Hi Folks,

Looking for a little technical information if possible.

My wife has a 2011 Mazda 3 with a hatch/lift-gate and an electric pushbutton to open. We have had the common lift-gate issues with the hatch cycling for no reason but as with most others, this usually goes away and is not often an issue.

Currently, the pushbutton on the hatch has quit. You can push as often as you like but nothing happens. I have taken the hatch apart and tested the button and it is functioning properly. I have also taken the latch mechanism apart and tested if using 12 VDC and it too is in working order. For some reason, I'm not getting 12 VDC at the pushbutton.

I have consulted the owners manual to no avail. I was thinking it may be a fuse but the manual is just horrid. It states there are three fuse panels. One on the drivers side (found), one on the passenger side (not found) and one in the engine compartment (found). The panel on the passenger side may be a reference to foreign cars? In any event, I have read through the fuse designations and not a single reference to the lift-gate pushbutton can be found. Some designations read "protection of various circuits". My goodness, how lazy can Mazda be?

If anyone has an idea where the power comes from for the lift-gate pushbutton, I would be in your debt. A schematic would be wonderful!

I've read that in some Mazda cars, the lift-gate pushbutton can not be operated unless the emergency brake is engaged. If this is the case with the Mazda 3, perhaps the switch is bad at the E-brake. In any event, I don't want to go chasing all over the car without a schematic.

Apologies if this has been discussed and I have missed it. I did do a search to no avail.

Look forward to hearing from anyone that can shed some light on our issue.

Cheers!

 

Does anyone have a wiring diagram for the 2010 - 2011 Mazda 3?

 

Found the problem... After working on it for a while yesterday, I had a revelation. I decided to take a meter out and check to see if the switch was running off some sort of micro-computer and working on 5VDC instead of 12VDC. Sure enough there was 5VDC at the push button.

The push button must have allowed water to get in and over time the resistance of the switch has dropped to such a level that it finally tripped the module responsible for the rear latch. My particular switch dropped to 3200 ohms. Of course, it should be infinite when not depressed.

I think this also may explain why others have experienced the unsolicited release of the rear hatch on occasion. It's a common problem and is most likely caused by a failed push button.

Hope this helps others.

Would still love a copy of the 2011 schematic though!

 

Very common problem on BL MZ3 & GH MZ6 for the rubber to go hard, crack & allow moisture to enter the circuit board & go crazy. Seen boots pop open by themselves.

 

PLEASE help with my trunk. I read what what wrong with yours but i dont understand what you had to do to fix it. I am being drivem totally ynuts crawling inti my trunk and opening it mnualky and woukd love to be able to get it properly again. It wasn't working this morning then was fine this afyernion then an hour later stopped and i have been trying to figure it out for hours. I found a peice if plastic inside the trunk behind the button that i pried out and now i have access ti the inside of the button to open it manually with the inside of the hitch by pushing the release across mnually but it takes me climbing into the trunk with a knife to be abl .to push it over as it is too hard with just my fimger and i dont want to keep having to release it by climbing in with a knife because in my.driveway is one thing but climbing into a trunk with a kitchen knife in my hamd doesn't look too nirmal to strangers in public lol.
pleade explain in a way a womn who has never worked on a cr will understand. I didnt understand at all what you meant.