Trunk release relay

I'm sorry to post such a basic question, but all my efforts have failed thus far. I could not find anything in previous posts that I haven't tried. I have a 1993 Buick Century and an Alpine SEC 100S alarm. The alarm is installed already, but I want to add trunk release to one of the optional outputs. No matter how I wire the relay, I cannot get it to work. If I run the feed from the battery straight to the trunk release circuit, it pops. But I cannot get the alarm output to activate that circuit. Among some other configurations, here's what I really thought would work: * 85 and 87 to 12V, 30 to trunk release circuit, 86 to alarm output, or * 87 to trunk release circuit, 86 and 30 to 12V, 85 to alarm output. What am I missing? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

TRNK/HTCH RELEASE|black               |+ |release switch        85 and 87 to 12 volt 30 to the black wire in car 86 wire form alarm. if that is how u have it make sure you have output form the alarm.

If it is a negative output from the alarm and you are using a proper relay then you have it wired backwards. Proper relays have diode protection on the coil meaning 85 goes to the (-) output of the alarm and 86 gets your +12V. 30 goes to your trunk and 87 gets +12V with 87a hooked to nothing. Does the relay even click? If not, I'd check to make sure your unit is even outputting anything or that it's not a (+) output for some reason. Though I have seen rare instances where GM cars are a (-) release on the black wire. VERY rare though. Did you try to 5-wire it possibly?MECP First Class

Bay Manager

I have tried both of those configurations without success. I also made sure I have the correct output wire from the alarm (yellow with green). Finally, I'm pretty sure that the black wire to the trunk is a (+) switch, because if I connect it directly to my 12V wire it pops. I'm wondering if the alarm programming is the problem. I'm looking at the alarm installation guide and there are some options I don't recognize. First, the alarm output EXT1 can be 1 sec or latched--I do not know what latched means. Then I also have: "EXT1 Imp/Ign Disable" (on/off) "EXT Trunk/Imp Canc." (on/off) "EXT Trunk/Imp Sel." (EXT2/EXT3) Any ideas? Thanks again in advance.

Latched means when you hit the EXT1 button it holds the signal until you hit the button again. Keep that setting on 1 second. I think you need to use EXT2 with the 1 second setting for trunk release. And then you need to turn the EXT Trunk/Imp. cancel off, with the EXT Trunk/Imp. Sel. set to EXT2. But I really don't know because that programming diagram is confusing as ****. I wouldn't doubt that it is a programming problem keeping you from popping the trunk. You need to test your EXT wire when you press the desired trunk release button. Just try changing all those options until you find a wire to do what you want it to do. Good luck man.MECP First Class

Bay Manager

Argh... I set the EXT1-3 all on one second. Then I tried all eight possible combinations of those three programming options. I did all this twice: once for swamprat323's relay configuration and once for streetdream's relay configuration. Still nothing! I'm really stuck. Any ides out there? Thanks--

are you sure you got output form the alarm. put a meter to it and see what you get.

We're narrowing the possibilities here. I don't have a meter, but I connected it up to a little 12V fan I used to use to cool an amp. Clicking the clicker doesn't activate the circuit - it's cold. Why would that be?

Either of the two wiring layouts you mention in your first post should work fine, although the first one is the way most of us do it. Anyway, if you have the relay already set up and all that......... take the 86 wire and touch it to ground. If the relay clicks and the trunk opens, you've configured the relay correctly; continue troubleshooting why the alarm's output won't work.