dvandentop

Seems like my rear hatch is real hard to close doesn't want to seem to close with a good pull down of the handle. Is this special vent only operational after the car has been ran or should it be active anytime the hatch is popped?

I have to press down on it forcefully from the top paint side of the hatch to actually get it to close. Figured this would be easier compared to the c6 hatch but doesnt seem so.

millpond

The special vent opens, but is too small to do any good.

Bucknut2006

Odd, never heard of the issue before.

KenHorse

I see what you did there.....

Scottys78

If it's not terribly inconvenient for you just leave one of the side doors open while closing the trunk and you will have no resistance.

bigblock427

Steve Snake Driver

No, not inconvenient, but much was made of the memory metal technology that was supposed to alleviate shutting the hatch with the doors closed.

TEXHAWK0

I agree that GM came up with the fancy-smancy method of opening and closing the vent and then they made the vent area too small.

I can drop my hatch from about a foot above the bumper with the door open and it latches perfectly, but it will not latch with the door closed.
That tells me the vent is too small.

Also, be careful pushing down in the center of the hatch. I have heard that it can crack the deck.
I gave up and just open the driver door when I want to close the hatch.

JerryU

As noted from a number of posts, just leave a door open! Many of us have the issue. Have had my C7 from October 2014-still the same. You can watch the “memory wire” activated vent work from a large hole behind the license plate. It works but as others have said it’s too small!
Be careful about pressing on the hatch to latch. From day 1 I stopped when I saw the hatch frame bend! A number of posts and even folks who had museum pick-up were advised NOT to Press on the Bottom of the Hatch as some C7's had paint crack due to the flexing! They recommend, if you’re going to press it closed, to do it with 2 hands at the peaks on the edge of the glass. One large dealer said he had ~20% of the C7’s crack paint!
I have found I can stand behind the driver’s door with the door open and simply push lightly with the fully opened hatch with my right hand and it latches with very little force. Then without moving I close the door! No matter how hard or easy I try with the door closed, using the GM designed hand hold, it will not latch! Even misadjusted the stops to see what would happen, no help! Some folks have no problem, apparently they have some air leaks others of us don't!
The C6 had an electric pull down latch and was fine.

Red C8 of Jax

JoesC5

I believe that GM redesigned the weather stripping used for the rear hatch and it increased the force required to compress the weather stripping during closing.

Keith N

With my 2006 C6 Z06 (no self closing hatch to save weight), I always had to leave the door or window open to fully close the hatch. You could push down on the hatch, which I didn't want to do.

ZL-1

Corvette has a history of hyping innovative ventilation ideas that don't work as well as intended and are quietly dropped:

A 1964 improvement to the 1963 Sting Ray was functional exhaust vents added to the left B pillar. There was ducting and a fan but the system didn't flow much air; it was dropped 2 years later.

The all-new 1968 Stingray advertised Astro Ventilation to compensate for discontinuing vent windows. Fresh air entered through dash AC-type vents and exited through a vacuum-controlled rear deck plenum and vent grilles. It wasn't very effective either; a few years later the rear plenum was eliminated, metal plates sealed the grilles, and the "Astro Ventilation" etching was removed from the side glass.

Perhaps history will repeat itself again and for 2016 or 2017 the hotwire system will be quietly dropped. Maybe replaced by programming to drop the windows an inch or two

trivette

This has been discussed since us "early owners" received our '14's last Fall. In my opinion the memory wire/activated vent is a total joke as configured and am surprised it wasn't modified for the '15 models. It would seem to me that this issue would have come up during the lengthy test mileage that was accumulated prior to the C7 introduction. I just leave a door open or window down when closing it and don't get frustrated any longer. Better that than slamming it and cracking the paint...

craig04c5

I don't know why they don't do this. Our BMW does and it works great. BMW doesn't do a lot right on their cars IMO but they did get that right. They do a lot of stupid stuff to force you to go back to the dealer.

TEXHAWK0

It is not the force of the weatherstipping or it would not latch with the door open... The whole problem is the air just cannot get out of the car fast enough.

dvandentop

thanks everyone for the info I wasnt aware the memory wire vent wasnt worth a damn although it sure was hyped up during c7 intial release.

LT1 Z51

This change was all Tadge.

I blame him personally. He'd talk about how the removal of the motor for the auto-pull down was such a great thing and how a "low tech" solution like this would prove better.

Looks like he didn't test it, too busy patting himself on the back. Like a few other things on this car.

(Note, I don't like the guy and only am getting a C7 because in spite of his idiocy it's actually a great car).

JerryU

With so many engineers working on the C7 justifying each ounce of extra weight, can’t blame Tadge! I’m sure he was told it worked and my guess is it did in all the prototypes. In fact there are at least half the C7 owners that say it works fine! Maybe when you order yours you’ll be one of the ones where it works! For me "Happiness is an air tight Vette!"
My explanation is it probably worked fine in their 100 + test mules they ran for almost a year! That is the first ones I saw at Laguna Seca in August of 2013 - well after I ordered mine! When production started some cars were more air tight than the prototypes. (Note this is purely my speculation not proven by any comment from GM who has never acknowledged the problem. This is my only beef with their marketing communications, which is not the engineering or the the chief engineer, Tadge Juechter's call. Whoever controls communications has a hard time admitting issues like why the seat memory in a standard shift car was changed from what worked in the C6. The engineers and all spokespersons can only communicate the company line!)
However I have heard Tadge talk on a number of TV interviews as well as videos of the multi-hour programs that were held at the Corvette museum in late 2013 etc. He always appears frank and very knowledgeable. Thought he did a great job of explaining the issues at Road Atlanta with the Z06 on his “monthly answer to forum questions.”
Have to give his team a lot of credit and for so many new items it’s a real credit that they work so well. Especially the important things like the engine, trans eLSD rear, electric steering and many more.
I can live with keeping my door open to close the hatch and using two hands to get the car to start quickly and one push of the start button!

trivette

I wouldn't go so far as blaming Tadge personally for the pull down system but if it hasn't been corrected/improved for '15 there should be accountability somewhere. If half the C7 owners say theirs works fine is that supposed to be good enough? That still means there are quite a few owners like myself that are having issues. How do we even know that is true? Most owners are not on the forum-kind of a silent majority-who may be accepting the pull down for what it is and just living with it.