Hello All,
It's been a few months since I was here last and I'm returning to ask for help. I will give as thorough a background as I can in hopes this will help with an accurate diagnosis.
Several years ago now my boot/trunk illumination lights became wonky and then finally gave up the ghost. I am certain that this is not because the lamps themselves are bad. Before they completely went dead the lights would very occasionally come on when the trunk lid was about 50% of the way open then go out as it continued to raise further. I had presumed this was likely a short in one of the lines in the harness that had flexed one time too many. I had also presumed that the two lights were on the same electrical line - this does not appear to be true but instead there is a purple-white and red-yellow wire for each light in the harness.
Every once in a while my trunk button would misbehave, too, but this always had resolved itself.
This brings us to today. After cleaning out my trunk I decided the time had come to check out the wiring harness that runs between the main car body and the trunk via the right side trunk hinge. Took the cover off, snipped the various cable ties, and thought I'd end up with the lights coming on as I gently manipulated the wires a bit: they didn't. On top of it all now everything that is electrical that is on the trunk lid (and uses that harness) no longer functions: trunk lights, trunk open button, & license plate illumination lights.
The fact that all of these have gone dead at one time makes me very strongly suspect that we have an issue with lack of grounding here, but I don't know how the trunk is grounded to the chassis. It could be via a strap I haven't yet located that's come loose or it could be through one or more of the lines in the harness that have somehow developed shorts all at once (unlikely, I know, but. . .).
All suggestions regarding how to best troubleshoot this would be appreciated. The only thing that still works is the key in the keyhole on the trunk lid!
Brian