'99 Intrepid trunk release problem

Hooray!
I tracked the problem down to an open wire in the trunk wiring harness.
It was open where the wire repeatedly bends when the lid is opened /
closed. Spliced in a new wire and everything works fine.... the trunk
even opens from the key fob remote!
I must admit that I was starting to get a bit nervous about the BCM,
especially after you (Greg) said that your dealer had to replace your
BCM serveral times before they managed to fix the problem.
I sure do appreciate the help from all you.

Randy wrote:
> Hooray!
> I tracked the problem down to an open wire in the trunk wiring harness.
> It was open where the wire repeatedly bends when the lid is opened /
> closed. Spliced in a new wire and everything works fine.... the trunk
> even opens from the key fob remote!
> I must admit that I was starting to get a bit nervous about the BCM,
> especially after you (Greg) said that your dealer had to replace your
> BCM serveral times before they managed to fix the problem.
> I sure do appreciate the help from all you.
>

Congratulations!

I was actaully encouraged by Greg's post because the part about his BCM
needing replacing was because the dealer screwed up in the
troubelshooting and destroyed the original one - his original problem
was a broken wire - apparently where yours was in the trunk area.

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

Randy wrote:
> Hooray!
> I tracked the problem down to an open wire in the trunk wiring harness.
> It was open where the wire repeatedly bends when the lid is opened /
> closed. Spliced in a new wire and everything works fine.... the trunk
> even opens from the key fob remote!
> I must admit that I was starting to get a bit nervous about the BCM,
> especially after you (Greg) said that your dealer had to replace your
> BCM serveral times before they managed to fix the problem.
> I sure do appreciate the help from all you.

Good to hear! I'm not sure how my dealer managed to break two BCMs, but
my guess is that they (or the bad wire) caused a short while probing the
wires during troubleshooting, and the BCM is not forgiving of shorts.
So they probably just weren't being careful. Dealers aren't always very
forward with information about what actually happens to your car when
you can't see it, but I kept asking questions since they suddenly needed
to hang on to the car for a few days. I didn't mind this too much since
they (actually I think it was my Chrysler service contract) paid for a
rental car. I remember that they let me see my car to retrieve a few
things and there may have been some panels open but I can't remember too
many details---this was in Fall of 2000. They did say that it appeared
to be a wiring flaw that originated at the factory. If the car hadn't
been under warranty I wonder if I would have been charged for a BCM (or
two).

It makes sense that the your problem would be where the wire is under
the most stress since it didn't occur until the car was 6 years old.
Where any other wires broken (3rd brake light etc). The alarm is
apparently connected to something in the trunk lock but I'm not sure
what it does (alerts if the trunk lock cylinder is removed?) I think it
the trunk lock alarm is armed all the time and is unaffected by the
status of the cabin alarm or the position of the trunk lid or lock.

Greg Houston wrote:

> Good to hear!
> ...
> It makes sense that the your problem would be where the wire is under
> the most stress since it didn't occur until the car was 6 years old.

While we're on the subject of bad wiring, my wife's VW has a left
taillight assembly that is not working properly, probably because of
corrosion at the multi-wire connector there. I can't separate the two
halves of the connector for the life of me; it's corroded/frozen
together pretty good. Do you guys have any suggestions? I don't want
to pull so hard I hurt something (or me

"Greg Houston" > wrote in message
...
> Randy wrote:
> > Hooray!
> > I tracked the problem down to an open wire in the trunk wiring harness.
> > It was open where the wire repeatedly bends when the lid is opened /
> > closed. Spliced in a new wire and everything works fine.... the trunk
> > even opens from the key fob remote!
> > I must admit that I was starting to get a bit nervous about the BCM,
> > especially after you (Greg) said that your dealer had to replace your
> > BCM serveral times before they managed to fix the problem.
> > I sure do appreciate the help from all you.
>
> Good to hear! I'm not sure how my dealer managed to break two BCMs, but
> my guess is that they (or the bad wire) caused a short while probing the
> wires during troubleshooting, and the BCM is not forgiving of shorts.
> So they probably just weren't being careful. Dealers aren't always very
> forward with information about what actually happens to your car when
> you can't see it, but I kept asking questions since they suddenly needed
> to hang on to the car for a few days. I didn't mind this too much since
> they (actually I think it was my Chrysler service contract) paid for a
> rental car. I remember that they let me see my car to retrieve a few
> things and there may have been some panels open but I can't remember too
> many details---this was in Fall of 2000. They did say that it appeared
> to be a wiring flaw that originated at the factory. If the car hadn't
> been under warranty I wonder if I would have been charged for a BCM (or
> two).
>
> It makes sense that the your problem would be where the wire is under
> the most stress since it didn't occur until the car was 6 years old.
> Where any other wires broken (3rd brake light etc). The alarm is
> apparently connected to something in the trunk lock but I'm not sure
> what it does (alerts if the trunk lock cylinder is removed?) I think it
> the trunk lock alarm is armed all the time and is unaffected by the
> status of the cabin alarm or the position of the trunk lid or lock.
>
You are correct, the alarm for the deck lid can only be actuated if the lock
cylinder is punched out, once the ground wire to the cylinder looses ground
it triggers the system

Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

Most connectors have a small tab to locks the connector halves together to
prevent them from coming apart. Assuming you looked at the connector closely
and opened the tab, the next thing I would try is to shoot a little WD40 in
each wire socket (hopefully getting some to work its way between each wire
pin and socket). You may have to leave it setup for a day or two before the
corrosion bond is loose enough to separate. After you separate them and
clean the corrosion, use WD-40 to prevent them new corrosion from forming.

"> While we're on the subject of bad wiring, my wife's VW has a left
> taillight assembly that is not working properly, probably because of
> corrosion at the multi-wire connector there. I can't separate the two
> halves of the connector for the life of me; it's corroded/frozen together
> pretty good. Do you guys have any suggestions? I don't want to pull so
> hard I hurt something (or me
>

I have the same problem with my 2002 concorde.
I have 12 volts at the connector in the trunk, but the unit does not
activate.I believe I used to hear the BCM click ( a relay in it) when the
trunk did work. The car is out of warranty, if the BCM is bad aprroximatly
what does it cost in the US?
Lloyd Levitt
East Windsor New Jersey.


"Randy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>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.
>