My Boot Won't Open -help

[MRO]

On the weekend i was carrying some paint in the back of my car so i put a towl in the cargo area to protect the boot carpet. After unloading the paint i closed the back door and the towel must have been in the lock area because now i cannot open the back door. I am a bit stuck on how to get the door back open. Any suggestions?

[captinsane]

On the weekend i was carrying some paint in the back of my car so i put a towl in the cargo area to protect the boot carpet. After unloading the paint i closed the back door and the towel must have been in the lock area because now i cannot open the back door. I am a bit stuck on how to get the door back open. Any suggestions?

no idea mate...is it worth trying locking and unlocking it a few times - it may make it worse, or it may make it better, i do not know... Don't kill me if it breaks anything though...

Otherwise all i an suggest is undoing the inside panels from inside the boot to get at the locking mechanism.. all the panels should come off...

Or just call a LOCKSMITH???

[Appealing]

Hmmm I had the same thing happen once with my '92 Falcon wagon. So I know how you feel.

From memory I worked at it from inside, with a kraft knife to shred the cloth, and a screwdriver to pressure the latch. It was a real bitch. The cloth tends to keep the latch closed and the hatch holds the cloth tight. It may help if you have someone on the outside, to push the tailgate in slightly (so that the latch isn't under the same pressure. I know that mine went very suddenly and then just released (opened). Other than that there isn't much that you can do (or a locksmith come to that). The bolts holding the lock on are underneath the lock. So they wont come out with the door in the closed position. Try having someone hold the handle in the open position while you sit down and put pressure on the bottom of the door with your legs. If you can get at the latch you may be ableto trip it with the screwdriver, or you may have to make a "tool" to enable you to do this.

Bear in mind tht it is only jammed. It should give in the end, after a bucket of sweat!

Best of luck.

Tell you what, I bet it NEVER happens again!!

I just realised that you are in Perth, (I think). So if you want to come around and see how the lock works and looks while it is in the open position, PM me.

Edited March 1, 2007 by Appealing

[Ska]

It might also be the auto closing mechanisim that has jammed, this happned to me once when one of the straps of my kids school bags got caught, I just kept pulling it out, like trying to open the rear door from the outside very harshly and eventually it opened.

But I did notice that once the auto closing mechanisim closed it made a wierd sound, and I looked down and saw the strap right where the locking mechanisim is.........

[Terminal]

surely using the key pulls the tongue back and you can open the boot?

[Stinky Rooster]

nup - key releases a spring catch that allows it to spring open (if it can, which in this case it won't)

[MRO]

you are right Dale - key is no good.

[Terminal]

Well I know you can't remove the hatch trim when it's closed, unless you feel like wrecking it. then you should be able to remove the taillight and get at the lock from the outside.

[Stinky Rooster]

Any luck with this dude?

If you do manage to get it open please make sure you share the love as I think this is gonna happen to most of us at one point.

[MRO]

Finally got it open. I must admit i did not try to hard as i havent needed to use the boot too much recently.

I got it opened by getting my wife to push the door from the inside while pulling back on the towel. I was on the outside lifting hard on the handle.

The self closing mechanism doesnt help because normally you would notice this kind of thing when closing the door. As you dont have to slam the door shut it is not until it is too late you notice something is jammed in there.

[Ska]

Yeah brute force worked for me too, good outcome

[Topkart R33]

For future referances all you need to do is take the plastic trim around the window off, then the locking caps for the carpeted trim and access latch from there. Push down on the part with the yellow bush which has the push rod attached.

[Stooge007]

For future referances all you need to do is take the plastic trim around the window off, then the locking caps for the carpeted trim and access latch from there. Push down on the part with the yellow bush which has the push rod attached.

sorry to bump an old thread, but something is caught in my C34 boot latch, and it won't open

as far as i can tell, you can't take any boot trim off as you can't access any of the screws/pop rivet things?

will try just forcing it open with my feet from the inside (while someone is outside holding the latch open, but putting pressure on the boot toward the car???)

[Stooge007]

will try just forcing it open with my feet from the inside (while someone is outside holding the latch open, but putting pressure on the boot toward the car???)

fwiw, this got the job done