Make'em fit through the compartment in the rear seat.

Ok we need to get back on topic here.

ok i havent had time to get a tester..i live in a small town closest radio shack is 20 mi away. but i read in another post to put a wire between the two prongs on the plug to route the power (with out the button) and it should open, however it didnt so, assuming this test would work, the problem isnt in the button. am i correct?

viper8907

Check the fuses that run that system....I don't recall what fuse it is.

You are correct. (Car must be in Park with ignition key in Run position at the time...)

so what should i do next? replace the relay?

Get the meter. That'* your next step.

Once you get it. We can have you test the button properly.
You can test the relay
and then you can test for power at the soloniod in the trunk properly.

Sorry about being stuck on the meter...they are invaluable when dealing with these simple electrical problems.

Walmart/Target would also have inexpensive meters.

I agree on the meter, but it might be best to skip from the switch to the trunk, and bypass the relay for now. It'* a B I T C H to get to. We'll come back to the relay if the trunk has no juice.

I picked up a nice inexpensive sweep-needle one at Sears (I forget now whether it was Craftsman nameplate or plain ol' Sears) for some way-cheap price. Has a continuity beeper, among other things, and I really like it except when I accidentally stab myself with the needle probes...

You'll also want to get, from somewhere like RatShack, some different types of probe to plug in for different occasions: e.g. extended-length test probes, and (especially) a pair of plug-in leads with insulated mini alligator clips on the end. That way you can use an alligator clip ground lead to clip on to a ground connection somewhere, leaving both hands free while you fiddle with a positive needle probe to test connections in various places, etc.

A little 12-volt test light with needle probe on the end, something capable of stabbing a teeny hole through insulation, is also really useful. (Emphasis on "teeny" here; a very small hole through low-voltage insulation -- NOT spark plug wires -- is sufficiently self-healing)

got my tester! now i need a chance to check the power..how do i check the switch w/o disconnecting it. or should i disconnect it and put the probe(whatever theya re called) in the plug?

Go ahead and unplug the pushbutton from its connector while you test it.

First, use your meter to test across the two contacts of the pushbutton, to be sure they close when you push the button in.

If your meter has a continuity test setting that beeps when you touch the probes together, you can use that -- it should beep when you attach a probe to each contact and then push the button in.

If you don't have a continuity test setting, use the resistance setting to make sure that the resistance across the two pushbutton terminals goes to infinite when you press the button in.

(Going by the 1993 service manual from here on...)

The wires plugged into the pushbutton are probably light-green with a black stripe, and black with a white stripe. The light-green wire is your power supply, which should be hot when your ignition is On (key in Run position) and your transmission is in Park (or also Neutral on some model years). See if you can measure 12 volts between the light-green supply wire and ground (e.g. any clean metal piece on the door or dash).

The black/white wire runs back from the button to the actuator in the trunk lid, and also takes a pulse from the Remote Keyless Entry controller when you pop the trunk with your keyring remote.

Remember that you are measuring direct-current circuits, so you need to select a DC Volts setting on your meter that will show at least 0-15 Volts DC or higher, and make sure that your Negative test lead (the black one) is your ground connection; test for hot wires with your Positive (red) lead.

If you can't find 12 volts in the hot lead going into the pushbutton, we can stop right here. Otherwise, if it'* hot, and you already verified that your pushbutton is working, then put that all back together and see if you can measure 12 volts where the black/white wire attaches to the trunk lid actuator. You'll need to have an assistant turn the key to Run and press the button for you while you test the lead back there.

Somewhere in all this you'll probably find something that isn't kosher, so get back to us and tell us what you've got. Good luck...