98 chevy console stuck

Moline_guy · Mar 10, 2016

98 chevy pickup with center seat console lid won't open, next to prying it open with a crow bar is there a way to get it open? Worked fine the other day and I have my checkbook in it, today latch pushes, but it doesn't open. Thanks for any help or information.

Janicholson · Mar 10, 2016

I would spray a product like Tri-flow into the button edges and wiggle the heck out of it. If in 10 minutes it faild to go back to normal, it would be pry it open.

Jim

fixerupper · Mar 10, 2016

Does the latch by chance have a little hook that sticks down and latches onto something? If it does maybe the lid can be pried up slightly so something thin can be slid in under the lid to push or pull on this hook. If it is a latch like your kitchen cupboard doors you might have a problem. Maybe drill a small hole to allow a stiff wire to be poked into to push on the latch? Let us know what you come up with.

Determined · Mar 10, 2016

(quoted from post at 21:50:22 03/10/16)
98 chevy pickup with center seat console lid won't open, next to prying it open with a crow bar is there a way to get it open? Worked fine the other day and I have my checkbook in it, today latch pushes, but it doesn't open. Thanks for any help or information.

If it is the one where you fold down the backrest, it is designed so you can't open it when folded up.
Try raising and lowering it firmly a few times then see if it will open.

If you have too much stuffed inside of it, you may have to apply downward pressure while working the release to release the bind.

Brian Schmidt · Mar 10, 2016

My 98 Tahoe is hard to get opened too. I have found that I have to hit the latch with the palm of my hand a few times before it releases. I haven't figured it out yet. It worked great forever, they just started this out of no where. Been that way for about a year now. I just don't put much in it now.

Brian Schmidt · Mar 10, 2016

Check out this YouTube video. I got mine apart right now working on it. Thanks for the inspiration to fix it.
Fix GM Console Latch

Dick2 · Mar 11, 2016

Maybe it's the same latch that GM used as trunk latch on their 70 model cars. Due to flight delays, I was late getting into Newark one night. I got a car at the rental counter; turned out to be Buick. I opened the trunk, put my suitcase in, closed the trunk and the found that the battery was dead. The key would not unlock the trunk. Went back to the counter, got a different GM car but told them to send someone to open the trunk of the Buick so I could get my suitcase out.

The guy that they sent out couldn't open the trunk with a key either. He had on big heavy boots and started kicking the trunk lid, then he had me get the tire wrench from the other car I had rented. He used the tire wrench to pry up on the trunk lid; did a lot of damage to the trunk lid. When he stopped for a break, I put the Buick key in the lock and it popped open. I grabbed my suitcase and left. The Buick looked ready for the scrap heap - it was less than a year old.

Moline_guy · Mar 11, 2016

Thanks for the replies, I sprayed it last night and tried pushing, prying and hitting the latch this morning with no luck. Ended up prying it open with a bar to get my checkbook, because I had to take my daughter to a doctor visit. I was prying it open with a wonder bar, figuring it would pop open, I kind of bent the crap out it and finally the handle popped off and I was able to push the latch to open it. If you have one that doesn't open just pry the handle off and then you can reach the latch mechanism. Replacing a handle would be the cheaper fix. It looks like the same counsel the next seires of chevys had, like in the video posted.

98 chevy console stuck

Moline_guy

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Janicholson

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fixerupper

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Determined

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Brian Schmidt

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Brian Schmidt

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Dick2

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Moline_guy

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