Black wire in the boot - what is it?

[Quicksilver]

I had to take out the rear trim in the boot to change a blown rear light globe. With the trim off I noticed a black wire with a break in it running across the rear of the boot between the lights. Everything works lightwise so I dont know what this wire powers. The car is a NB8A.

Could it be to do with the electric antenna, which doesn't retract on my car? I didn't have any proper connections handy so just tried doing a makeshift join and it didnt make the antenna work. Anybody know what this wire does?

[Okibi]

It could go to an alarm trigger, can you take a photo and i'll look in our car?

[Quicksilver]

Thanks Okibi. Is there an alarm trigger in the boot? What alarm?

Photo attached shows lead coming from right side light connector.The masking tape in the photo was already there which is rather odd too. Hard to imagine someone on the factory production line with a roll of masking tape.

I would be surprised if it is the antenna connection as I believe that feeds down the left side of the car. I might go down to Supercheap and get a proper wire connector later and see if anything magical happens.

[bruce]

Electric boot release (nahhh, they're cable operated?)
Self-destruct wire...!

[Quicksilver]

Self-destruct wire...!

Actually you might be on the right track Bruce! This is weird - I connected the black wire up and the left rear indicator woudn't work. Broke the connection again and the indicator works. Probably someone experimented with something and failed. My car has after market Rhino remote door locking - maybe they tried to connect it to the boot release and got it wrong Guess I'll just leave it alone.

[Okibi]

Have you looked around the boot mechanism? There might be what's left of a remote boot actuator etc. It might be a matter of grounding out that wire or hooking it up to a fuse/battery for it to work.

My NA had a remote boot release when I got it, the previous owner said it was broken but when I looked at it, all it needed was a new fuse.

[Quicksilver]

Doesn't look like anything but the standard mechanical latch Okibi. I'm not too fussed about a remote for the boot anyway. Funny thing is on the Commodore you cant use a key for the boot, only the remote, and so many times I still look for a place to put the key in.

[Regie]

didnt have an aftermarket spoiler with brake light did it?

[Quicksilver]

didnt have an aftermarket spoiler with brake light did it?

Good thinking but no evidence of that Regie. I still suspect they were trying to power the boot release to work from the remote. The remote fob has two buttons, one operateds the door locks, the other does nothing. Makes sense they might have tried to rig up the boot release for the second button. I just wish they had taken the wire out instead of leaving it for a future owner to wonder about!

[zombie]

Don't shoot me if you already know this, but...

With many (most?) 2 button remotes you will need to hold the 2nd button for 4-5 seconds before the boot release works.

If it's a dynamco alarm, even if the remote boot release isn't connected to anything, the alarm will still flash the indicators (3 or 4 times) to let you know it has triggered the boot release relay.

At least the alarm on my 10AE did that, and that did not have a boot release actuator installed.

I had the second button hooked up to my garage door opener instead

[TieNN89]

Quicksilver, that black wire which colour wire is it tapped into? and I assume thats the D/S tail light?

[Okibi]

Boot or underbody neons?

[TieNN89]

LOL


and where does this wire go to?

does it hook into the tail light wires on the other side?

[Quicksilver]

LOL


and where does this wire go to?

does it hook into the tail light wires on the other side?

Yes it does go into the light connections on the left. Do you have a brilliant idea Tien???

[TieNN89]

still not sure

but could you find out which wire colour it is tap into on each side

that would help me/us find out what exactly that wire is doing


and i highly doubt its ur electric antenna