Paint and Body 1993 Hatch latch not latching

This is the second time I've had this issue. The hatch latch on my 93 is not engaging, meaning that when I shut the the hatch it does not latch. I tried turning the key and it seems to have lost the spring back effect. I tried to simulate the latch closing on the strike with a screwdriver and the mechanism will move, but it won't lock closed in place.

Has anyone ran into this issue and found a solution short of replacing the latch?

I doubt it's the strike position as I've never had this problem until recently. I guess it could have moved over time, so I'll try bringing it up.

The first time it did this I slammed the hatch pretty had so it would latch, but then it would not release when I used the key when I got home. A few days later I was ready to drill the plate and remove the lock cylinder when I tried it again and it seemed normal. It worked fine until this weekend when it did this again. This time I just unplugged my hatch and dome light and left the hatch to rest. I may remove the strike and try and see if the latch will grab onto it. This way if it gets stuck I don't have to deal with have my hatch stuck closed. If that happens and the key won't work, I'll try the electric release.

I'm wondering if it could be a lack of lubrication? Before I got all WD40 happy on it, is there a different lubricant that would be better for the latch?

I'm aware of the 92-93 latches and strikes being a different design. Does anyone know where I could find one? I don't mind taking things apart to see how they work and try to fix them, but I would rather have a backup if (most likely when) I damage it beyond repair.

IT'S FIXED.

Finally got some time to look at it this morning and I looked at the strike and I could not see any evidence that it had moved, or that it was excessively worn:


So I decided to remove the latch and try to figure is something had broken inside and if there was anyway I could figure out how to repair it. So once removed and sitting at my workbench I took a look inside the top of it and saw what appeared to be some old dried up sealant that was causing the latch not to lock in place:



A couple seconds with a screwdriver and I had this thing removed. Tried to operate the latch manually with a screwdriver and it worked! Unlatched it and it opened! Repeated the process a couple of more times and it performed as expected. Re-installed the latch in the car and tried it manually again and all seemed well. Closed the hatch and it seemed fine. Used the key to open it and again it worked fine. All good!

While the cylinder was out I noticed that the spring is getting on the weak side and not really returning the key to the upright position. Not a big deal. I did not re-install a rivet in the cylinder lock but used a screw. Let's be honest, these cars are so easy to break into that the last place a thief would go is there to gain access.

Any idea where the sealant came from?