On my 97 Saturn SL1, the decklid (trunk) release lever does not open the trunk anymore. The lever is located on the floor on the left hand side of the driver seat, adjacent to the fuel door release lever.

The trunk does open by using the remote transmitter (keyfob).

I would like to troubleshoot this issue but I cannot seem to find the Decklid Switch. In order to determine whether the issue is a bad RKE module (Remote Keyless Entry) I need to test voltage in and around this switch.

Does anyone have any idea where it is located? I wanted to ask the forum before I go hunting for it under the floor or in the dashboard footwells.

 

I fixed Saturn's manual for them, since they forgot to put the switch location:

 

I seriously suspect it's somewhere on the passenger side of the vehicle, since it has to be somewhere between the cabin fuse box and the RKE, and the RKE is behind the rear passenger seat.

 

My 97 sc2 had an electrically activated trunk latch release. You pulled up on the lever by the driver's seat. This pulled a cable that triggered the latch on the trunk lid to release. You could hear the mechanicals going on.

I would think a relay is involved. It may be part of the latch mechanism.

Can't check my 95 as I'm not home.

Check wiring diagram on charm.li

If the trunk opens w the fob , not sure why you'd be looking for the rke stuff unless you know the aforementioned relay is shared with the lever pull setup.

 

Yes... this diagram was on charm.li ...




First let me say I am by no means, in any way qualified, to understand these diagrams. Tell me if I'm wrong, but the diagram seems to indicate that the Liftgate Release Switch is an input into the RKE via circuit 1576.
The Liftgate Release Switch is also fed by the IP junction block on circuit 340E. These are precisely the circuits that this diagnostic flowchart says to check in order to determine the root cause (either bad RKE or open circuits). The only problem is, I don't know where the damn switch is. The "Location" section of Trunk / Liftgate Switch is left empty (Thanks Saturn).

Like you said, the physical lever for the liftgate is located on the floor, left of the driver seat. But the lever runs under the sheet metal of the floor and I am unable to track where it goes.
I was hoping someone knew where the connector is actually located so that I can perform the tests described in the flow chart.




It seems that Saturn did a great job of detailing a precise root causing process for exactly this issue (Liftgate Release Lever fails but Remote Liftgate release works).

But the location of the connector is not on any of the wiring diagrams that I've seen...

I hate to let little things like this stop functioning. I was hoping someone knew where the connector is located before i start removing the seat and carpet to track it down.

 

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/s...saturn-sl2--24

Site blocks screen shots.

For second generation Saturns, looks like high up behind the right passenger door.

Only question is whether the wiring diagram above is for second generation or third generation Saturns. No idea whether anything changed or which of the two generations is represented by the diagram above

 

The RKE module location is indeed known. What is not known is the location of the aforementioned Decklid Release Switch. I am about to go under the carpet now to see if i can find it.

 

I am happy to say that I found the switch connector. It was under the carpet, under the driver seat, with the orange and black wire described by the diagram in the manual.



...however I never got to doing any testing on it, because it wasn't necessary. The problem was with the mechanical device that the trunk release lever and gasolone door lever are attached to. There is a little button on a switch that the lever is supposed to press when you pull the lever, but it has fell out of alignment with the lever.

I don't have the energy to complain about the fact that there is no description or mention of this device in the repair manual, and I don't have the energy to complain that the designers decided to hide the button that opens the trunk under a steel beam that you can only access by removing the driver's seat, 2 pieces of trim, and the carpet. For some reason they decided to put this button there and that you have to press it by pulling a lever, so that if that lever fails you are basically up **** creek. It would just make way too much sense to put this button on the dash board or center console... nevertheless... you can remove the mechanism by popping off the little gas can and trunk release lever handles without damaging them... that gives the levers enough space to be removed through the little hole and through the back of the steel beam, where there is another hole. It was secured by a single 10mm bolt.

The damn thing had fallen apart but was simple enough to figure out how to put back together so the lever actually presses the button. I had to bend the bracket and the levers a little too, to keep them from scraping against eachother and the frame...








Praise the Lord that it's fixed.

 

Never would have known any of this.
Admire your perseverance.

Seems like sticky material to me.

 

Thanks for the support, once again!

Chatgpt helped me identify the switch that is part of the mechanism.

It is made by Omron, a company that manufactures thousands of different kidns of switches.
(In case you need a new one.)

The exact part number is printed on the side of it.

https://omronfs.omron.com/en_US/ecb/...df/en-d2vw.pdf