Hey gang, New to the board...hoping you can help. Completely baffled with this one. Got an 88 Trans GTA. When I go to press the Trunk release button in the car or on my alarm keychain, 98% of the time the 'Brake' (parking brake) light comes on and nothing happens. Push the button...see the light (and hear a ding)...but no trunk release. That other 2%...that's the bigger mystery when out of nowhere...the button will work! I've noticed in these situations that once it starts working, it KEEPS working until I start the car...and then I'm back to square one again where the button quits opening the latch. Checked fuses - all look good & tight. Checked connections at the latch...all look good there too. Far from me rewiring the whole thing, does anyone have any insights? THANKS SO MUCH!

You mention an alarm remote? If the aftermarket alarm is connected improperly say by using a positive pulse sent directly to the rear hatch solenoid then it is possible that the power is backfeeding into other circuits at the dash. If that's the case a simple 12 volt diode will fix the problem. If a negative trigger is used it also depends on at what point the circuit is tapped into. Try pulling the fuse to the main alarm brain and see what happens when you press the hatch release button. If it functions properly and remains stable when the alarm brain is disconnected then the problem is on the alarm wiring. If not then it might be a bad diode on the hatch release relay. Heck it might even be both. Hope this helps.

Thanks Mike. I tried what you said, and even disconnected the ENTIRE alarm system - pulled out all wires from the car until no alarm was left and all original wiring was back to the way it should be. Still the same result. Trunk button will not work.

When you say it might be a "bad diode on the hatch release relay", what does that mean? Where is this relay exactly? Would there be a way for me to test this component?

Don't get me wrong - I'm well versed with cars...just not Trans Ams. Still learning the inner workings of her...u know?

Thanks so much for any additional assistance you can provide.

First determine whether you have a release relay circuit or just a switch wired directly to the release solenoid. The image showing the release relay location will help. Also listen very carefully to the front of the vehicle when you press the hatch release button. If you hear a click and the hatch solenoid popping then you have a relay if no click is heard but you still hear the solenoid popping then you probably do not.
The release relay is grounded through several switches as you can see by the diagram. The yellow leg coming from the relay coil is the ground but only when the shift selector switch is in the park or neutral position. If any of these several contacts are corroded it will stop the relay from operating. I've also seen some relays with a diode on the ground leg. (A diode is a component which only allows power to flow in one direction.) This diagram does not show a diode because of the way it is designed. This diagram shows the way the engineers designed this circuit to prevent the hatch mechanism from being actuated while the car is being driven or moving down the road. A safety feature I'm sure. If you want to temporarily bypass this design just cut the yellow wire from the relay and ground the relay side of the wire. Be sure and tape off the other side of the yellow wire so it will not ground out.
Also it is possible you have a weak release solenoid or simply dirty connections. If you do not have the release relay design then your switch connections might be corroded. Try running a hot wire directly from the the battery to the power connection on the solenoid. If it pops quickly then you have a ground or power supply connection problem.
As you can tell, diagnosing any wiring problem can be complex, especially when multiple connections are present. I hope the diagrams help you to locate the fault.
MM

Thanks SOOO much for this guys. It gives me a much better direction than what I had beforehand. I really appreciate it.

i got that same issue, brake light and all. im going to replace the relay

Well here's an interesting update - I took the center console completely out and wouldn't you know it...the button works fine now! I did absolutely nothing else but remove that console. Soooo, the ONLY reason I could think it works is that maybe it actually IS wired through the ebrake for safety. If the brake isn't engaged, the trunk won't open (hence the light). So I'm thinking maybe my console just prevented me from lifting the brake lever up high enough to be considered 'engaged' electronically to release the hatch. So before you start changing relays, make sure you've got that lever as high as it'll go, maybe even removing the console to get it even higher. That did the trick for me (or so it would seem for the time being!). Good luck...

Both of mine are wired through the e-brake ground (both 5-speed cars). The hatch will not release unless the brake is set. The ground switch is at the base of the handle/lever.

I kinda have the same problem....Kinda.....My hatch will ONLY pop open when the engine is off. I push the button, and the brake light comes on and hatch Will pop open. If the car is running and in "Park", the "Brake" light comes on but hatch WONT pop.......! Is this normal?

Oh, the car is STOCK! No alarm, No keyless entry.....nothing! Just stock wiring.