignition in order to lock the car.

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/17/2018 at 22:53

The have to lock with the key is a SAAB thing, (my dad had a 99) but maybe it is a Euro thing, as I think Volvos are that way as is my Jaguar.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Urambo Tauro
06/17/2018 at 22:57

Gotcha gotcha. The Dumpster Fire was my first car as it seems “normal” to me haha. My Volvo, both Hondas, and the GMC all had some manner of “don’t lock your keys in the car, dumbass” protection, but usually you could get around it by holding the door handle. They also all had keyless entry so...

Urambo Tauro > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/17/2018 at 23:10

That’s funny. I guess we do all have our own preconceptions over what’s “normal”, don’t we haha. Like the whole thing about lug bolts vs lug nuts- you’re probably much less irked about them than my brother and I were.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Urambo Tauro
06/18/2018 at 00:07

I think I have lug nuts haha. Lug studs piss me off.

Urambo Tauro > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/18/2018 at 00:44

Oh! I just assumed that yours were bolts. Did older 900s have nuts, or were yours converted too?

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Urambo Tauro
06/18/2018 at 08:44

Mine are stock, so I would guess the switched when they changed the bolt pattern in the late 80s.