Hi All.

First problem in a while with my Fiat 500. Drove home 15 miles this morning no problems whatsoever, nipped in the house for 40 minutes, came back out and started to drive to work and the red 'boot or door open' symbol appeared. I pulled in, opened and closed door and drove off again, but a few seconds later it reappeared but turns out warning was actually 'boot open'. I don't use my boot because of the hatch wiring problems I've read about, so not sure how likely it is to be a hatch wiring fault if I don't ever use the boot.

Any ideas what else it can be? When I got to work I opened and slammed the boot shut so might not happen again but I doubt it.

Any help would be much appreciated. If it's the hatch wiring I think I'll likely trade the car in.

The boot hatch wiring, whilst a complete pain, is easily fixable with a £50 new loom and 2 hours of your time-it could also be the famous boot handle itself in which the micro switch packs up or gets stuck-just squirt some spray silicone in to the switch. Once the boot loom is done with proper gel wire, it isn't an issue again.

swifty500 said:

The boot hatch wiring, whilst a complete pain, is easily fixable with a £50 new loom and 2 hours of your time-it could also be the famous boot handle itself in which the micro switch packs up or gets stuck-just squirt some spray silicone in to the switch. Once the boot loom is done with proper gel wire, it isn't an issue again.

Click to expand...

Thank you. By switch, is that the button you push on metal panel to open, or the metal lock inside the boot that latches? Can you use WD40? I never use my boot so hoping it's not the looms as they're never used x

It's the microswitch within the handle -the bit you put your fingers on under the chrome handle to open it- wouldn't advise wd40 as this breaks down plastics which the switch is made of-hence silicone lubricant (get from Halfords etc)
How old is the car? Have you had it from new? The boot chrome opener with switch is a doddle to change over if it is this-
Don't let a poor boot loom put you off the car-it is fixable! As long as you don't get fiat to do it!

swifty500 said:

It's the microswitch within the handle -the bit you put your fingers on under the chrome handle to open it- wouldn't advise wd40 as this breaks down plastics which the switch is made of-hence silicone lubricant (get from Halfords etc)
How old is the car? Have you had it from new? The boot chrome opener with switch is a doddle to change over if it is this-
Don't let a poor boot loom put you off the car-it is fixable! As long as you don't get fiat to do it!

Click to expand...

Thank you. It's a 2011 so just over 6 years old, I only got it last April when it was just turned 5. Its only just under 40,000 miles too so it's not a hard done by car. How much roughly does it cost to replace the micro switch and is it easy enough?

So before you owned it, the boot could have been used extensively meaning the loom could well be broken in places!
No point doing the boot switch until you have checked that loom-i replaced microswitch then realised it was the boot loom!
Are you able to insect the wiring under the rubber that leads from boot to body, top left of boot-black hose type thing?
Just pull it out one end and see if the wiring is intact
If not
Go to shop4parts and buy loom for £52ish and get an auto electrician to fit it
Then the boot will be useable forever more....
If you do want to try the microswitch, you need to buy the entire boot handle-very easy to fit
What part of the country are you in?

swifty500 said:

So before you owned it, the boot could have been used extensively meaning the loom could well be broken in places!
No point doing the boot switch until you have checked that loom-i replaced microswitch then realised it was the boot loom!
Are you able to insect the wiring under the rubber that leads from boot to body, top left of boot-black hose type thing?
Just pull it out one end and see if the wiring is intact
If not
Go to shop4parts and buy loom for £52ish and get an auto electrician to fit it
Then the boot will be useable forever more....
If you do want to try the microswitch, you need to buy the entire boot handle-very easy to fit
What part of the country are you in?

Click to expand...

Thank you. I'm not great with cars but I'll have my partner check the loom wires tonight after work.

We're in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

Scotland eh! I am near London and was going to suggest to bring it round for me to look at but maybe not!!

swifty500 said:

Scotland eh! I am near London and was going to suggest to bring it round for me to look at but maybe not!!

Click to expand...

Haha maybe a bit too far.

Is there an emergency button for the boot or something to open? A guy at work things perhaps xomething is hitting that but I'm thinking that's unikely

Yes-fold down seats and on lock plate, there is a little black lever-push this to open it.

swifty500 said:

Yes-fold down seats and on lock plate, there is a little black lever-push this to open it.

Click to expand...

Thank you. Silly question maybe but do you have an ideas guide description of how to do the silicone spray please?

Best thing to do is open boot up so you can see the switch at eye level and spray silicone lubricant all around the switch-then operate it a few times
It may actually have lots of gunk up there due to you not using it

The boot loom problem starts with one thing, then sets off another as the wires snap and fray-if you get another warning for, say. Lights/rear wiper etc, it usually confirms it
Not using the boot will save the wires but just general driving and bumping around is enough to split the wires if they were already on their way out

Try silicone on the boot switch first as this has been known to free the switch up

swifty500 said:

Best thing to do is open boot up so you can see the switch at eye level and spray silicone lubricant all around the switch-then operate it a few times
It may actually have lots of gunk up there due to you not using it

The boot loom problem starts with one thing, then sets off another as the wires snap and fray-if you get another warning for, say. Lights/rear wiper etc, it usually confirms it
Not using the boot will save the wires but just general driving and bumping around is enough to split the wires if they were already on their way out

Try silicone on the boot switch first as this has been known to free the switch up

Click to expand...

Will do thanks, will nip to Halfords on way home from work for some. Is the switch the metal bit on boot lid that catches the metal loop when closed? Just so I know where I'm spraying.

NO, Although that's a good place to spray grease too!
On the chrome/silver bit, with 500 written on it that you pull up
The bit you put your fingers in to to press the button s the microswitch. It is part of the entire silver/chrome bit
Open the boot to eye level and spray into this and operate it a few times
Gunk gets stuck up there-it is an electronic, not mechanical connection

Whilst you have the grease to hand, pull on each door handle and spray some in wherever you can see a gap-the handle is the next thing to go if left unlubricated!

Have driven 20 miles since work and it's not showing the boot opening warning? Strange.

Just took the rubber out where wiring looms are, but can't see any wires as they're covered by fabric?

JNAnderson said:

Just took the rubber out where wiring looms are, but can't see any wires as they're covered by fabric?

Click to expand...

Yes you need to cut it open, try from the end which goes through to the car body as it's this part that's mist strained.

JNAnderson said:

Have driven 20 miles since work and it's not showing the boot opening warning? Strange.

Click to expand...

The fact this has apparently happened just the once suggests it might be as simple as having inadvertently triggered the boot release on the key fob. It's not hard to do, especially if the keys are in a pocket (or indeed a handbag - ask my wife!).