'99 Intrepid trunk release problem

I have a '99 Intrepid that is serving me well but I have one nagging
problem. I can't get the remote trunk release to work from inside the
car, nor from the remote switch on the key fob.
I have checked the power on both sides of the switch on the dash - OK.
I've disconnected the plug going to the latch. It has 3 wires going to
it. The center wire is always live, the two outside wires don't recieve
power with the trunk release button pushed or not pushed. Does anyone
have any ideas on what the problem may be? I did read somewhere that
there is a trunk release solonoid that may cause problems.

 

Tan/black wire 10 volts or more, black wire ground, I believe the other is
for a security alarm. if you have those and the acuator doesnt work, replace
the acuator assembly.
Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

 

The solid black wire is a ground and I do get 12 volts on the tan/black
wire. The 12 volts is always there...... when the trunk release button
is or is not pushed.
Should the third wire not be energized when the trunk release button is
pushed???
Does the ignition have to be on to opent he trunk? I assume that the
transmission has to be in Park prior to opening the trunk but I'm
wandering if there is some other special configuration in order for the
trunk release to work!

 

The dash switch sends a signal to the BCM.

BK/WT wire going to the solenoid is the wire straight from the BCM to
actuate the solenoid. It is one of the outside wires on the connector.
It should light up when the dash button is pushed.

Since you say the BK/WT wire does not get power when you push the remote
or dash button, then either the BCM is not putting out voltage to that
wire, or there is a break in the connection from the BCM or in that
BK/WT wire.

The BK wire - the other outside wire - is the ground for the solenoid coil.

See if you get some reasonable coil resistance reading across the two
terminals on the solenoid.

Based on what you posted (no voltage on either outside wire when button
pushed), it sounds like the problem is not the solenoid.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

Igntion can be on or off for trunk lid solenoid to work. Must be in
park (or neutral will also work I think - but Park, definitely).

Middle wire is the ajar signal - don't worry about that. The BK/WT wire
is the solenoid voltage signal from the BCM to the solenoid - and from
what you posted previously, appears to be the problem - see my opther post).

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

While waiting on a reply I put 12 volts to the third "mysterious" wire
terminal on the trunk release. When I did this the latch opens fine.
This leads me to believe that the problem is somewhere else. When I
push the trunk release button I have to be able to energize that third
terminal. ................. any ideas on where the problem may be?

 

Your right Bill.

 

let me know if you got my e mail Randy

 

Yes - exactly as I told you from what you already had posted - the
problem is *not* in the solenoid. The signal is either not coming out
of the BCM or their is a break in the connection between the BCM output
and the solenoid connector.

Did you get the part that I said that the signal should be sent if the
tranny is in nuetral with or without the ignition on?

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

I got 18.3 Ohms resistance across the solenoid terminals. I suppose my
next step is to try and find a broken wire somewhere???????

 

Should I be starting to look for a disconnected wire at the BCM? Where
is it? Are there numbers or any other sort of ID on the wires coming
out of it?

 

BCM is in the Junction Block - that's the fuse panel at the driver's
left foot kick panel. It has 4 connectors: grey, black, white, blue..
That BK/WT wire is in the grey connector. It's pin no. 1, so of course
should be at the end of the connector.

Before doing anything else, you might try pulling the fuse for the BCM
for a few minutes to reset it. Sometimes problems like this are fixed
by doing that - too easy, I know, but worth a try. Fuse No. 19 in the
Power Distribution Center - under the hood on driver's side towards front.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

Yes, I've tried it in Park and Neutral with the ignition on and off,
neither works.
Where can I find the BCM output. I suppose I may as well start from
that end and work my way to the back end!

 

bcm was a big issue for this complaint

 

I gave up for today! My back is sore from trying to crawl in under the
dash to find that @#$$# BCM and the grey plug. Surely Chrylser could
have made it a little easier to get at! I've finally managed to unplug
the grey plug and tomorrow I will see if I have continuity from the BCM
end of the Bk/Wt wire to the trunk end of the same wire. I'd like to
see if the BCM terminal is actually energizing but I think the only way
to actually see anything in there would be to dismantle half of the
car!
Thanks for all the help guys.

 

Did you try pulling fuse 19 in the engine compartment to reset the BCM?
I would do that before doing anymore troubleshooting - as I said
before, it may or may not fix the problem, but for the small effort to
do it, it's certainly worth a try - and it just might work.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

Bill, I couldn't identify Fuse No. 19 in the Pwr Dist Ctr so I left
them all out for several minutes! According to the owner's manual No.
19 fuse is actually located on the fuse panel inside the car.
Just to clarify how the circuit works........... when I depress the
trunk release button the signal is sent from the button to the BCM and
then the BCM energizes the trunk release if all the perameters are met,
i.e., trans in N or P?????
If this is correct then I should be able tie in a short lead off the
Blk/W wire coming from the BCM to verify that the BCM is actually
transmitting the signal. I suppose that before I do this I'll have to
crawl back under the dash and try to manipulate the grey plug back in
place..... I'm not looking forward to it!

 

I apologize - you are right - it's #19 in the Junction Block.

You can stick a straight pin thru the insulation of the wire to touch
with the meter lead.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

Hi Randy, I had this exact same problem with my 99 Intrepid. At first
it was intermittent so I really couldn't do anything about it. Finally
one time when I was getting service the trunk release was not working at
the dealer while they were checking me in. The dealer looked at it and
eventually found the cause was a bad wire in the wiring harness to the
trunk. Unfortunately I don't know/remember where the bad spot was.

I recall that it took them a while to diagnose/fix. Apparently they
burned out the BCM in the process. (The trunk release signal comes from
the BCM). Then they obtained a "remanufactured" BCM to replace and
that was either bad or they burned it out too. Finally they obtained a
new BCM and everything worked fine with the repair, except for the alarm
which I had to return for them to activate. Fortunately for me this
was all done under warranty and I think they even paid for a rental car
as it took a few days to wait for parts and fix while the car was torn
open to get to the wires.

On my car the trunk release only works in PARK, and not in NEUTRAL. It
works with the ignition on or off.

So the best advice I can tell you is to get a wiring diagram, check for
continuity at various places, and be sure to disconnect power to
protect the BCM while you're working on the wires. I haven't seen any
TSBs on this.

 

Good post, Greg!

Randy - Greg is right - the trunk release does on work in Park (not
neutral) - I just went out and confirmed that. That's strike 2 for me in
this thread! But we have narrowed it down to BCm or the wire, and it is
encouraging to know that Greg had the same problem and it was the wire
and not the BCM (initially anyway).

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')