[stevon]

Guys,

I succeeded in adding a remote trunk release key fob. Purchased a kit from eBay:

12V 15A dry contact 0v out momentary relay switch with 2 remote key fob RP11 $19.00

12V 15A dry contact 0v out momentary relay switch with 2 remote key fob RP11 | eBay

Relay: [email protected], [email protected]

www.ebay.com

found trunk button trigger wire under center console on the pink connector then you touch the gray with violet stripe to ground, wala!. for another project I will take off the door panel and wire a switch I bought eBay

Car Trunk Lid Lock 4G0959831A Fit AUDI A4 A6 A7 A8 Q3 Q5 Q7 2006-2015 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Car Trunk Lid Lock 4G0959831A Fit AUDI A4 A6 A7 A8 Q3 Q5 Q7 2006-2015 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[stevon]

Oh yes, for $15 I purchased access to the Helm's 2017 VOLT service manual and downloaded the wiring diagram

 

[stevon]

Saint,
My car is a 2017 Premier. Remove drivers side console cover bolt (10mm) then unclip the rest remove side panel. The pink connector on the BCM is the one where I found the ground BCM output to the release solenoid for the trunk latch. The button signal wire from the trunk lid I did not find
Stephen

What year is your car? I tried to add the cabin trunk release button but my 2017 has different wires and connectors on the passenger side center console, not following the wiring diagram.

 

[stevon]

FlyingSherpa
If the car is open you can crawl into the hatch area anyways I don’t Understand your point
Stephen

Interesting project, but I'm not sure I see the utility? If the car is unlocked, anyone can open the trunk, and you can unlock it from the same panel where you are putting the switch. Am I missing something?

 

[stevon]

Saint,

I too would prefer to use the signal from the trunk button, but it was getting dark and this one worked. It looks like I used the yellow with blue stripe wire (the ground for the release solenoid) Will be adding a button on the door panel when I get a chance, the wires for that are stached in the fuse box for now. After that plan to fix the wireless charging for my iPhone 10 as it has never worked.

Stephen

I see. Even though I would prefer the button signal this is a solution. Thanks!

 

[stevon]

Saint,

Maybe I did use the hatch button wire. The color code shows Yellow/blu and it was a very small wire like 22 gauge or smaller. Good luck with your project!

Stephen

 

[stevon]

FlyingSherpa,
There is no trunk button on a Chevy Volt key Fob , that’s why I had to add one. The lame excuse GM gave was no comfort or usable information

Other GM cars still have a trunk release key Fob button and one inside as well

 

[stevon]

Neither the 2016+ Chevy VOLT or the Chevy Bolt have any trunk release other than button on deck lid. There is no way to open hatch from the inside the car. I found this maddening. An internet search reveals that hundreds of people are also extremely annoyed about this issue but until now,
at least for the second generation VOLT no one has posted a solution
Stephen

 

[stevon]

Wonder if there a different GM fob that can be paired that would simply enable trunk release?

I doubt that would work, you would need a “receiver radio frequency” and a circuit to amplify out put to signal the BCM. I did not see a module for that function in the manual or one physically in the car. That’s why the eBay button kit was required
Stephen

 

[stevon]

Saint,

I tested the new key Fob with car off and in Drive selection. The trunk did not open, then putting car into park the new key Fob popped the trunk even with the ignition still on.

Stephen

Maybe you can run a quick test, when you press the new button in D does the trunk open? If yes it is the solenoid wire.

 

[stevon]

wordptom,

I just want to unlock the trunk with both hands full and with the key Fob, I also want to unlock the trunk from inside the car. The $4 saved per car by GM is a lousy idea and poor excuse while they still have it on many other GM models. I don't see this "safety feature" on Cadillac models, doubt their customers would tolerate it. Your second point "pop open" the Chevy volt does not include a spring strong enough to "pop" open the trunk, releasing the lock is working good for me so far.

Stephen

Seems to me you need to clarify that what you are trying to do is to get the hatch to "pop open" by itself, i.e., without physically touching the hatch release pad, and not just to "unlock." Currently you can pop the hood from inside the car, and all four doors have door handles on the inside of the car, but there’s no "open the hatch" handle inside the car.

I note this in the Gen 2 Volt owner manuals in the Hatch subsection of the Keys, Doors, and Windows section that I do not find in the Gen 1 manuals:

"To open the hatch, the vehicle must be off or the shift lever must be in P (Park)."

(Don’t want a driver coming to a stop, then hopping out of the car to run to the back to grab something out of the hatch without first putting the Volt in Park and engaging the Parking Brake.)

A button that can "pop open" and not just "unlock" the hatch certainly seems to have "safety issue" written all over it. Do you really want to be able to pop open the hatch on a car that is moving down the street?

