Ok, I've searched about my boot lights not working on my estate. The boot locks and unlocks. but the boot doesn't show up the door open light on the dash when it's open.

I searched and it's suggested it's the microswitch. What's the microswitch? I've taken a picture of the boot locking mechanism, so if someone could point out the microswitch, that'd be great.

 

Follow the white/blue and black/blue wires. Turn the key one way and the white/blue is shorted to ground. Turn it the other way and the black/blue is shorted to ground.

Ermmm Ok. How will this help? Or am I being daft?

I've just noticed you have a lighting problem. That is the brown/black wire.

What year/trim leven is this car?

2003 ambiante (however it's spelt)

what part is the microswitch then?

Ermmm Ok. How will this help? Or am I being daft?

It is more likely to be a wire than the switch, so it makes sense to test the switch without pulling things apart. The most likely place to find such problems is where the wires go from the tailgate lid to the body.

ahhhh got ya I'll check tomorrow then cheers

When I had a problem with the boot lights in my estate, It turned out to be water corrosion to the wiring in the nearside of the boot. Within the wiring loom locate the brown wire with black trace where both boot lights, the dash signal and the wire going to the tailgate switch connect together before going off to the switch itself.  This joint is where my one failed.

Ok cheers, so by the multi cd changer? 

Ok, so I've found the cables, cut the old connector thing off and just twisted the cables together for now.

I see 3 red/blue

But 4 brown black

Still not working. Light doesn't show up on dash, car locks if I only open boot after locking, and boot lights don't come on. I have the cables for the boot lights this way.

Are there any fuses relating to this at all?

O and I think the reason for the corrosion will be because of the rear washer jet pipe being down there. So I put some self amalgamating tape around the join for good measure.

Hi, you should have 12volts on the red/blue and the brown/black on to earth though the switch when the boot is open. 

 

 

"Just a standard warning don't play with any electrics if you are unsure consulate a qualified electrician"

Don't have a multi meter at present.

Well all 4 black and brown are joined and the 3 blue and red joined. So guess it's the switch. Fuse is no. F38 but that controls the central locking too.

So either the microswitch or all 4 brown/black shouldn't be connected together and should be 2 separate cables, but wouldn't make much sense being the same colour.

Any ideas?

Got the boot lights and dash lights working. The micro switch was unplugged.

But they don't go off, when it's closed, locked, never goes off.

Had a look, it's definitely the microswitch, two bits of plastic slide about in it, one cuts off the current when the boots closed and locked.

One of the bits of plastic is weak and bends against the other moving bit of plastic. Resulting in it being trapped and the current allowing to flow whether is open or closed. I'll post pics in a second.

Unplugged and microswitch location

The microswitch

And the flimsy bit if plastic that cuts off the current.