Hi Guys, I've just had the missfortune of my boot switch failing…. so I do what we all do and took it apart… there is a tiny 15mm x 15mm burgess micro switch…couldn't find one on ebay or maplin. As I work for a Vauxhall dealer I had an idea that a Insignia estate tailgate repair switch might work. Sure enough it sits in the hole perfectly(once you have pulled the rubber bit you touch to actuate the switch and take out),not as long but better than £68 quoted by my Fiat dealer. Just need to adapt the wiring. The switches are around £7.00 on ebay or from the dealer. I now have an opening tailgate… now just need to sort the ns trailing arm bearing, drivers seat hight adjustment and make the handbrake work before the mot on Christmas Eve!!!!

Well after much huffing and puffing I have sorted the drivers seat height issue. The end of the motor has a small 3mm square pin like a tightly coiled spring, I guess it is some sort of damper.This connects the small" "screw" that sits on to the plastic cog on the height shaft. This had snapped in 2… so I managed to make a repair by using a"key" from the tomato puree, you know the windy type to get every drop out! Put two halfs together and little filling and it fitted together. I do recommend that you unbolt the seat as getting it back together is a real pain. Now all sorted! Except down is up and up is down on the switch. Took the car to work this week to have the brakes bleed only to be told all my nipples have seized up. Fitted new discs and pads myself last weekend. Got a genuine brake kit from Fiat for £20 more that the pagid kit so I thought I would give it a go. They still haven't bedded in yet…also made my own drop links from track rod ends and threaded bar. The after market ones don't last 10kmiles, lets hope these last longer. Just the trailing arm bearing and handbrake to sort, the mot time in early January. I'm off over Christmas so that should give me some time to sort the issues out. I just want/hope next years running costs are cheaper…. could do with a break!

Well here's what i did, take off back panel inside car, take off number plate, take off two plate lights , undo the piece of plastic trim that holds the number plate, locate the wire that goes to the micro switch, cut off the wires at the join, drill a hole in the plastic trim next to the number plate, go to local car place and get a simple push switch, wire it up to the cut wires for through the drilled hole, put back together and itcwill all work with one push of the switch, save yourself 100s as this micro switch problem is a recurring fault, it cost me 5 quid and works great

I was quoted £83 for a new micro-switch from the stealers!
I read this post and decided to give it a go.
It really was quite a faff to get at the switch, but manageable. The tailgate design, in my opinion, is poorly engineered.
I tested the switch to make sure it was faulty first by shorting across the lead connector to the solenoid on the actual boot lock. There was a satisfying clunk when the solenoid activated.
Anyway, back to the point, the simple push button switch I bought was £7.40..
I drilled the correct size hole, upward, about 25mm from the left hand number plate light.
I then cut the lead to the faulty micro-switch, the black wire between the two star bolts holding the micro-switch.
I then pushed that wire through the hole and connected the two wires to the new switch, pressed the button--another satisfying clunk, pushed the switch into the hole and went to tighten the threaded nut onto the switch, but I hadn't put it on the lead so had to disconnect the switch again!, so don't forget to put the nut on before connecting!
It really was simple to do, took about 90 minutes.
The switch is not at all noticeable and I now have a working tailgate.