Chevy Malibu: Trunk Will Not Open With Button
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Date: 2021-04-18
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Comments and reviews: 9
Recoil
This reminded me of the very first Impala SS we got at our dealership back in '94. It came in with rear spoiler damage from being on the lower level of the transporter and the trunk lid had popped which let the spoiler rub on the upper level ramp while it drove along. The driver was accused of not closing it. but he swore it had been closed when it was loaded and our body shop quickly fixed the damage and it went out on the lot. Came in the next morning and the trunk was open again! So me being the lead on second shift and the only hourly mechanic (rest of course being Flat-Rate) I got the job of fixing it.
The trunk remote worked as it should and it was kind of spooky that it would pop on it's own when it felt like it with no regular interval of when it happened. Great! This was our first SS and we didn't have the manuals on it and the other Impala manuals showed different wiring so they were no use. Engineering on the Hot Line were useless (as usual) so I had to dig in to find the gremlin. Ended up tearing the entire interior out while tracing the wires which went under the carpet both from the switch and from the latch. Ended up being a bad splice about midway between the front and back seats which wasn't insulated properly and was just barely touching bare metal. not enough to positively activate the lock but I think with the body moving a bit when it got hot and cold was enough to make good enough contact to pop the lock. Chevy back then often ran hot wires to everything then controlled the ground to activate. (places less load on the switch because the solenoid or whatever uses some of the current to operate and they could get away with a smaller switch or relay contact) Fun times!
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This reminded me of the very first Impala SS we got at our dealership back in '94. It came in with rear spoiler damage from being on the lower level of the transporter and the trunk lid had popped which let the spoiler rub on the upper level ramp while it drove along. The driver was accused of not closing it. but he swore it had been closed when it was loaded and our body shop quickly fixed the damage and it went out on the lot. Came in the next morning and the trunk was open again! So me being the lead on second shift and the only hourly mechanic (rest of course being Flat-Rate) I got the job of fixing it.
The trunk remote worked as it should and it was kind of spooky that it would pop on it's own when it felt like it with no regular interval of when it happened. Great! This was our first SS and we didn't have the manuals on it and the other Impala manuals showed different wiring so they were no use. Engineering on the Hot Line were useless (as usual) so I had to dig in to find the gremlin. Ended up tearing the entire interior out while tracing the wires which went under the carpet both from the switch and from the latch. Ended up being a bad splice about midway between the front and back seats which wasn't insulated properly and was just barely touching bare metal. not enough to positively activate the lock but I think with the body moving a bit when it got hot and cold was enough to make good enough contact to pop the lock. Chevy back then often ran hot wires to everything then controlled the ground to activate. (places less load on the switch because the solenoid or whatever uses some of the current to operate and they could get away with a smaller switch or relay contact) Fun times!
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Russell
Usually, things like relays work or they don't. There's not much in between as you mentioned.
A number of years ago my lawn mower was acting up with big swing surging. This is usually a carburetor problem, though. After two or three carburetor removes, cleans, and reinstallations along with meticulous vacuum leak searching, the problem remained. Okay, what the hey, let's check spark. It's there.
After much head-shaking and hours pouring over the carburetor and fuel circuits, I convinced a neighbor down the street with the same John Deere mower to let me pull various components off his working example and install them on mine.
The first and easiest thing to test-replace was the ignition coil. I never thought in a million years the coil module could be the problem. Like mentioned above, such electronic devices tend to work or not. But sure enough, with the coil replaced, the thing ran as smooth as new. How odd?
I serviced the neighbor's mower (oil change spark plug, etc) as a thank-you payment and ordered a new ignition assembly. The mower has been humming along fine since.
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Usually, things like relays work or they don't. There's not much in between as you mentioned.
A number of years ago my lawn mower was acting up with big swing surging. This is usually a carburetor problem, though. After two or three carburetor removes, cleans, and reinstallations along with meticulous vacuum leak searching, the problem remained. Okay, what the hey, let's check spark. It's there.
After much head-shaking and hours pouring over the carburetor and fuel circuits, I convinced a neighbor down the street with the same John Deere mower to let me pull various components off his working example and install them on mine.
The first and easiest thing to test-replace was the ignition coil. I never thought in a million years the coil module could be the problem. Like mentioned above, such electronic devices tend to work or not. But sure enough, with the coil replaced, the thing ran as smooth as new. How odd?
I serviced the neighbor's mower (oil change spark plug, etc) as a thank-you payment and ordered a new ignition assembly. The mower has been humming along fine since.
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Pantherman1979
I had a car, from new that had it's fuel pump go out at 110k, or so I thought. On the highway coming home one evening I noticed a lack of power. So that weekend I removed the fuel pump and performed some tests on it; indeed it was weak. So I replaced it and after installing the new one, found the same problem. I immediately looked at the fuses and relay, the fuse was fine so I suspected the relay. Saw another relay of the same type on there and swapped (after checking to be sure that relay didn't power something vital. It worked at that point and I bought a new relay.
