Installing a second trunk release button in a 2004-2009 prius
This generation of the prius only has one electronic release and one manual release. The electronic release is located in the handle, whereas the manual one is located under the floor. When this car is stock it is difficult but possible to access the manual release, my car is not stock however. Because of the sound system I have installed it makes it impossible to access that manual override.
I wanted to install a trunk release button to the rear of the car because I intended to do some car camping where it would be handy to be able to open the trunk electronically from the rear of the vehicle. Having the internal release button will stand in place of the manual override, its not really an override, but it's the closest I can do with my setup.
This modification is really easy to do with only a few basic tools. The tools that are needed:
- Wire strippers
- Momentary button
- Shrink tube
- Soldering iron and solder or crimps and crimper
To do this modification:
- Open up the hatch and sit in the back of the car facing the hatch
- Pull off the lower section of the plastic trim, it will pull straight out
- Just above where the inside handle is there is a connector with 4 wires. on the left pink, black, and two white with black stripes, on the right, blue, yellow, red, black. This is the connector that we will be targeting.
- The red and black wires are the outside trunk release button.
- Extend the red and black wires to the desired location of the alternate button. Make sure the original wires are still connected, we are just tapping into the existing wiring, not replacing it.
- Mount the momentary button in desired location
- Connect momentary button to extended wires
- Re-assemble the car by popping the plastics back on
Build log photos for this project can be found in this photo album