The question is why? You can’t get "trapped" in a trunk area behind the rear seats in a Volt where a method of popping the hatch would enable you to escape - just crawl forward and use any of the four doors. Perhaps this is your alternative to having one of those vehicles that will pop the hatch open when your arms are full if you wave your foot back and forth under the rear bumper...

 

[stevon]

Maybe I’m considering “old school” or “past it” but buying a new car I expect and have become accustomed to certain things in a car like: seat belts, power windows, cruise control, and a trunk release. Even the cheapest hatchback car in the world has a trunk release. I’m just not happy without it and being resourceful I don’t have to live without it. I searched the internet and found YouTube videos to add this feature to a Bolt and a Cruze but no instructions to retrofit a Volt, just endless posts of people asking “ how do you open the hatch from inside the Volt” questions and “why did GM delete this feature” or “why is there no trunk release button on the key Fob”
Stephen

 

[stevon]

Wordptom,

I will do more testing on the weekend if it isn’t too hot. I don’t have available covered parking

Stephen

I would make a distinction between a door/hatch that is locked, unlocked, and latched.

Your Volt’s doors and hatch can be locked/unlocked by using the fob or by pressing a button inside the car. They remain latched until you pull or push on the mechanism that allows you to unlatch and open the door/hatch. "Child-proof" locks can be engaged on the rear doors, so that the door cannot be "unlatched" and opened until it is unlocked.

Your installation seems to be a method of "unlatching" the hatch door by pressing a fob button or a button inside the car. This would then allow someone inside the car to open the hatch by pushing it from the inside, or someone outside to open it by pulling it from any available edge without the need to be pressing the unlatch button. There are various circumstances under which this might be beneficial.

What remains uncertain is whether or not your installation is capable of unlatching the hatch door if the hatch door is in a locked state (i.e., is the hatch door "child-proofed" to prevent it from being unlatched and opened under any particular conditions?).

The Gen 2 manual states, "To open the hatch, the vehicle must be off or the shift lever must be in P (Park)." This suggests the hatch cannot be "unlatched" if the car is not in Park while it is turned on. You should not be able to stand in the driveway and use the new fob to pop the hatch while the car is moving down the street. If the car is turned on, you need to shift into Park before anyone can unlatch and open the hatch to put something in or take something out (don’t forget that when you drop the kids off at school in the pouring rain and they’re waiting for you to shift to Park so they can open the hatch and get their backpacks).

If the vehicle is turned off AND THE DOORS ARE LOCKED, can your installation unlatch the hatch to allow someone inside to push the hatch door open or someone outside to grasp and edge and pull the hatch door open? Or do you first need to unlock the hatch door (via the original fob or a doorlock button) before your installation can unlatch it? Your post #19 in this thread seems to suggest that it didn’t work when the car was off and in Drive, but was that possibly because the doors were locked at the time?

 

[stevon]

wordptom,

I did some more tests, you can see the results below:

Key FOB trunk release test

Key FOB pushed Inside the car with doors locked -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed Inside the car with doors unlocked -it opened
Key FOB pushed Inside the car with doors locked ignition on -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed Inside the car with doors locked ignition off -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed Inside the car with doors locked ignition on in park -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed Inside the car with doors locked ignition off in park -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed Inside the car with doors locked ignition on and In Drive -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed Inside the car with doors locked ignition off and In Drive -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed 20 feet away with doors locked -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed 20 feet away with doors unlocked -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed 10 feet away with doors locked -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed 10 feet away with doors unlocked -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed outside Driver's door with doors locked -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed outside Driver's door with doors unlocked -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed Stand 3 feet away from Hatch with doors locked -it didn't open
Key FOB pushed Stand 3 feet away from Hatch with doors unlocked -it opened


Stephen

I would make a distinction between a door/hatch that is locked, unlocked, and latched.

Your Volt’s doors and hatch can be locked/unlocked by using the fob or by pressing a button inside the car. They remain latched until you pull or push on the mechanism that allows you to unlatch and open the door/hatch. "Child-proof" locks can be engaged on the rear doors, so that the door cannot be "unlatched" and opened until it is unlocked.

Your installation seems to be a method of "unlatching" the hatch door by pressing a fob button or a button inside the car. This would then allow someone inside the car to open the hatch by pushing it from the inside, or someone outside to open it by pulling it from any available edge without the need to be pressing the unlatch button. There are various circumstances under which this might be beneficial.

What remains uncertain is whether or not your installation is capable of unlatching the hatch door if the hatch door is in a locked state (i.e., is the hatch door "child-proofed" to prevent it from being unlatched and opened under any particular conditions?).

