# How to open trunk when car is on?



## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

Take out the key from ignition first. Then press the button or open from back. I hate this too....


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## tecollins1 (Nov 6, 2011)

If your latch button on your trunk still works all you have to do is unlock the car by pressing the unlock button below the radio then press the latch release button on the trunk.

Alot of people's trunk buttons are needing to be replaced, mine included. If this dosent work the only way is to use the key fob while the key is out of the ignition. As cruise-cruze had previously posted. Then when you have time take it to the dealership to replace. I belive they have to replace the whole chrome piece on the back of the trunk.


Sent from iPhone 4


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...more "grains-of-sand" causing customer *irritation* with GM's "lack" of *quality-control *in the Cruze, ie: too many _little_ (and _*BIG*_) things going wrong/failing too soon.


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

If your engine is running you can NOT open it! Just checked again...


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## tecollins1 (Nov 6, 2011)

CRUISE-CRUZE said:


> If your engine is running you can NOT open it! Just checked again...


I use to do it when it worked...

?:/

Can anyone else confirm lol 

Sent from iPhone 4


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## Record_player (Nov 16, 2011)

CRUISE-CRUZE said:


> If your engine is running you can NOT open it! Just checked again...


yes you can. the car must be in park and the doors unlocked. if both of those are true then pushing the button under the bowtie will open the trunk


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## XtremeAaron (Jan 22, 2012)

Record_player said:


> yes you can. the car must be in park and the doors unlocked. if both of those are true then pushing the button under the bowtie will open the trunk


This.

Sent from my HTC Incredible 2.


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## ack23 (Mar 1, 2012)

Okay thanks guys! I will try this tomorrow and see if it works. I felt like an idiot when the kid loading the car couldn't open it and I had to shut off the car and pull the key out of the ignition. So basically, if the trunk will not open with the car in park and doors unlocked then there is a problem?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

On the MT, put the gear shift in neutral and pull the hand brake. Then you can use the button under the bow-tie to open the trunk while the engine is running.


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

Record_player said:


> yes you can. the car must be in park and the doors unlocked. if both of those are true then pushing the button under the bowtie will open the trunk


Ah, my bad, I forgot to mention I have MT so if the engine running with car in N, even I unlock the doors, I’m not able to open the trunk neither from remote or from the back. I'll try tomorrow with the hand brake. However I added a remote starter that has additional remote. With that I can open the trunk no matter if the engine is running or not.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Trying to remember a grocery store where a kid loads your groceries, not only have to do that, but bag them yourself, even check out your groceries by yourself. But can remember that when hamburger was 25 cents a pound. 

Could open any GM trunk with a spare key, even running behind one going 80 mph, but that is also history. If you did have a trunk lock, a spare key will only cost you 85 bucks. Door unlocks always work, regardless of the circumstances, can have your boy load the groceries in the back seat, just make sure he puts the heavy stuff on the floor. Can also drop your rear seat backs from the inside, crawl back and pull that emergency lever, provided you don't have anything large in the trunk that can only be removed from the rear. 

Could mount a new switch, trunk release solenoid only needs 12V, but would have to be diode isolated or else you will fry yout BCM. Could also always leave your trunk open and tie it down with bungee cord. Stepson was doing that with his mom's car when someone rear ended him and ran away.

Always wondered about these movies where someone is locked in the trunk, haven't found one yet that can't be opened from the inside. Guess they don't know anything about cars. 

Can also carry a large pry bar, but only good once. Trunk unlocking when possible is done by the BCM and controlled by firmware, could ask you dealer to change that, but he can't, doesn't have the source code. Sure GM would want you to sign a disclosure.


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## lilmrsyeti (Mar 3, 2012)

Mine will open with the car running...as long as the doors are unlocked...you just have to go around to the trunk and push the switch that is right under the Chevy Symbol on the trunk...but no, It won't open with the Key Fob if the car is running.


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## ack23 (Mar 1, 2012)

lilmrsyeti said:


> Mine will open with the car running...as long as the doors are unlocked...you just have to go around to the trunk and push the switch that is right under the Chevy Symbol on the trunk...but no, It won't open with the Key Fob if the car is running.


I tested it today and it worked fine, my guess is that the kid loading the car just didn't press the button or something. Thanks everyone!


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## ack23 (Mar 1, 2012)

NickD said:


> Trying to remember a grocery store where a kid loads your groceries, not only have to do that, but bag them yourself, even check out your groceries by yourself.


Heinen's in Northeast Ohio is where I shop. Great store. Family owned, high quality produce, meat, etc. And yes, they ring out, bag, and load the groceries into your car.


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## mido (Sep 28, 2011)

I have this question :
If the car battery is dead , how will we open the trunk ? any ideas?


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

mido said:


> I have this question :
> If the car battery is dead , how will we open the trunk ? any ideas?


It's in your owners manual, drop the rear seats, crawl in, and pull the emergency release handle. But they don't tell you what to do if your trunk is full, so best to keep it empty. Another alternative is to carry a spare 12 V car battery with you, I think my wife has one in her purse.


