Caliber Collision broke my trunk

[oktowncar]

Well, I got the trunk shut, it just functions like a regular trunk for the time being, button it open, close it with your hand. The latch on the decklid is nothing more than a regular trunk latch. There appears to be a motor that opens and closes the lid attached to the driver's side support arm. It just mysteriously started working again a few hours later. The part that seems to be having the most issues is behind the license plate (but in the trunk itself). It's a stamped steel assembly that holds what I believe are two sensors, maybe one for "trunk closed" and one for the trunk lighting. There is a motor assembly, looks to be a worm gear driving a round gear. This engages a rack type gear (similar to a rack and pinion arrangement) which moves laterally. It has grooves cut in it that engage the lower latch itself, which moves vertically as the rack slides. For now, I've removed the motor and it's gear, and then slid the rack all the way to one side, causing the latch to move to it's lowest position. In that position, I can close the trunk like every other car with a trunk, and it clicks shut. I don't know if it would turn off the lights, so they're still disabled. It does cancel the "trunk open" alert on the dash.

I would think that if the "trunk open" alert is off your dash then the trunk light should be off too

 

[DoubleJ]

Agreed, but just to be safe I left the bulbs out. The trunk open light also came on for one key cycle with the trunk closed. Also found that the door trunk button doesn't work, it won't unlatch the trunk, only attempts to open it. Key fob and key itself still work fine.