The Gen 2 manual states, "To open the hatch, the vehicle must be off or the shift lever must be in P (Park)." This suggests the hatch cannot be "unlatched" if the car is not in Park while it is turned on. You should not be able to stand in the driveway and use the new fob to pop the hatch while the car is moving down the street. If the car is turned on, you need to shift into Park before anyone can unlatch and open the hatch to put something in or take something out (don’t forget that when you drop the kids off at school in the pouring rain and they’re waiting for you to shift to Park so they can open the hatch and get their backpacks).

If the vehicle is turned off AND THE DOORS ARE LOCKED, can your installation unlatch the hatch to allow someone inside to push the hatch door open or someone outside to grasp and edge and pull the hatch door open? Or do you first need to unlock the hatch door (via the original fob or a doorlock button) before your installation can unlatch it? Your post #19 in this thread seems to suggest that it didn’t work when the car was off and in Drive, but was that possibly because the doors were locked at the time?

 

[stevon]

vacationlover,

Thanks for the Kudos! With the Chevy Volt at less than 1% of total vehicles sold in America see: https://www.eei.org/issuesandpolicy...Documents/FINAL_EV_Sales_Update_April2019.pdf
It is doubtful that anyone other than a Volt owner (less than 1%) would know how to open a Volt hatch and when dropping off somebody who needs access to the hatch area, a hatch release mechanism of some kind is needed for the driver. That is why there has always been this option available in most every car sold in the world and still is. The purpose of a car is to be an easy Conveyance for all people who use it and their passengers as well. Can you imagine the protest in America if power windows or air conditioning were removed from modern cars ?

Stephen
[/QUOTE]

Stevon,

Thank you for figuring this out and posting the info. I too have always been annoyed that my 2017 doesn't have a hatch release button.

For those people who can't understand how this is useful, I would like to provide an example...
During this pandemic, I often use the "curbside pickup" option when I buy groceries or whatever. The store employees bringing items out to my car expect the trunk to be open, and most of them don't know where the release button is on the Volt. So I have to get out of the car to open it for them, which defeats the goal of social distancing.

Stevon,

Thank you for figuring this out and posting the info. I too have always been annoyed that my 2017 doesn't have a hatch release button.

For those people who can't understand how this is useful, I would like to provide an example...
During this pandemic, I often use the "curbside pickup" option when I buy groceries or whatever. The store employees bringing items out to my car expect the trunk to be open, and most of them don't know where the release button is on the Volt. So I have to get out of the car to open it for them, which defeats the goal of social distancing.

 

[stevon]

Saint,

Added the inside button and it tests great! I had no connector that came with the switch but I had an old computer LED connector I could use with the same spacing (use center 2 contacts of the 4). First was to remove the door panel and side of dash board cover and kick panel, then to snake the wires to the door through the rubber channel in the door openening. Remove the speaker for access to the door rubber channel.

Had to drill holes and cut the door panel with a carpet type knife very carefully until the switch fit neatly.

the switch was too tall and I had to cut back the connector housing on the switch

After I created enough clearance switch fits but just.

Put door panel back, side cover, kick panel, rocker trim and car looks like it always had this switch!
Stephen

Maybe you can run a quick test, when you press the new button in D does the trunk open? If yes it is the solenoid wire.

 

[stevon]

You can buy a PC motherboard speaker connector and cut off speaker, unlock (lift plastic tab) the pins on 1 and 4, slide out wires and reinsert them into slots 2 and 3 (center)

Component Buzzers & Speakers for sale | eBay

Get the best deals on Component Buzzers & Speakers when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices.

www.ebay.com

Stephen

 

[stevon]

You can buy a PC motherboard speaker connector and cut off speaker, unlock (lift plastic tab) the pins on 1 and 4, slide out wires and reinsert them into slots 2 and 3 (center)

View attachment 170938

Component Buzzers & Speakers for sale | eBay

Get the best deals on Component Buzzers & Speakers when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices.

www.ebay.com

Stephen

 

[stevon]

gregh2000,

This was proposed earlier in this post but I didn't think it would work, you have proved me incorrect. Thinking about it, all the circuitry and wiring is already done and other GM key fobs have trunk open functionality, Great work!

Stephen

Well I know this is an older thread but I come with news. I found out that you can pair a 5 button fob with the same FCC ID to the Volt and the trunk button works.
I got a fob GM part 13508769 and paired it with my car. You need both remotes that came with your car to pair more on your own. It didn’t come with a spare key but the one fob that came with my car was in rough shape so I just took the key from that and saved the fob.
Now you can double press the trunk button and it unlocks the trunk. You can then lift it up because it is unlatched.

View attachment 174191