Alarm going off for no reason/trunk wont open.

Alarm going off for no reason/trunk wont open. *POSSIBLY SOLVED*

SOLUTION

I've been having this lingering electrical gremlin. Basically what happens is that the alarm will go off in the middle of the night. During this time, I can try and open the trunk. The latch will release partially, the door can maybe open by about 1", but not fully open. Sometimes mashing the trunk unlock button on the FOB will open it, others times I need to go inside and open the release manually.

Sometimes the trunk just won't open without the alarm going off.

Other times, while driving at night, I can see the interior trunk light stay on or flash on/off going over bumps sporadically.

This seems to happen more often in hot weather (30 degree celsius+), but not always the case.

I've done research and have performed the following which seems to have fixed most people's issues, but mine:
-replacing the latch mechanism, OEM part
-swapping out the "VW Emblem handle"
-checked the wiring harnesses at the hinge for tears

Although the wires on the passenger (right) side of the harness show signs of slight rubbage, none of it goes through the plastic coating and it looks intact. I'm at a loss as to what else the trunk system has that can break. Can anyone shed some light before I drop $$$ for a professional's diagnosis?

is where the latch secures to the bumper side of things sitting flush and tight?

I adjusted the bottom of the latch, problem persists.

I think I've noticed a trend: when it's raining, or I wash the car, it seems to happen more often.

Took apart the hatch trim again, all appears dry.

One question though, under the hatch, on the middle-left side, there is this black box with 3 wired connections. What is this thing?

do you have a hatch pop kit?

No sir

Not a superstitious person but I hope I don't *jinx* it by sharing this.

Possibly found the solution, and it is a $0 fix.

So I was messing around with the hatch. My suspicion has been a wiring problem since all the mechanical components have been replaced. I closed the door, light stayed on. I noticed the harness around the deck lid was tight, so I gave it some slack (which mostly came from a wire going to the heating elements in the rear windshield) and voila! Door closed, light turned off, car armed when I locked it! It's been fine all weekend where I used the hatch repeatedly.

So it must have been a "pinched" wire causing all these problems.

Most likely. Anytime there are intermittent issues like things going on and off as you go over bumps, the very first thing to check should be the wiring. A loss, pinched, or shorted wire can cause all kinds of trouble.