BentWing

Just purchased a 06Z and surprised to see it didn't come with a power rear hatch pull-down. GM is saying it is a standard feature and the dealer is staying the Z06 didn't come with it.

Does your Z have one?

Thanks for your help.

C6Sixspeed

Nope - all about weight.

-D

NORTY

You'll get used to it.

TrackNoob

It is not supposed to have one. Consider yourself lucky; I have a C6 and find it to be useful primarily as a source of amusement when I wonder whether it is going to work or not.

I make no claim as to the accuracy of these measures, 'cause my wrist has not been in for calibration by NIST in a few years, but it seems to me that it takes:

22.720 or less lb of force to leave it not even shut enough that the auto-electric-grabber-motor-thingee can grab; so it simply flails around making noise and the hatch stays open anyhow

22.721 to 22.725 lb of force -- the grabber is in it's groove, baby - it works fine! I've seen this maybe three times.

22.725 lb of force and above -- it closes without needing the electric grabber anyway


:

BentWing

Thanks....just wasn't sure. My C5 & C6 coupe had one, so I just thought, why not the Z06.

Thanks again for the feed back

Foosh

C6 Sixspeed already answered your question above, but I'll answer it again.

The Z06 design team looked for everything they thought they could get away with to reduce WEIGHT .

RonnieC6Z

If either window is open, even just a bit, if you drop the hatch it will close shut. But if the windows and doors are closed, just drop the hatch from a few feet up and it will shut to within about 1/2 inch of bottom and locking. Then just take a hammer and pound on the hatch once and it will close. Or, if a hammer is not handy, just use the palm of your hand. If your hand does not have a palm, try to park near someone whose hands do have palms. But, if you live in LA or Miami, park under a palm tree, and your problems are solved! OK...stick a fork in me....i'm done!!!

allanlaw

I carry a rubber mallet just for this purpose . . .

linutux

If the drivers window auto indexed when the hatch opened/closed, the hatch would close fine. Maybe something like the "window valet" could be set up to do this?

Foosh

What is the big deal about just leaving the door slightly open while opening and closing the hatch? Sometimes I wonder if there is any hope left for this country.

TrackNoob

I hear ya! Really, I do.

I really am not bothered by the dang thing. Don't really think about it in use anymore... now, in the abstract when I think about it here on CF... when I think about the engineering, the development, the testing, the intent, the claim (I remember the hot shots making a big deal out of this feature near initial roll-out), the parts that were designed, installed, adjusted... and yet it is SUCH a complete miss in terms of satisfying the problem statement:

Problem: Close the hatch under varying conditions that will include gas strut wear, variations in car to car, variation of doors opened or closed, weatherstripping new or older, etc....

Possible solution A: Explain to users that they will experience variability when they manually close the plain old traditional latch, and leave it at that. Save the money development, parts cost, giggles when it doesn't work...

Possible solution B: Develop a whiz-bang totally cool elegant solution, that does work in all those scenarios above.

Either of those would work for me.

But what we got instead was:

Pseudo-solution C: Figure if the hatch gets physically in the ball park of closed, use some sort of finger to electronically pull it into closed the rest of the way and into cinched position. Unfortunately, with a window or door open, it blows right through the auto-cinch-motor, so it might as well not be there. And when the doors & windows are both closed, the effort is very nearly the same effort to get it to lower to the position where that auto-finger can grab it, as it is to just put a tiny bit more force on it in the first place and therefore close it 'manually'.

So in execution on our cars, to me the dang thing is like nothing so much as an 11 year old underfoot asking you if they can help with the groceries: "huh, can I? huh, huh? can I can I, huh?" when you are ALREADY half way up the stairs, arms full, ready to just put the darn bags on the counter. But no, they insist on grabbing a bag to 'help', so it starts to tear... as they also get under your foot and you trip... the apples go rolling...

Foosh

..........or, just leave the door open until you close the hatch. It falls gently and latches all by itself. I see zero inconvenience. Simplicity is good. Pity the poor Z06 engineers that thought they were doing good things by saving weight. It's wasted on most people.

But, I also enjoy driving a Shelby Cobra replica with no creature comforts, no top, no windows, no radio, no heater, no a/c..........just a light driving machine. The Z06 seems like a Rolls-Royce to me.

robvuk

Although everyone is correct about the 06Z not having the pull down feature, I heard that they've put it on the 07 models now. I guess they received enough complaints that they gave in. When someone takes delivery in a few weeks, we can verify that.

TrackNoob

Stick

Granted the hatch is a pain in the rear to close but the Z06 has other gifts...

markbrown

hey i have two z's and you guys can not own a z cause if you did you would know it takes a big SLAM to get the lid down even with the windows cracked. the thing is like a hang glider to slam! maybe the air is thicker here in texas? i get my exercise slamming that trunk lid. i am thinking retro fit the electric closer, i miss it the most from my 05 c6. but that's all i miss!

Another Yellow

and COST.

*C7*

What year was your C5? My C5 does NOT have one!

RandyVettes

My 01 and 04 coupes didnt have one, and my current 02 Z and 04 vert dont have em. All of my cars were/are fully optioned.

Foosh

Try leaving the DOOR open, and report back .

Air is a fluid just like water. If you want to evacuate a little water, you make a small hole, but it will take a long time to relieve the pressure. If you want to evacuate a lot of water, you make a very big hole, and the pressure will relieve itself quickly...........

Think of the passenger door as a very big hole. I hope this helps with your hatch closing .