Boot Open Warning light and message on console.

Did you get his resolved, I am hanging a similar problem and any help would be appreciated

check the little plunger on the boot that turns the lights on and off and triggers the alarm, on my 1999, when the boots open it is to the right of the lock

I have fitted a new switch because the previous one was not turning the lights off when it was pressed with the boot open, the new switch fixed this and I assumed would therefore resolve the boot open warning message.
However after a few days the message suddenly came back on randomly when I was driving, stayed on for a while and just as randomly went back off again, this is now happening regularly ............ very frustrating as I can't lock the car as the alarm activates.
I have seen members posts suggesting checking the wiring loom in the boot hinge area for a broken wire but as the issue can disappear for days I'm not convinced a broken wire s the cause and wondered if the fault closes that had accumulated in the vehicle management system from when I had the original problem could be responsible, do you know if they should be cleared?

Hi the loom that runs along the off side boot hinge under the plastic cover is worth a look for the little effort it involves,mine was causing problems with the number plate lights and on close inspection there was a broken wire causing intermittent faults. The lock actuator feeds must run through that loom,so at least a check would eliminate it as a possible cause.

It cant do any harm to clear any codes you have.

it might be worth checking the switch again, maybe taping it in the closed position to see what happens, it might not be getting pushed in enough when the boot is closed and as you go over bumps, it gets jarred and the car thinks the boot is open.

once the switch has been ruled if the problem persists it looks like the loom will be the next step.

The problem with checking the loom is it could look fine to the eye, but the break in the wire could be inside the plastic wire sheath and not visible.

good luck

Thanks for the advice, checked the switch, it was working fine, however once I checked the loom at the RH boot hinge I immediately realised there could be an issue here. Instead of finding the plastic cable sheath I was expecting I found a mass of black electricians tape bound round the sheath which was jammed under the boot hinge.

As I have owned the car from new and have never had an issue here I can only assume that the dealer who I used to use to service the car has found the harness damaged and made a repair, which I assume has now partially failed and must be the root cause of the issue.

I am in Spain at present with the car so will not disturb the wiring further just now but will remove the tape when I get back to the UK and carry out a more permanent and/or reliable fix.

It sounds like you might be close to finding the trouble, bad practice of the dealer to bodge a repair and not even notify you.

I have now repaired this issue and it was the Wiring harness that had been crushed in the hinge. Took about 45 minutes to repair the wiring.

Andy,

I have exactly the same issue myself but my car is in Spain just now with me and I don't want to start messing with the wiring until I get the car home, once I freed the harness from under the boot hinge the problem cured itself but there is evidence of a botched previous repair by the garage, probably from when the car was still under warranty!!.............electricians tape would all around the plastic harness sheath which shows obvious signs of having been crushed.

Can you tell me what you had to do to repair the wiring incase I find damaged wires when I remove the tape........it doesn't look like an easy area to work in and my experience with soldering irons etc is non existent and I am concerned that in trying to repair what I find I make matters worse?

Cheers

Jose

Jose. I didn't do any soldering just replaced the crushed strands of cable(3) and used electrical joints rather than soldering.

Andy - I assume you can buy some sort of kit to repair wires so I will get hold f one before I start removing the electricians ate and inspecting the damage more closely.........how did you find carrying out the repair, t loos like a really awkward place to access to carry out what I assume is quite an intricate job? - Stewart

Can you access the are from inside the car via lowered rear seats

That sounds like it will be worth a try I guess with a decent light source it should be possible to work on the harness lying inside the boot area, thanks for the idea

One more thing, get yourself a good pair of automatic wire strippers, they will even strip the plastic off the middle of a course without cutting it.

Thanks, I'll make a post once I get the job sorted

You can access the harness from the boot. Just strip out the lining and plastic fittings and you will see the harness. It's just a case of seeing which wires are damaged and replacing them. (they were obvious on my car) Make sure you disconnect the battery before you start to make sure you dont get a jolt. You can buy a kit from any electrical shop like Maplins to repair cables.

Cheers, thanks for the advice, I will get onto it once I get home.........I will post again once I finally resolve the issue

Hi Keith welcome to our forums.

Shame the poster didn't let us know the cause if he didn't sell the car.

Since yours is partially working I would start by lubricating the lock and hinges.

Go round the car and lubricate all door locks, the little flap in the ignition lock, the bonnet latches etc.

Next find the switch which senses the boot is open or shut, it may be intermittent or need adjusting.

Your problem is probably a breaking wire in the boot lid loom, where it bends and flexes, so youll have to cut the insulation off and check every wire carefully.