Gas tank cover

[THEMOJOMAN]

My cover won't release using button on door,,,always have to open trunk. Any Ideas???

 

[Lownslowlsc]

Do you hear it clicking back there when you press the button?

 

[Bangster]

If it isn't the electric solenoid at the cover, it is likely the button. This was the first thing I broke on my 97. I pushed in the button, wind caught the door, finger slipped off, and the button popped out, breaking the catches on the legs. I gathered up the parts, but without the catches, the button wasn't useful.

I found that many Panthers have the same button, as well as Continentals and later LS's. However they are all black housing and either black or chrome buttons. Usually all you need is the guts and button, so the housing can be reused and remain interior color. Also the Panthers buttons are not rounded if they are the trunk poppers on the dash.

The metal piece contacts two contacts in the housing:

Here is a SIMILAR one cut in half (this is a trunk popper for a Panther, but same insides, just different connector and retainer for the harness)

The bottom one shows the wings that are used to retain it in the door panel. The top one they are broken, very common to see.

I was after a Graphite button, but chrome is fine, matches the truck popper/lock.

They rarely charge me for them at the you pull it place, if they do it is 50 cents a piece to a buck.

There is very little wiggle room as far as moving the popper around:

The part on the cover moves, and you can adjust the spring to make it pop open, but then it usually makes the cover stick out

 

[Lownslowlsc]

If you can hear the click coming from that area when you press the button then you might just need to grab some wd40 and spray the latch flap that Bangster posted 3 pics up. Give it a good squirt.

No click is more then likely the button.

I spray a little in there once a year to keep it fresh.

 

[THEMOJOMAN]

No noise at the cover. Could that be a fuse? Like I told you I'm recuperating from a complete knee oeration,,can't be bending and stetching. Gotta wait on a friend to get over here to help me out. Even getting in the trunk for that amplifier. I have leaned over with the trunk opened and can now feel the wires going into that tray. Thanks

If you can hear the click coming from that area when you press the button then you might just need to grab some wd40 and spray the latch flap that Bangster posted 3 pics up. Give it a good squirt.

No click is more then likely the button.

I spray a little in there once a year to keep it fresh.

 

[Bangster]

Does the remote Trunk Lid popper also not work? For a 97 they share the same fuse (but the trunk pop also uses the SCIL for logic). It is a 30 amp fuse in the under hood high amp box (number 5)

If it is a 96 (or likely 93-96) then it is fuse #12 (actually I think it is a circuit breaker) at the instrument panel. But that also powers the seats (memory and lumbar, possibly everything), the Remote Keyless Entry module, and the trunk lid remote release switch.

So no matter what year you have, if the trunk popper works, then it isn't the fuse/circuit breaker.

 

[THEMOJOMAN]

If you can hear the click coming from that area when you press the button then you might just need to grab some wd40 and spray the latch flap that Bangster posted 3 pics up. Give it a good squirt.

No click is more then likely the button.

I spray a little in there once a year to keep it fresh.

No noise at cover,,,seats and trunk lid works,,Soon as I get back on my feet,,,I'll go further. Thanks