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## gman19 (Apr 5, 2011)

NickD said:


> It's in your owners manual, drop the rear seats, crawl in, and pull the emergency release handle. But they don't tell you what to do if your trunk is full, so best to keep it empty. Another alternative is to carry a spare 12 V car battery with you, I think my wife has one in her purse.


Yeah...it's amazing how much stuff the gals can fit into a good sized purse!


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Another solution to open your trunk, unsnap that green handle, tie a cord to it, run it through the split in the seat backs to the drivers section. Just give it a pull to unlock your trunk. Even works at 80 mph.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

NickD said:


> Another solution to open your trunk, unsnap that green handle, tie a cord to it, run it through the split in the seat backs to the drivers section. Just give it a pull to unlock your trunk. Even works at 80 mph.


WWRGD?

What would Red Green Do?


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

Jim Frye said:


> WWRGD?
> 
> What would Red Green Do?


...wire that *green handle *to a *parachute*...to stop "suddener" when *Smokey the Bear *is around!


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Actually don't even know if my Cruze will do 80 mph, absolute maximum speed limit in my state is 65 mph, but from all indications, it will go much faster than that, it will also run stop and traffic signals, and dead positive, I could drive it into a tree. Also know its broadcasting to the world whether I am wearing my safety belt or not.

Just saying that for these important things, my Cruze has no control over me, but for something extremely trivial like under what conditions you can open the trunk, Cruze has complete control. Does this make any sense?

An even more undesirable feature I have found is only have one external door lock, and of all places on the drivers' side door. Where you can be parked on a street, have a snow plow splash water on it and freeze that one lock. And if it does work, only releases that one door that can also be frozen. This has to be the easiest vehicle in the world to lock yourself out of! What were they thinking? And not a **** thing you can do about it, even with an engineering degree. All firmware controlled within the confines of the firmware installed in flashram in the BCM. Use to make cars, even when the doors were locked, would unlock them by the act of closing the door so this wouldn't happen. What in the **** is their thinking?


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## Eugene_C (Mar 15, 2012)

What if you have an extra key? Can you walk around and unlock it with the key while the engine is on?


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## cornbreesha (Apr 29, 2012)

NickD said:


> Another alternative is to carry a spare 12 V car battery with you, I think my wife has one in her purse.
> 
> 
> gman19 said:
> ...


^ So true... I even fit my doomsday prep kit in there too ;P
I am pretty sure my trunk doesn't open with the fob thing even if I am in park with the key in ignition, guess I will check in the a.m. Which reminds me, my spare key fob doesn't unlock doors or trunk at all ... blah


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## cwe1988 (Apr 27, 2012)

I can't believe Chevy didn't add an interior button for trunk release! This makes me glad I decided to get the LTZ.... I can still use the trunk release button on the fob when the car is running... Or the button underneath the rear bowtie as was previously mentioned.


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

Not having a trunk release button inside saves weight.

Don't ask, just accept it. Lulz.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

cwe1988 said:


> I can't believe Chevy didn't add an interior button for trunk release! This makes me glad I decided to get the LTZ.... I can still use the trunk release button on the fob when the car is running... Or the button underneath the rear bowtie as was previously mentioned.


Why? The LTZ doesnt have the interior trunk release button either.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

iKermit said:


> Not having a trunk release button inside saves weight.
> 
> Don't ask, just accept it. Lulz.


Really? How much? If that's why they decided to leave the interior trunk release button out of the Cruze then Chevy has some major issues!


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## AkotaHsky (Feb 11, 2012)

iKermit said:


> Not having a trunk release button inside saves weight.
> 
> Don't ask, just accept it. Lulz.


Rofl.


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

Starks8 said:


> Really? How much? If that's why they decided to leave the interior trunk release button out of the Cruze then Chevy has some major issues!


I was playing, there is a lot of things that don't make sense in the car, like why name it Cruze, and not bring it standard? Why give me bluetooth and not motorized side mirrors?

Etc.


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## AkotaHsky (Feb 11, 2012)

iKermit said:


> I was playing, there is a lot of things that don't make sense in the car, like why name it Cruze, and not bring it standard? Why give me bluetooth and not motorized side mirrors?
> 
> Etc.


Why name any car anything 

What do you mean standard?


An I did get motorized mirrors and bluetooth. So nyeh!


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## TechCruzer (Mar 15, 2012)

Eugene_C said:


> What if you have an extra key? Can you walk around and unlock it with the key while the engine is on?


Don't know about the other years... the 2012 does not have a keyhole on the trunk. So, you either unlock it via the KF, the dash button, or the manual release from within the back seat.


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

AkotaHsky said:


> Why name any car anything
> 
> What do you mean standard?
> 
> ...


I meant,

Why name it Cruze and not bring Cruise Control standard. lol... Sorry had a brain shart


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## AkotaHsky (Feb 11, 2012)

iKermit said:


> I meant,
> 
> Why name it Cruze and not bring Cruise Control standard. lol... Sorry had a brain shart



That makes a bit more sense. LOL


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## AkotaHsky (Feb 11, 2012)

TechCruzer said:


> Don't know about the other years... the 2012 does not have a keyhole on the trunk. So, you either unlock it via the KF, the dash button, or the manual release from within the back seat.



