Hi, all. A few months ago, I bought a 2004 XJ Vanden Plas with...a rather storied past. Among other things, all four air struts were completely different (I replaced them). One thing that simply refuses to work, however, is the power-operated trunk latch. Neither the button on the dashboard, nor the key fob, nor the button on the trunk lid operate it; I have to manually open it with the key. It was only today, though, that I noticed a strange connector dangling from the bottom of the parcel shelf into the inside of the trunk. Could this be why the trunk isn't operating? And, either way, where does this connector go?

Unknown connector dangling from bottom of parcel shelf in 2004 Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas

 

Is that cable not for the truck light?

 

Is that cable hanging from the trunk lid or the section of trunk just under the shelf?

 

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It would appear not, because the trunk area does light up. The CHMSL (center brake light) also operates. So I don't think it's either of those.

 

The trunk light and center-mounted brake light both work. So it's neither of those. The cable is hanging from the area under the parcel shelf that extends into the trunk, and not from the trunk lid itself.

 

Ok. Strange. I'll look at the diagrams for that area and see what it might be.

 

Previous owners are often the bane of these cars.
Previous owners who tried to fix things, with no idea W T F they were doing,, are even worse.

 

There are 2 lights in the trunk, one in the lid and the other under the parcel shelf. Is that connector hanging out of a rectangular shaped hole by any chance? When you close the trunk does a motor operate and pull it tight or do you have to slam the lid down quite hard to close it? If you have to slam it then the lid latch mechanism is bust and will need replacing. I had to replace mine when I over filled the trunk and the poor little motor tried it's best to compress the contents of the trunk. It didn't succeed.

 

That was my thought Joe. I thought it might be hanging where the light should be under the parcel shelf.

 

There are 2 lights in the trunk, one in the lid and the other under the parcel shelf. Is that connector hanging out of a rectangular shaped hole by any chance? When you close the trunk does a motor operate and pull it tight or do you have to slam the lid down quite hard to close it? If you have to slam it then the lid latch mechanism is bust and will need replacing. I had to replace mine when I over filled the trunk and the poor little motor tried it's best to compress the contents of the trunk. It didn't succeed.