2005 Honda spare tire hoist cable lowers but tire doesn't. I'm thinking of removing the hoist to fix it or replace it. It appears that a metal plate between the top of the tire and mechanism is stuck. Can I get access to the bolts that secure the hoist by removing the tire from the rim?

Rusted. Very common. Replace the entire hoist with a new one from Dormanproducts. You'll have to cut the cable using a bolt cutter

Rotate the hoist shaft counterclockwise in order to lower the spare tire to the ground. Continue to rotate the shaft until the spare tire can be pulled out from under the vehicle and removed. If the spare tire does not lower to the ground, the secondary latch is engaged causing the tire not to lower.

If the secondary latch is engaged and the cable end is visible, perform the following procedure: 3.1. Tighten the cable by rotating the hoist shaft clockwise until you hear 2 clicks or feel it skip twice. You cannot overtighten the cable. 3.2. Loosen the cable by rotating the hoist shaft counterclockwise 3 or 4 turns. 3.3. If the spare tire can be lowered, repeat steps 1 and 2 to see if the spare tire can be removed. 3.4. If the spare tire cannot be lowered, rotate the hoist shaft counterclockwise until approximately 15 cm (6 in) of cable is exposed. 3.5. Raise and support the vehicle. 3.6. Place a transmission jack, or equivalent, under the spare tire. 3.7. Position the center of the transmission jack under the secondary latch release button at the center of the spare tire. Arrange the arms of the transmission jack so they will support the tire after it has been released. 3.8. Raise the jack until the spare tire stops moving upward and is firmly held in place, releasing the secondary latch. 3.9. Lower the tire. If the spare tire is hanging by the cable, rotate the hoist shaft counterclockwise until the tire is low enough to remove.

U need the special wrench to lower the spare, there is no other way since the cable hoist is under the spare tire.

put weight on it or have someone pull down while turning release need tension so cable can come down

then now get undercar and on the hoist wire that holds the wheel has a bracket holding it and there will be bolts so remove the bolts off and tire will come off.

1. Rotate the hoist shaft counterclockwise until approximately 15 cm (6 in) of cable (1) is exposed.
2. While holding the latch pin (3), fully depress the latch button (2) and release the secondary latch from the hoist assembly. Some side-to-side and/or up-and-down movement may be necessary to disengage the latch mechanism.
3. Continue rotating the hoist shaft counterclockwise in order to lower the hoist the rest of the way.
4. If this does not release the secondary latch, the spare tire hoist will need to be replaced. See the following procedure.

Important: If the spare tire hoist has been fully raised without a spare tire in place, the secondary latch mechanism may have become engaged. If this has occurred the hoist will not lower and the following steps will need to be followed:

This is the worst GM engineering i have ever seen !!!! The secondary locking mech. rust itself in the locked position on will NOT allow the tire to lower. After lowering the tire down approx. 2-4" the saftey lock is still engaged. I was able to reach above the tire and remove the bolt holding the hoist in place. {15 mm wrench}. Keep a floor jack under the tire to support it and as not to fall on your head. After removing the bolt the hoist is hooked on the frame member and must be lifted off to remove. Once you get it on the garage floor it is possible to disengage the locking mech. with a few tools and a big hammer. Good luck This should be a Recall

Sugerinimo's idea is good but I good not get it too work.. Well, this can be easier or a bit harder. Mine was harder. You are stuck on the secondary tire lock. There is a process in your manual that involves lowering the tire as far as it goes with the secondary lock, then placing your tire jack under the center of the tire holder and jack it back up until its tight to the frame - this should release the secondary lock. In my case this did not work. Plan B, is grab a 15 mm socket, small extension and ratchet. Lower the tire as far as it goes. Locate the 15mm bolt that attaches the tire hanger to the frame, undo the bolt, the hanger is then swinging from the back, lift up the tire and bracket and it will fall off. be careful the tire is heavy.
Next on the top of the tire you will see a rubber cover the secondary lock slides into. Pull down the boot. You will see two holes along the bottom on the opposite side to the crank. Turn the bottom part of the lock. If you look in the holes you can see where the catch is. Take a slot screw driver and hammer, line up the catch and tap it back in.
The secondary lock is now free.
Remember when reinstalling the bolt on the frame to use some locktite.

Same thing happened to me on my 2002 trailblazer. The last few wraps of the cable was corroded to the point that it wouldn't unwind with the tool supplied. First thing to do is cut the crimped end of the cable off with a grinder or cut off wheel but don't forget to support the spare. This will get the spare out of your way then simply take out the 3 mounting bolts for the cable hoist. At this point you could buy a new cable hoist from the dealer and install it yourself or you might be able to do what I did. I managed to pull and remove about a foot of the rusted cable, slide the rectangular metal piece, that actually holds the spare at the center of the wheel, back on the cable and attach a 1/4" cable clamp to the end of the cable which of course must be in good condition. There should still be enough cable to re-attach your spare to it and hoist it back up. Don't forget to lube things up so it won't happen again. Good luck. (buying a new one sounds better, doesn't it?)
mikethemedic in Hawley,Pa.

The spare is held in place by a cable hoist, the the tool kit for changing tires has the crank to lower the spare. the access hole is through the bumper in most cases, look under the rear bumper u will see the crankin down access easily that way.