I finally came across mention of the change in the trunk mechanism. Alldata says this:

NOTE : As of chassis end no. 118121, the trunk lid closing assist striker is no longer controlled by the closing assist supply pump, but by the PSE control module. Therefore, the microswitch (S88/3) as well as some mechanical parts have been eliminated.

So it is the striker release mechanism that was moved over to the PSE pump from the closing assist pump, not the trunk handle. The trunk handle has always been controlled by the PSE pump.

Brett

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1997 S600 sedan