Trunk light cluster does not work

EZZA

MEMBER
2009 MITSUBISHI GALANT
2.4L
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
203,000 MILES

The lights on my trunk are not coming on. I took a multi-meter and tested all the fuses in the engine compartment and the passenger compartment to see if one had blown, but all tested good. I tried to search the connecting wire to find any pinches or breaks with no success. Is there a magic fuse or a special place I need to look to resolve? I do not want to get pulled over for having no light on my license plate.

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1 Reply

STEVE W.

MECHANIC
13,570 POSTS

Looking at the wiring diagram I would bet on a broken ground wire as it is the common item among them all. They all use a black wire going to a ground mounted to the left rear seat metal. Lay in the back and have someone open/close the trunk a few times and watch the wiring. Look for the spot(s) that move the most. Remove the harness tape/loom and look and feel the wires. They can break inside the insulation and not be readily visible.

Easy way to test this would be to take a piece of wire, connect it to the black wire that comes off any of the lights and connect the other end to a ground. If the lights come on you just need to find the break in the black wire in the harness. Or run a new wire through the harness and up to the splice point for the grounds.