I could not get my trunk button to work. The one that is located on the rear bumper right by the license plate. Instead of cleaning the old button, I just bought a new one. Just installed it, and still cannot get the button to work. The FOB works, and the button on the dash works, but the rear button just doesn't do anything. Not sure where to go from here, or if anyone else has had the problem. Any ideas? Figure the fuses are good because the rest of the buttons work, but that is the only thing I can think of other than tracing wiring.

 

Mine did the same thing, stopped working after 500 Miles and 1 month on my 2013 Grand Sport. I took it apart and cleaned it per the thread on the Forum. It still didn't work. I decided hey it's cheap I'm going to take this thing apart and see what else could be wrong. That's when I noticed that the date code on the body of the switch was 2004 on my February 2013 born GRAND SPORT. If it's clean behind the rubber button like mine was disassemble the switch, it's very easy it just pops apart with a little prying form a small screwdriver, and look at the contacts. Mine was as green as the Amazon. I cleaned them up with fine grit sandpaper, applied a dielectric grease, and voila good as new and has been that way for 3500 miles and 8 months. Hope this helps.

 

It seems odd that I would need to clean a new switch, but I will have to give it a look and see. I never use it, but would still like it to work. Thanks for the advice and will update once I give it a shot.

 

Do you have the fob near by when you try to open it?

 

Check the date code on the body of the 'NEW' Switch. They may not have made it the day before you bought it. Like I said my 'NEW' 5 month old 2013 Corvette had a switch that was a 2004 date code. That's 8 or 9 years sitting on a shelf in the warehouse in Bowling Green, but still a new switch when they installed it when they built the car. The one that you bought could be as old if not older depending on where you got it. Remember this is the same switch on all C6s 2005-2013. C6 production started in 2004. I have been told that this is the same switch on the C5, I don't personally know because I have never owned or opened the hatch on a C5. If that is true the switch could be a date code of 1996 for a production year 1997 Corvette.

And yes make sure the FOB is in your pocket.

 

EVRose, yes the FOB was in my hand, pocket, and then right next to the button when trying. I was waving it all over trying to see if perhaps it wasn't seeing it. Don't think it has to do with the FOB. Will have to go home and check the button now.

 

The button is just a simple switch...I would try just touching the two wires together and see if the trunk opens. If connecting the wires together does nothing, then the problem is further up the chain than the button.

 

cclive, now that is what I am talking about. Don't know why that didn't click in my head. Makes sense. I will check out the button, and then give that a go. I have a line tester with a small breaker in it to test it with so I don't accidentally blow something. Good call cclive.

 

If the antenna in the rear is not working, the switch won't work either.

This would be the next thing to check, IMHO.

 

This is true...whether the car is locked or unlocked, the trunk always requires the fob to be there for it to open with the button by the license plate.

 

How would I go about checking the antenna in the rear?

 

Unfortunately, if you don't have an RF Spectrum Analyzer or RF Scanner (looking for 315Mhz), the best you can hope for is a disconnected/pinched/broken cable. Or a failed antenna, which IMHO seems unlikely.

In another recent post, you said you were having trouble with your 3rd brake light. Could you have inadvertently unplugged/interrupted the antenna cable?

The antenna is located on the back wall of the trunk, behind the carpet. It's in the center, below the latch. There is a U-shaped bracket that the antenna slides into, from the passenger side.

It has a single connector with 2 wires, pink and pink/black. It connects directly to the RCDLR in the dash so you can't just test it for voltage/ground continuity. A dealer with a Scan Tool can check for a DTC code and diagnose the circuit.

Check what you can, and the harness, and hopefully it's something obvious.

Good luck.

 

When I noticed the button wasn't working, I hadn't even attempted to switch the third brake light out, so I don't think I would have messed with it then. It was probably this way when I bought it about a month ago. I am about to put the third brake light in tonight, so perhaps I will have to check and see what the plug is up to and do a little more investigating to see how it is working. I wonder if I put my FOB up toward the front of the car, if the antenna up there will detect it, and the button on the back will work. Could set the FOB on the roof or wipers and walk to the back and try. If that would work normally, that would be a quick way to rule out the antenna or not, at least it logically makes sense. The only snag in that plan would be if the rear antenna must detect the FOB for the button to work. We will know here shortly if that works or not.

 

The fob has to be outside the car and within 1 meter +/- of the rear antenna for the rear button to work.

The car sends a signal via the rear transmit antenna to the fob when the button is pushed. The fob then replies/sends a signal back to the RCDLR's receive antenna and if everything is good, the trunk will open.

 

Nope...the fob has to be outside the trunk within a couple of feet of the button....sorry.

 

Haha, just checked that. Replaced my third brake light too, didn't fix the issue. Got one for cheap, so I am not too concerned with that, but frustrated that didn't fix it. No wonder I got such a good deal on the car. Well, all these things are minor, and I know I can fix them, it is just chasing down the electrical gremlins. I will check fuses again and see if I missed something, I will also get my code reader back from a buddy and see what is going on code wise. It's the little things that drive you up the wall. None of this effects driveability, or the smile on my face when I see the car, but none the less, it still drives me crazy. I appreciate all the help so far.

 

Having the same problem on my 2013 GS Vert

 

Solution to my problem posted on another one of my threads. See link to Third Brake Light Trouble

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-t...-troubles.html

 

That is very close to what the inside of my trunk release button looked like.