Tried search and didn't find anything on 88 trunk release install.

My 88's trunk only has three wires for the door ajar function, + one for ground. My car body has a 4 wire set up. The trtunk release is the missing wire. SO, make sure you get a 4 wire trunk harness or you will be SOL like me.

Got everything except the relay, can't remember where it plugs into. Thats the final step, i have everything else installed.

There is a plug under the dash by the steering column for that relay. You'll need to remove the plastic kick panel and have a look.....it's probably stuffed up out of the way somewhere. There is a metal clip that attaches it to the frame, but it isn't there if your car didn't get the trunk popper from the factory.

Really not much to it.
Most of the wiring is already installed in the car.

Look at the cable and connector the comes out of the decklid on the right side, by the hinge. The connector is a few inches down on the hinge box.
As josef mentioned, you need the 4 wire decklid harness. Or you can add a wire and pin to the existing harness.
(The most difficult part of the entire installation will be fishing the new harness through the trunklid. Pull a "pull wire" through, using the old harness.)
You'll need the latch and solenoid assembly. Held on with two bolts. The new harness just plugs in to the solenoid.

You'll need the switch and the appropriate bezel for your dash pod.
The connector will be taped up in the wiring harness under the dash. You'll probably have to take the top and bottom covers off of your instrument pod, if not the pod itself, in order to find it. Untape it and plug it in to the new switch.
There will be a relay socket, also under the dash. Probably on the right side of the steering column. Plug in the relay. (A horn relay will work.)

That's it. Easist thing I ever added to my cars.

Edit - Wow! Everyone beat me to it.

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Raydar
88 Formula IMSA Fastback. 4.9, NVG T550

Praise the Lowered!

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 04-26-2012).]

I just installed one on my 88. Remove the lower column trim cover and tucked in the right side near the edge where the cover screw goes will be a black harness. That's where the relay plugs in. The release delete bezel has a harness behind it that will receive the new switch and bezel. Fuse # 11 in the lower right of the fuse box is the terminal for the trunk release. 20 amp. Though the horn relay and the trunk release relay will cross reference to the same relay, I found that ordering the release relay cost me $7.50. Ordering the horn relay would have cost under $2.

I bought some single strand galvanized wire at Home Depot and used it to snake down through the ribbing of the deck lid. Once it came out at the hinge, I installed the female connector into the chassis harness, put a small loop in the galvanized wire, attached a 6 foot piece of 14 gauge multi-strand insulated wire and pulled it back through to the release. At that end I used a male bullet connector on the release wire and a female receptacle on the feed wire. About an hour's worth of work.

Edit to add the 88 was a no options coupe. There are already 3 wires installed into a 4-pin connector on the deck side of the harness that run up to the latch mechanism, for the AJAR warning light. There is a blank space in that harness where you insert the female connector for the trunk release power wire.

[This message has been edited by fierofool (edited 04-26-2012).]

Installed everything and trunk release doesn't work. Used a good relay that worked with the horn. How do I test this to see where's the problem?

Thanks Raydar, I didn't know that i could add the extra wire. I'll take a better look at it soon.
-Joe

quote Originally posted by josef644: Thanks Raydar, I didn't know that i could add the extra wire. I'll take a better look at it soon. -Joe

I haven't tried it with this harness. There is an empty position in the connector, though.
I have added pins and wires to other similar connectors, so I'm sure it can be done.
Having said all that... It's probably way easier to just swap out the harness.

see my cave, trunk release in electrical section.

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Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top and bottom of every forum page...)

Tried using your cave for years, it's the hardest website I've ever used. Where is the electrical section?

I've been told that the 3 wires of the existing harness are actually in a sleeve. I tried pulling it out but the switch connector wouldn't pass through easily. It kept wanting to jam up, so I just pushed my snake wire down past it and pulled a single wire back through.

As Raydar said, there's an empty slot in the 4 pin trunk side connector. I found an old harness that had a matching connector and robbed one of the pins and about 6 inches of wire and installed it into the harness.

The things you'll need are the switch plugged into the harness behind it, the 3 pin square relay (Advance Auto Parts SKU # 20975713) BWD number R636 installed into the harness inside the right side of the lower column cover plate. It isn't attached to the column as many believe. Also, as stated, the release gets its ground through the latch hook, so close the deck lid, turn the ignition off and try the release button. Some of my other Fieros releases will work with the car running if the emergency brake is up, but the 88 requires the ignition switch be in the OFF position. Also, check the number 11 fuse. It's for power mirrors, power lock relay, trunk light and trunk release relay, so if you don't have those options, there won't be a fuse in that slot.

That might be my problem, my car have any of those options so it may be missing the fuse.

Had fuse, the problem was the relay. It wasn't plugged all the way in. Now trunk release works great.
It's the little things that count