Trunk release not working

Can you get the trunk open at all? I would check the easiest at first, the actuator on the lid. It might be hidden by a liner held on with clips. If you have and can use a test light, connect it across pins 'A'(tan/white) and 'B'(black). Push the door button and/or fob button, the light should light. If it don't, then check the 'trunk dr release' fuse in left rear fuse block(under rear seat bottom that pulls up). There is a relay(trunk dr rel solenoid) also located in the left rear fuse block. Listen for this to click when trunk switch is pressed. Let me know the progress.

i have the same problem with my CTS. i do not get any clicking from the solenoid. what can it be?

If you have power on the circuits I described, replace the trunk release actuator/latch.

the latch works fine. i tried it on my friends CTS.

I don't understand what your after. If you checked power and ground with the info listed above, and you still get nothing from the release solenoid, replace the solenoid/actuator.

i tried the latch. it works. i tested the solenoid. it works. checked the fuse. its fine. put everything together and the trunk doesn't open. i tested the wires and i don't get nothing. there is power because one wire is hot. but that's it. i don't know?

The rear integration module provides the ground signal to control the trunk release micro relay. At the trunk release solenoid connector, The tan/white wire (pin a) should be hot when a request to open is sent. That validates the relay, fuse, and signal. If you have that signal, then check pin B black wire continuity to ground, it is G402 located in the trunk by the left(drivers side) taillight.

The ground that is in the trunk is hooked up. The thing is that the relay under the back seat does not click. I checked where it plugs in and my tester light up. I then took a piece of wire and stuck it into the slots, and the trunk lock opened and stayed open until i pulled the wire out. then the lock closed. so if i bypass the relay the lock opens but doesn't close. i tried putting new relays in. but still have no click. I checked and all the grounds are connected on the main wires. There are three of them. So i am stuck lol. Guess have to take it to the dealer.

As simple as the system should be, it isn't. With what you have done so far, it looks like you only have a few possibilities. Control of the relay is done by the rear integration module grounding it, and that appears to be what is missing. It grounds the relay in response to messages sent to it on the data line, this is where the integration of the key-less path, and the door switch path, is made. You should be able to verify that you have two powers at the relay connector, and then you would almost need a scan tool to read data and see if the RIM is getting a trunk release request. If it is, then you could have a bad RIM, missing power on the control side(which is on the same fuse through a joint connector in the fuse block), or an open ground circuit between the relay and the RIM.

thanks you have been big help. guess i will just have to take it to dealer then. Difficult without the trunk you know.

Hi. I have an issue with my trunk release as well. I get the click/voltage change at the relay, but I can not get a test light to work at the rear hatch connector. My thought was that this must be a grounding issue in the wiring between the latch and the relay. Is there anything else I should check before I tear into the wiring? Also, is there a way to remove the LR fuse box in order to check the wiring connection there? I can't find any information on removing it. Thanks.

If you are using a known good ground and probing the tan/white wire, you are not getting power from the relay. If you are getting relay activity, that means the fuse is good, it supplies both the control side and the controlled side. Next you would check the continuity of the tan/white wire to the fuse block terminal R33 if it is labeled.

Thank you for your help in describing each wire's function. I could not find a wiring diagram anywhere so it was nearly impossible to diagnose. I checked the tan/white wire against all 4 spots on the relay and it didn't have continuity with any of them. With this information, I went digging and I found the wire had a break in it in the portion that lies inside the protective plastic cover (not sure how that could happen). I can't tell you how nice it is to have my trunk back after months of having to open using the seat pass-thru. Thanks again!

Your welcome, glad I could be of some assistance.

Hi, I have a parasitic draw that drains the battery every other day. By taking out the fuse to the trunk it stops the power draw. What should I do next to get the trunk working? Would replacing the relay be the next best thing?

I assume you have the vehicle listed on this heading. If so, there are a number of ways to figure this out however, the best way to do this is to check for your draw with everything hooked up and then start unhooking the components on this wiring diagram one at a time until the draw is gone. More then likely this is the actuator in the rear to release the trunk.

I would just go right to that and see if this causes the draw to go away and if it does then replace it. Let me know what you find and we can go from there. Thanks