1995 Cadillac trunk pull-down malfunction

Yes, the trunk light comes on and goes off when the trunk lid switch is moved, as appropriate.

Which part is the striker? The loop? If I understand correctly then, attach the plug to the motor and ground the striker (the loop) the motor will run down then up? I tried that--I wrapped a wire around the loop as tightly as I could then wrapped it around one of the bolts that holds the mounting plate (not the motor) to the trunk. It didn't work, so maybe I don't know what the striker is or maybe the motor is bad?

OK, tried that, no result. The motor doesn't get hot because it doesn't run. I've looked for the pull down switch on GM parts on an official GM parts website, but no luck. It will sell me the whole actuator assembly for over $220. So, where do I find a switch or how can I fix the one I have? I disassembled my old one (not the supposedly working one). Where do you think the point of failure is? It looks pretty simple except for the resistor you can see in the top of it.

I think we're not communicating. The pull down is removed from the car--there is no pull down cover to remove. There is only one switch and it's just like the one I took apart and showed the pictures of above. Below is a picture of the "new" (used) pull down assembly, including the switch, and a picture of just the switch that I disassembled and took pictures of, above. It's just like the black switch on the assembly. I've had the original assembly completely apart and there are no other switches, just two connectors that go into the motor. Am I missing something?

There are indeed several broken teeth on the round gear attached to the striker. Interestingly the pull down worked as well as it could when installed in a different car (it wouldn't pull down very far because of the broken teeth). However, when installed in my car it does nothing. So there are at least two problems counting the broken gear. The trunk lid switch?

More information: I put a spare gear into the pull down (from the old one) and it did extend when I reinstalled it. However, it won't go down. I removed the trunk lid switch and ran continuity tests on it. It has a black wire in the middle (gnd), an orange wire and a red wire (both power?). When it's "open, " i.E, when the trunk is open and the light is on, there is continuity between the orange wire and the black wire. There is no continuity between the red wire and the black wire at this time. When the switch is held "closed, " i.E. As if the trunk were closed, there is continuity between the black wire and the red wire, and none between the orange and the black.
Next I ran voltage tests on the connection side to the trunk lid switch. There are 12.54 volts at the orange wire when grounded to the black wire. There are no volts at the red wire when grounded to the black wire. There is continuity from the connection side to the connector at the pull down. Orange to orange, black to black, red to red. However, with the volt meter on the red and black at the pull down motor, I "close" the trunk lid switch and no voltage shows on the meter. It should, I believe, but it doesn't.
So, the switch appears to be trying to reroute power to the red wire, but no power flows. I checked all the fuses in the trunk and they're all good.

I understand that you think I should get a new switch. The question is, if the switch is bad why did the assembly function properly when installed in a different vehicle?

Well I got a new switch and installed it. Still doesn't work. Now what?

Oh, and when I had the switch off, I tested the motor. It goes up and down just fine by simply grounding one connection and providing power to the other. Reversing the polarity reverses the motor.

I put it together correctly. It's fairly obvious. It does go up when plugged into the fitting. It just won't come down when it's supposed to. I think it's supposed to work by routing power to the red wire that goes into the switch and cutting off the power to the orange switch. Only that doesn't happen.