I have a 1988 GTA . Trunk release button does not open the trunk. Trunk opens just fine with the key (hatch motor works). When the car is turned off and I press the trunk release button BRAKE light comes on. If the car is turned on and it is pressed, nothing happens. Please help. Thanks

 

Was the car swapped from auto to stick ??

Are the wires in the correct position ??

Tan/White = E-Brake

Brown = hatch button
Orange = hatch button

 

Car never had a swap.

Sorry for the dumb question but Where do I check these wires?

 

Are these wires near fuse panel? Thank you

 

Make sure that the ground wire is in place from the 10mm screw (attaching the solenoid to the latch assy) and the body ground location below the pull-down unit. The hatch release solenoid is electrically isolated from ground and this ground wire MUST be present.

Lon

 

The ground wire is definitely there.

 

In my 82, the parking brake has to be engaged to use the hatch release button.

 

I had two Camaros, 1990 and 1992. Never had to use the parking brake to open the hatch. You are right, I tried it and it worked. The car's parking brake has to be engaged to open the hatch! Thanks!

 

It kicked my butt for a few months until I found it in the owners manual.

 

Omfg I have just assumed there was a short in the switch
I have owned several camaros and as long as it was in park running or not it popped the hatch But the 88gta needs the brake light on to work lol so crazy

 

Engaging the parking brake to pop the Hatch open is a safety feature. However on an auto equipped car you should be able to pop the Hatch open using the switch with the engine off and car in park or neutral. If you turn on the engine, then you would need to engage the parking brake in order to pop the hatch. Maybe you neutral safety switch is bad or needs to be adjusted?

If you don't have one already you should get a Camaro or Firebird Service manual for you year of car. It is available new from www.helminc.com or used on ebay.

Lon

 

I have the manual for my car. And you are correct. It says that as long as car is auto and in Neutral or Park, hatch should open. I do have a notchback, could that have anything to do with it? Funny thing is that if the car is not running and i press that hatch button, without engaging the handbrake, it actually lights up BRAKE on the dash, as a warning to engage it. Do you still think its Neutral safety switch? If so where do I find it? Thanks!

 

my gta is an auto and it still needs the parking brake engaged if the car is running