2001 trunk & gas door release not working

I bought a 2001 Aurora 4.0 several months ago, 41k miles. Have replaced the right rear window regulator and now needs the left rear.
The remote trunk release and gas door release stopped working at the same time.
Have checked the fuses under the rear seat and swapped 2 circuit breakers with good ones. Also removed the switch in the door panel and checked it for continuity, it is working. Voltage at the door is 4-5 volts. Is this correct?
Pulled out the gas door solenoid and tested it with 12 volts. It engages as it should. It may work on 5 volts also??
Anybody had this problem and solved it. I am stumped.
It is embarassing to unlock the trunk with the key and pull the manual cable to open the gas door when filling up!!
Thanks.


I drove a '71 98 LS coupe for many years. Still have the motor and trans.
My wife had a '72 Cutlass Supreme HT, 455, auto, posi, bench seat. Wrecked the front and it is still in the barn. Each of the sons had '71 Cutlass convertibles. One met with a telephone pole behind the left rear door in the quarter. The other one is restored, 350, auto, posi, and has a Paxton supercharger on it, modified and driven by the youngest son.
And then there is the '73 GMC 26' motorhome, 455, Toronado based that the engine is half apart with a lower end knock.

I have a problem with the gas door button but the trunk opens. I posted a thread a couple of months ago but never did hear anything. I've replaced the switch on the drivers door, replaced the latch on the gas tank door, replaced the RAM under the back of the back seat and also replace the relays under the seat. I don't know what it is. I would like to get it fixed but don't know what to do at this point. I'm going to keep an eye on your thread and see if you hear anything.

I have a problem with the gas door button but the trunk opens. I posted a thread a couple of months ago but never did hear anything. I've replaced the switch on the drivers door, replaced the latch on the gas tank door, replaced the RAM under the back of the back seat and also replace the relays under the seat. I don't know what it is. I would like to get it fixed but don't know what to do at this point. I'm going to keep an eye on your thread and see if you hear anything.
For what you spent on parts, the dealer would have fixed it in an hour.

No not really! I only bought the button on the drivers door, all the others are the same as on my 01 Bonieville so I just swaped them out

Bump to the top, I still need help! Thanks.

I assume they both stopped working at the same time. It would therefore be highly unlikely that the problem is at the trunk and gas door since the odds are against simultaneous failure of the two parts. Try checking the wire integrity leaving the switch to the latches. Could be that the wires were pinched/cut as they cross from the car door to the car body. My bet is, however, that the two switches share the same input electrical source and that there is something wrong witht that. 5 volts sounds like an odd number for the input voltage to the switches. Might try giving it 12 volts and see if the switches work. Don't get mad at me, though, if 12 volts burns something out, since I don't know for sure.

Out of curiosity, were the releases working before you replaced that window regulator?

Out of curiosity, were the releases working before you replaced that window regulator?
Yes. Replaced the right rear regulator before the releases stopped.

Will check input and output of the switches and trace to the rear relay panel. I put 12 volts on the gas door latch and it will work. Will track down where the solenoids ground also.
Appreciate the suggestions.

Found the problem, or the place I bought the car from did. The fuse to the trunk release in the glove box was blown, labeled ALDL, fuse no. 4, 10 amps, in the rear fuse panel.
I thought that I had checked every fuse in both underhood and under rear seat boxes.
If you look at a wiring diagram, this fuse is the power supply to the power trunk shutoff switch and the relays for the gas door and trunk release.