velija

hi there guys brand new to the forum as well as the car a 01 cl500
now i think its a great car but.....
when i open the trunk i have to help it up an inch or so for it to start opening all by its self, it will close all alone just on the push of the trunk button, but when its shut and i push the remote button to open it, it unlatches but wont go up untill i help it a bit
thanks guys, looking forward to sharing experiences with all of you
thanks much

bneinast

I have same problem. Did you find out how to fix it? Trunk won't open. Inside LED light won't come on when closed. I can get it to open automatically if I put key in turn counter clockwise then lift trunk about 1/2". When open Led light on inside comes on and will close from either inside or out. Could it need some kind of electronic reset?

radride

I had the exact same problem and it was the trunk gas struts. Replace those and it will open on its own.

R.K.

awiner

Do you have the electric trunk option?

If so, the struts are only used for holding the trunk open. The hydraulic ram is what pushed the trunk open. Additionally the vacuum operated lock/latch releases the trunk and allows the ram to push the lip open.

If you do not have the electronic trunk option, it very well may be your hinge springs.

bneinast

I do have the electric trunk option. How do I check the hydraulic ram. I can sometimes get it to open electrically if i twist the key and then help it up about an inch. It doesn't do it every time but about every third or fourth attempt. Is the hydraulic ram linked to the hydraulics for the whole lift system? I can't tell if it's the vacuum or hydraulics.

awiner

The pump for the ram is located under the battery in a compartment. You need to remove the battery to gain access to it.

My guess is you have a slow leak (o ring seals) which happens as these cars age and the pump is dry.

You can verify this by looking to see if there is any hydraulic fluid in the pumps plastic reservoir. If no fluid or low, remove the reservoir by lessening the hose clamp and fill to the bulls eye (middle level located horizontally) with common hydraulic fluid. Cycle the trunk open/closed several times to bleed the system.

Let us know. This is a common problem and an easy fix. I had to fill mine up once in the 140,000 miles I have driven the car.

bneinast

I checked the hydraulic fluid and it was fine. I guess that leaves the vacuum. Is that in the trunk lid behind the latch? I took the plate off with the three screws and it seems really tight in there. Is there another way to access it? I did notice the soft door close on passenger side is really weak. I didn't think it was working. Could all the vacuums be related or is the trunk a separate unit? The driver door soft close hasn't worked in a couple of years. The dealer told me it would cost over $1000 so I haven't bothered with it, though I like it when everything works.

awiner

Its possible your PSE (Air Pump) is going out but each of these systems runs on a separate circuit and I have never seen all the pumps circuits fail other than when the whole pump stops working.

The trunks vacuum unit is part of the trunk locking mechanism and is behind the lid liner.

The other possibility is that the ram itself is jammed.

bneinast

Progress. I was able to remove trunk liner quite easily as it just snaps into place. It appears the black plastic puck for the vacuum system is cracked and separated a little bit. I was able to squeeze it together maybe 1/8-1/4". Project now is to remove and epoxy it. Hopefully that is problem. Any tips on removing and fixing puck would be helpful. Thanks!

awiner

You can remove the entire unit to make it easier. Start by unscrewing the plastic fascia where the close and lock buttons are under the lid. Unsnap the electrical connection and set aside.

On the locking unit, the locking rod needs to be removed. Look closely and you will see it is possible to remove the rod.

Once that is removed, unscrew the entire vacuum/locking unit, unclip electrical connections and remove.

Epoxy and tie straps are your friends for this

No doubt this is at least part of your issue as without vacuum the trunk is not able to pop open and start the ram to do its work.

Reinstall in reverse.

biker349

a cracked puck may be your problem with the soft close doors as well.

bneinast

Yup. It was the puck. I removed, then used flow-mix plastic welder. Trunk opens and closes like new! Many thanks for everyone's help!
It's not pretty but it's strong! The puck definitely had to be removed from the unit before glueing because the silicone diaphragm had to be reinserted in place. The design of the puck is not a good one as most of the plastic had broken holding it together( six of eight). From what I understand, the soft door close has similar design problem and epoxy is all that is needed to not only fix but hopefully make even stronger than new. I'm gonna wait a bit before I tackle that one. Time will tell, but right now it's a great feeling to fix something on this car for the equivalent of $2 in epoxy.

Pupcreek

Nice work! I had the same issue with my 2002, used a bit of mat and fiberglass resin, worked great.