245 tailgate latch... won't.
Is there an online latch assembly diagram that would help explain what is not working, missing, broken...?

steve poland
for my non-wrenching son.

One of my 245's rear hatch latch is acting up as well. I suspect that the White Lithium lube that I use is frozen hard and ispreventing the mechanism from pivoting properly.

Try using some brake or carb cleaner to apray off the hardened lube and them spray some WD40 or PB Blaster on the mechanism. That should free it up to work.

Good luck!

Do you mean, you close the lid and it won't shut all the way so won't latch?
In other words, you're not talking about a key-locking problem?

If so, it sounds like the latch that's on the tailgate bottom edge needs your attention. It has a sort of C-shaped opening that normally faces towards the car body as you close the door. Once shut, it swings about 90 or 120 degrees and so grabs onto the bolt on the car body.

It's possible that someone manually swung that C-latch thing shut (as if the door is shut) when the door was open. So now it can't latch when you close it. Find that thing with the door lifted up, and push on it with a screwdriver blade or a finger. You can swing it out into normal "open" position, and you'll be all set when you shut the door.

IF, on the other hand, it's an issue of not being able to lock the door with the key or using the power locks, then you may be looking at an electrical problem. Or possibly the linkage inside the door has come loose. It's a bunch of lever rods and other parts held together with clips made of spring sheet metal. As I started to say, more info please?
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Sven: '89 245 NA, 951 ECU, expanded air dam, forward belly pan reaches oem belly pan, airbox heater upgraded, E-fan, 205/65-15 at 50 psi, IPD sways, no a/c-p/s belt, E-Codes, amber front corner reflectors, aero front face, quad horns, tach, small clock.

Right, initially what I found was that the "c shaped latch" piece was in the closed postion, but when I pulled the inside handle to pry it to the open position, the door still acted exactly the same way, a hard slam with no latching. The lock bolt is pulled out to the side, so that doesn't seem to be the issue. The thumb latch on the outside however doesn't seem to have any affect on the pivoting latch piece.

The door seems to run hard against something about 1/8" to 1/4" from fully closed, even with the latch piece properly positioned. A diagram of the assembly inside the door would really help.

Steve Poland
Portland, OR

My 93 is doing the same thing. The only thing keeping the door shut is the fact that the "C clip" that latched it is gunked up and doesn't move very freely. You can shut the door and pull it back open without having to use the button at all.