I don't know if the relay killed the pump, or if the pump killed the relay.
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I had a car, from new that had it's fuel pump go out at 110k, or so I thought. On the highway coming home one evening I noticed a lack of power. So that weekend I removed the fuel pump and performed some tests on it; indeed it was weak. So I replaced it and after installing the new one, found the same problem. I immediately looked at the fuses and relay, the fuse was fine so I suspected the relay. Saw another relay of the same type on there and swapped (after checking to be sure that relay didn't power something vital. It worked at that point and I bought a new relay.
I don't know if the relay killed the pump, or if the pump killed the relay.
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300DBenz
I recently had a trunk won t open issue too:
Customer states trunk will only open by turning key in the trunk lock cylinder, cannot open from inside the car.
I think Probably a broken wire in trunk hinge harness. I get the keys, see it s a early 2000s Corolla - cable operated release!
Confirmed the release lever by the driver door was not working, went to check the trunk latch: saw the lock cylinder was horizontal! I put the key in, rotated it to vertical and removed the key.
Viola! Release lever now works!
The owner had accidentally put the trunk in Valet Mode!
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I recently had a trunk won t open issue too:
Customer states trunk will only open by turning key in the trunk lock cylinder, cannot open from inside the car.
I think Probably a broken wire in trunk hinge harness. I get the keys, see it s a early 2000s Corolla - cable operated release!
Confirmed the release lever by the driver door was not working, went to check the trunk latch: saw the lock cylinder was horizontal! I put the key in, rotated it to vertical and removed the key.
Viola! Release lever now works!
The owner had accidentally put the trunk in Valet Mode!
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Adam
Slow down to go fast. Good catch. I had an Acura come in 1 time from a body shop that had a no power trunk release action complaint when using the switch, but worked with the key fob. Turns out that when they were doing the body work with the doors off, tons of dust and debris got into the car and several accessories weren't working. I cleaned out 2 PW switches, the p. Mirror switch, VSC switch and the trunk release switch which is on the floor and things started working. I told them, this car will be back! LOL
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Slow down to go fast. Good catch. I had an Acura come in 1 time from a body shop that had a no power trunk release action complaint when using the switch, but worked with the key fob. Turns out that when they were doing the body work with the doors off, tons of dust and debris got into the car and several accessories weren't working. I cleaned out 2 PW switches, the p. Mirror switch, VSC switch and the trunk release switch which is on the floor and things started working. I told them, this car will be back! LOL
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South
I know many of you have replaced relays just because. It is very high on the parts cannon list along with fuses when an electrical problem comes along. However, have you ever proved it is the source of the voltage drop? I'll be honest I have replaced my share of relays because they simply do not work but rarely have I ever seen one that works but it is the source of the voltage drop. Tell me your story, what have you seen?
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I know many of you have replaced relays just because. It is very high on the parts cannon list along with fuses when an electrical problem comes along. However, have you ever proved it is the source of the voltage drop? I'll be honest I have replaced my share of relays because they simply do not work but rarely have I ever seen one that works but it is the source of the voltage drop. Tell me your story, what have you seen?
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Jason
I ve seen this plenty in HVac contractors, which is essentially a relay. I would have intermittent problems with units working or not working and 9 times outta 10 if you took the contractor off you would see the black crust on the contacts. Pop in a new contractor and boom problem solved. I worked in building maintenance doin Hvac and had this happen enough to know right off the git where my issue may lie.
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I ve seen this plenty in HVac contractors, which is essentially a relay. I would have intermittent problems with units working or not working and 9 times outta 10 if you took the contractor off you would see the black crust on the contacts. Pop in a new contractor and boom problem solved. I worked in building maintenance doin Hvac and had this happen enough to know right off the git where my issue may lie.
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Steve
One of the first things we learn about relays is that inductive dc loads need flyback diodes across them to prevent arcing when the relay contact opens. They probably figured the trunk latch would never get enough cycles for it to be a problem and didn't bother to include a diode with the motor, but it's also possible there's a fried diode somewhere and this problem will recur.
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One of the first things we learn about relays is that inductive dc loads need flyback diodes across them to prevent arcing when the relay contact opens. They probably figured the trunk latch would never get enough cycles for it to be a problem and didn't bother to include a diode with the motor, but it's also possible there's a fried diode somewhere and this problem will recur.
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Georgiaboy
Customer: So what is your professional diagnosis?
Eric: Your relay had some shmutsie on it.
Lol, nice find. It has always been my understanding when it comes to relays the either work or they don't. However, like you, I always have some known good relays on hand to verify or rule out being source of issue. Love your videos, they have been very helpful many times.
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Customer: So what is your professional diagnosis?
Eric: Your relay had some shmutsie on it.
Lol, nice find. It has always been my understanding when it comes to relays the either work or they don't. However, like you, I always have some known good relays on hand to verify or rule out being source of issue. Love your videos, they have been very helpful many times.
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