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Remote tailgate release on ea-82 wgns?


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The latch and lock mechanisms both use the same basic rod mechanism, don't they? A power lock motor might be fairly easy to mount and connect to the latch rod. But I have doubts about whether it would have enough oomph to operate the latch.

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I think he/they means the earlier EA82s (my '85 wagon had it) with a switch on the dash to unlock/lock just the tailgate. when I parted out said '85 wagon, I took the switch, and I can tell you this, the wiring is different, there is no harness in the dash that'll work with the switch. but I bet you could tap into it and wire it through a switch...

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Am I right in assuming that newer ('87 on up) wagons lock the tailgate along with the PDL lever? (Wagons with power locks only obviously)

 

My Justy has a cable-operated hatch release, I don't see any reason why you couldn't easily engineer a cable mechanism to actuate the latch (similar to the hood mechanism and the hatch release in the RX) from the driver's seat. The main challenge I see is running the cable into the hatch without wind/water/noise leaks, since the latch is in the hatch on the wagon, whereas the loop is on the hatch/trunk lid on sedans and 3-doors and the latch is in the base.

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Adding a hatch pop isn't difficult to do at all. As someone pointed out, all you really need is a pair of power door lock actuators. You add one to the lock, one to the catch. Run power and voila....well, sorta. You have to add a button or other control somewhere. You may also want to add some type of door kicker as the hatch will not lift on its own. Therefore, when you release the door pop button, the catch will simply close back on the bar without actually opening the hatch.

 

Any car stereo shop will have the actuators you need as they are commonly used in alarm installs.

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I plan to add a second (not-so)remote switch in the tailgate itself, as well as an exterior door handle, to make my wagon more road-trippable. the wiring-in of that second switch should be a bit easier than the adding of the door handle, but I gotta be able to get out somehow :P and climbing out through the doors when the seats are down is a little awkward. not to mention insufficiently complicated :grin:

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