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Thread: E91 Cargo Lights Switch Open

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Mission Viejo, CA, USA
    Posts
    22
    My Cars
    2011 328i M Sport Wagon

    E91 Cargo Lights Switch Open

    E91 2011 328i wagon. Vehicle thinks the trunk is open. Worse part on a wagon is all the cargo lights stay on. I know about the issue with frayed and broken wires in the rubber loom in the hinge area. I have already fixed wires (different light issue) I have checked continuity from the latch through the tailgate. Wires are not the issue. It must be the switch in the latch.

    Questions: The switch is in the latch, correct?

    Can someone confirm, with the tailgate open, cargo lights on, if you engage the latch manually (not closing the gate), will the lights turn off?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Mission Viejo, CA, USA
    Posts
    22
    My Cars
    2011 328i M Sport Wagon
    No one has a wagon they can click the latch with a screwdriver and tell me if the cargo lights go out?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Mission Viejo, CA, USA
    Posts
    22
    My Cars
    2011 328i M Sport Wagon
    Latch wiring info:

    Based on the numbers on the plug
    1. White / Brown 2.7 volts constant
    2. Grey / Brown 4V for 60 seconds after pushing the lock or unlock button
    3. Brown - Ground
    4. Grey / Green 12 volts constant

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    512
    My Cars
    335i E93 N54
    Just giving this a bump.
    (sorry, I used to have the same car, but no longer, so cannot personally confirm)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Mission Viejo, CA, USA
    Posts
    22
    My Cars
    2011 328i M Sport Wagon
    Update: Ordered a new latch from ECS. Installed. No luck : (
    Back to checking wires.
    Notes: The rear wiper doesn't work, assuming that is because the vehicle thinks the hatch is open. Could it be the glass?????? Do you get the same warning if the rear glass is open?????

    Update: Confirmed that wiper will not work when the hatch or glass is open. Open glass gives the same warning as trunk open. I'm getting a wiring diagram from a guy at a dealership. I'll be chasing wires from the glass latch.
    Last edited by jmecmore; 02-25-2019 at 06:38 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Mission Viejo, CA, USA
    Posts
    22
    My Cars
    2011 328i M Sport Wagon
    Resolved:

    Issue was the switch in the rear glass latch. What I've found for diagnosing the issue is to remove the interior panel on the hatch giving access to all wiring and both the hatch latch and the glass latch. With the hatch open and the glass open your cargo lights will be on. You can unplug the wiring harness to both latches and the cargo lights will go off. Now plug in one latch the lights will go on, then engage that latch with a screwdriver to see if the lights go off and the switch in that latch works. This allowed me to isolate the problem to that glass latch.

    The glass latch easily was removed with 2 torx screw and also easily opened with some plastic snaps. Once open it was clear that the switch was not being engaged by the plastic lever. The gap was too large for some reason. I super glued a small piece of credit card to the white plastic lever reducing the gap and activating the switch when the latch is engaged. Fixed!
    IMG_9286.jpgRenderedImage.jpg

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    512
    My Cars
    335i E93 N54
    Nice work.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Location
    tennessee
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    2009 328i xdrive wagon
    2009 wagon and i am having same problem......

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