Remote trunk solinoid
 

Hello braintrust, I have just aquired a
rear reflector and solinoid for my 76 2.0
there were no wiring instructions or switch
included. Two questions
1. What kind of switch is usually used for
this setup.
2.How do you wire the solinoid.
p.s
Any tips on installation whould be appreciated.
Neal

the instructions for the kit has a set of complicated instructions on how to wire it.. but for what it's worth:
there should only be 1 wire coming out of the solinoid because as soon as you attach the unit, it's grounded to the car. hook the exposed wire to one end of a "momentary switch" this usually a button type switch that pops back up when it's not depressed.. and then hook the other end up to the battery with a inline fuse (don't remember the rating). The instructions tell you to hook it up to the relay board under the dash, but my experience has been that there's some lost of juice when it has to travel that far, and might not be enough to push the solinoid.

your case might differ..

good luck..

Jeff

When testing it, hook a wire up to the catch in a way that it will "pop" the trunk. Mine goes from the catch, to a hole in the bottom of the trunk (drain hole in my case) then up to the engine compartment. The solenoid on mine has failed 2-3 times and belive you-me it is a pain to release the catch with a piece of coat hanger through the engine compartment. I left my "emergency release" on the car because currently I have no battery in the car.

A good place for the switch might be next to the engine lid release. Really it can go anywhere. As for the current drop over a long run of wire, just use a heavier gauge wire, like 12 or even 10. Just remember to fuse it close to the batt and use grommits when you go through metal.