Stuck Rear Hatch, Broken Emergency Lever, Need a Plan B

[Jubs]

So the other day I went to grab jumpers to start the M3 out of the legacy and my rear hatch refused to open. I was a little surprised since I've never had any issues of it sticking or acting weird, but I guess she's 15 years old and becoming a angsty teen. I did a quick search and the emergency plastic lever seemed like a pretty easy fix. So I dug myself in and with very little force... it snapped. So now I'm in search of a plan b that hopefully doesn't involve the angle grinder.

 

Here's some more specific details:

• The outside plastic latch sticks open or closed. It feels like it is still somewhat connected, but obviously it's not actually opening anything.
  
• The electrical actuator has power and reacts with when unlocking. There is a small little wheel that I can see rotate whenever I lock or unlock it, so I doubt this is the root of the issue
  
• The small tension spring was still attached to the lock assembly, but has since flown off in my troubleshooting.
  

 

My best guess is that there's a physical interference somewhere preventing this assembly from budging, but it's a PINA to access or even just look at anything. Here's some questions I was hoping to get some feedback on:

• Is there a way to disassemble this without opening the hatch? It seems like there's two inaccessible bolts on the bottom holding it in place that I could maybe try backing out with a pair of vise grips, but there's also a few small phillips on the plastic body I could try?
  
• Could I try wrenching on the rotating the little plastic wheel? It seems to be connected to the part that's supposed to have the emergency lever, but I'd rather not break more things if the assembly could be saved.
  
• Am I realistically best off to break out the angle grinder and just cut the whole assembly up?
  
• Am I realistically best off to break out the angle grinder and just cut the whole car up into a ute?
  

 

Here's a picture of the latch assembly I'm talking about. This shows the important side I can't access.

 

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

[sigmafour]

On an 05 where the back seats don't go down too...

 

 

Oh dear.

 

 

Borrow a handy and reasonably intelligent small child, give them a screw driver and a Mining Helmet and feed them through the center seat hole... hope for the best. Oh wait, is this on a wagon? What plastic handle did you break - My wagon has no emergency interior handle... and worst case you might have to open a hole in the interior panel that you can find someway to patch later, maybe with a giant Subaru sticker... good lord, now if this were a sedan...

Edited May 8, 2020 by sigmafour

[sez752]

Have you tried using a pick tool? You should be able to use one to push on the actuator to manually open it. You might even be able to use your finger and push on it. I work in an auto body shop and sometimes after d.a. a door/gate will get closed with a latch disconnected. Most of the time you can use your finger or pocket screwdriver.

[Jubs]

Sorry I probably should have specified that this is a wagon. The emergency release switch isn't like that of sedans, this is specifically meant for dead batteries and broken cables. You have to remove a small trim piece and reach in to access it. It's the white plastic arm on the left of the picture I attached and you can see it pretty clearly in the video below.

 

I tried a combination of flat heads and pick tools, but nothing wants to budge and I have no real room for leverage.

 

This whole situation isn't helping my phobia of plastic parts in cars.

 

[Pleides]

I know your fear of plastic parts is very real, but have you considered that the wagons (in the form of the Outback) are extremely common cars and, if you break out the angle grinder, any part you break can easily be replaced? I'd just tear into it man. You're just gonna get more frustrated trying to dilly dally about it.

[Enlight]

This just happened to me. Check this thread - you probably need a new actuator. Part no. 63032AG00B. Edited May 9, 2020 by Enlight

[sez752]

Sounds like you'll need a new actuator if things aren't moving smoothly. There's been a few times where I've dealt with broken plastic bits on actuators. Usually they attach to a metal tab that'll slightly stick out from the back. Push on the small metal tab and it should open. Please note I've never dealt with this issue on said assembly. However, looking at the pic, I would imagine if you could push or pull on the metal tab with the spring it should open. It looks like disconnecting the spring from the top would give you better access for your finger or pick tool.

[Senseless1]

If you're not comfortable prying at the actuator I've seen a jaguar trunk get pryed open with two 5 foot pry bars because the body was sealed off and the actuator died. If you're really that worried you could consider going to a junk yard and destroying one there to learn how it works before trying on your own car.

[SubOperator]

Just went and checked on my wagon, since I have the hatch trim off. It looks like you can still rotate the handle even if it broke off - the large white head has slots for large flat/phillips screwdriver. I moved the handle and the "head" turn together with it.