Dash Button? We don't have a magical dash button. Its the FOB or the Trunk Button! None have Keyholes in the trunk.

Where is your dash button sir?


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## TechCruzer (Mar 15, 2012)

AkotaHsky said:


> Dash Button? We don't have a magical dash button. Its the FOB or the Trunk Button! None have Keyholes in the trunk.
> 
> Where is your dash button sir?


This one... it controls the trunk (locking mechanism) as well, car either on or off.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Used to be Standard/Deluxe that changed to Deluxe/Super Deluxe, that changed to Super Deluxe/ Ultra Deluxe, etc., etc., etc. Names are all arbitrary, sales always took care of this, typically at a country club when stoned drunk. Just saying, don't try to assign any logic to it.

LT use to stand for Luxury Touring, or maybe its Luxury Trim options, still the same old body and perhaps even the same drive train, just paying for more problems with higher luxury options. Or perhaps convenience options, but not very convenient to you or to your credit card when you have major problems with them.

What's bad is when they come up with a name that can be phonically pronounce correctly ten different ways. Depending upon whom you are speaking with, no matter how you pronounce it, it's wrong. 

Cruze using basically all soft touch low current switches, one exception is the ignition switch, still a very low current switch, but keeps closed contacts in whatever position it is. These switches feed the body control or the powertrain control modules. Microcontrollers that are a self contained small computer system. That also have a very low level output signal that fires a power MOSFET transistor, to either directly turn on or off a device, or just fire the solenoid of the relay. That box located on the left side (USA) under the hood is loaded with such relays.

This lets command signals use 28 AWG wiring, cheap is another word for it, the high current devices such as the trunk release solenoid need a heavier gauge wire, so the power MOSFET transistor is located near by to shorten that wire. Always hot 12V, typically a single wire runs back to handle all the power requirements at the rear of the vehicle.

In older vehiclles, each device used either 10, 12, 14, or 16 AWG wire, so that was quite a bundle of wire and the switches were real switches, tantamount to the light switches in your home. Troubleshooting the new technology can be a nightmare when you wake up to a dead battery when something doesn't turn off, always hot is the term they use.

When you either press up on that trunk lid switch or use your remote to pop open the trunk lid, you are sending a command to the BCM. But whether the BCM issues a command to fire that trunk solenoid depends on other conditions. These conditions are determined by the guy that wrote the firmware that is stored in flashram. So with the source code, you could change this. Not very practicable. 

Another way is to run a wire directly back to that solenoid, but the existing wire feeding it would have to be diode isolated. Okay for a power MOSFET to source the solenoid, but if you apply 12V to it, will burn it out. Adding a diode prevents this reverse current.

With the other end of that wire, could touch that to the center terminal of your auxillary cigar socket, but only if the ignition switch is on, output is dead when off. Or get always hot 12V from the battery and neatly mount a switch somewhere convenient for you.

But then you have modified your vehicle and may lose your warranty. So you learn how to live with it. 

If you doors are locked or the BCM thinks they are locked because it fired a command to lock them, trunk release switch still fires a command, but the BCM ignores it. Say the BCM thinks all the doors are locked, but not true if a door motor is defective, no feedback is used to verify that all four doors are indeed locked.

So you can walk away from your vehicle with a diamond necklace in your vehicle and think it is safe. When one door is unlocked.

So to make sure all the doors are locked and the trunk release switch is not active, you should walk around your vehicle to make sure all the doors are locked by pulling on the handle. If not, open that door and manually push the lock in. But if you have to do that, what good is the remote?

I always keep spare door lock motor handy, Made in China, dirt cheap, a tiny motor that doesn't even use real brushes, just a couple of beryllium tabs making contact to the cheapest commutators ever, driving a pressed on pinion gear driving a plastic rack that wears out and breaks into little tiny pieces. Unrepairable. This requires having faith in your remote that it is doing its job.


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## AkotaHsky (Feb 11, 2012)

TechCruzer said:


> This one... it controls the trunk (locking mechanism) as well, car either on or off.
> View attachment 5300


Aha! I see what your getting at.

Its a matter of whether or not the car is unlocked. Which just means unlocking the doors then hitting the button. I was under the impression you somehow had a trunk button, which doesn't exist. I wish it did, its quite annoying =\


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## TechCruzer (Mar 15, 2012)

AkotaHsky said:


> Aha! I see what your getting at.
> 
> Its a matter of whether or not the car is unlocked. Which just means unlocking the doors then hitting the button. I was under the impression you somehow had a trunk button, which doesn't exist. I wish it did, its quite annoying =\


Yes, I think the misconception some might have is that the trunk lock is isolated from the door locks... they are one & the same. The only advantage we do have is that the keyfob will "pop" the trunk for you, while leaving the doors locked, but if you hit the unlock button twice for all of the doors you in fact unlock the trunk as well, but not "pop" it open.


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