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2000 Rear Hatch Problems

upstatejeeper

NAXJA Forum User
:gonnablow Over the past year or so my rear hatch has been hit or miss opening on the first pull but now it's completely stopped working. I tried lubricating it and forcing it from both inside and out but I have nothing. I've read this is a pretty common problem. How do I get this thing open so I can look at fixing or replacing it. Thanks.
 
mine was recently doing this also so i pulled the interior cover off of it and looked around in there but everything looked normal so i sprayed wd-40 on the moving parts and it has been working fine ever since. If you cant even open it then i cant really help you out with that one.
 
mine does this also I just figured it was from when I'd back up and hit my boat trialer it left some dents right near the handle now im wondering if that was even what caused it.


-nate
 
Just had the same problem with my 99. To get it open I used a screwdriver to work around on the latch from the inside of the vehicle. I used a crumbled piece of cardboard to hold the outside handle open fully. I can not tell exactly what or where I was prying or poking while keeping pressure on the hatch to open when it finally popped open. Good luck.

The fix for mine after I got it open was to just tighten the latch assembly screws on the bottom of the hatch,..they were very loose.
 
There's an adjustable threaded rod that goes between the handle and the latch. It has to be adjusted just right, or else either it won't latch or it won't open reliably. Over time wear sets in and it stops wanting to open, as there's too much slack to pop the latch. You need to adjust it and test while leaving the inside trim panel off, so that you can go in and pop it open manually if it won't open again.
 
Same thing happenned to me last year on my 2000. I just removed the latch and greased it good then reinstalled it, greasing all contact points latch handle makes to latch mechanism as well. All is good since so far.
 
x2 on everyone elses fix. Had the same issue with mine. Silicon Spray, WD40, etc works well.

Try to use all your weight and push the latch closed and try the handle to open it.
 
On the newer XJ's you will find 2 bolts or nuts between the gas tank and bumper on the bottom side of the cargo area floor, remove these and the gate will open. Or you can try removing the plastic trim on the tailgate and reaching inside to trigger the latch.

Lubricate the latch and the handle mechanisms with a light grease, Wd-40 and other sprays will dry out. Make sure item #4 is still attached or adjust it so your gate works properly. When it is adjusted, put a zip tie on it to keep it in place.
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link to full size of picture below
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standard.jpg
 
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Thanks for all the tips and advice. I got a couple of my friends to come over and help me out. Since I couldnt get the hatch open using the handle we pried the plastic off just enough inside where we could slide a hand in to pull on the latch internally. Then once we got the hatch open we pulled off the entire panel, adjusted the threaded rod and another small piece. It works as good as new now. What a pain.
 
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