How to open trunk without key....

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GRWeldon

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Trunk release inside doesn't work, key is not available. I tried destroying the lock on my Cougar parts car and STILL couldn't get it open. Don't want to attempt it again on the car I'm working on. Any special tricks?
 
IIRC on Tbirds there are rivets you can drill/punch out and take out the lock cylinder clip and lock cylinder.(cougars too but the reflector panel is in the way) Otherwise my method is exactly what @1997ThunderbirdLXV6 described; pull the back seat crawl through the trunk and unbolt. Thrashing the lock cylinder doesn’t work.
 
There is an easier way... Pull the trunk release button out where it plugs in run a wire from the positive on the battery to where the plug goes into the release button. Just run the wire around the outside of the car this is just to feed temp voltage to the button. While holding the button down touch the wire from the batt to the metal post and it'll feed power to the trunk release solinoid and as long as the selniod is good the trunk will pop as if you had the key in and on. Most of those buttons just pry gently and it'll come out.
 
97teebs said:
There is an easier way... Pull the trunk release button out where it plugs in run a wire from the positive on the battery to where the plug goes into the release button. Just run the wire around the outside of the car this is just to feed temp voltage to the button. While holding the button down touch the wire from the batt to the metal post and it'll feed power to the trunk release solinoid and as long as the selniod is good the trunk will pop as if you had the key in and on. Most of those buttons just pry gently and it'll come out.
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Worth a try, but before I did this I would verify continuity of the switch when pressed. I say this because I'm assuming the trunk solenoid is bad.
 
XR7-4.6 said:
IIRC on Tbirds there are rivets you can drill/punch out and take out the lock cylinder clip and lock cylinder.(cougars too but the reflector panel is in the way) Otherwise my method is exactly what @1997ThunderbirdLXV6 described; pull the back seat crawl through the trunk and unbolt. Thrashing the lock cylinder doesn’t work.
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No visible rivets. On the underside where the license plate lights are, there is a plastic cover between the lights held in place with one rivet. Might this be what you are speaking of? If so, I could probably get to the rivet with a right angle drill. Or better yet a dremel would do the job of rivet removal...
 
Here's a question and you may have said and I missed it but where is the key for the trunk?
 
A locksmith can open it. Also, try your friends trunk keys from that era fords. There are only so many keys.
 
Bump keys at harbor freight.
 
The switch is far more likely to be the issue over the solenoid. That said, if bypassing the switch with a jumper doesn't work, removing the rear seat and crawling in to pop the latch is easy and unobtrusive.
 
Grweldon what state are you in?
 
97teebs said:
Here's a question and you may have said and I missed it but where is the key for the trunk?
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I actually don't see how this is relevant in any way....The trunk didn't come with a key when I bought it...
 
Hey wanna try my wife's '17 Jaguar XF? There is no key lock, just a elec Solenoid. Recently removed battery to put on a charger. Yeah, battery is in trunk and as habit slammed it shut w/ battery out. No, car was locked and hood latched. U have to knock a cover off the driver's door handle, open the key fob to get a dingy cut key to insert in handle and turn to unlock door. Thankfully the hood release is a manual cable pull. Under the hood you find the jump points where you hook cables to another car or battery and then push trunk release on key fob. Will make you dri k hard liquor I tell you. Oh if you EVER plan to disconnect battery in one of these you have to open hood and trunk and throw the key fob as far away from the car as you can and wait 30 min for the co.puters to go to sleep before you pull the cables off. We really have it good with our old technology. Trust me.
 
Could be worse Mercedes well have no lock cylinder for trunk if you open the door and the alarm goes off you can't release the trunk. You have to call me and I bring a programmer hook it up and through there I can pop the trunk with an active alarm total cotmst locally $200
 
That scanario happens when you lock the keys in the trunk BTW.. And that happens alot more then most people realize
 
97teebs said:
That scanario happens when you lock the keys in the trunk BTW.. And that happens alot more then most people realize
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But of course, gotta secure the keys.:giggle::giggle:
 
mercedes makes you pay to use the seat warmers you paid for with the car, lol. No one buys those for the usability, lol.
 
Generalee0527 said:
We really have it good with our old technology. Trust me.
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Believed.

I always wonder if people look on in horror when I physically insert a key into the lock cylinder in my door to unlock it. None of our cars have keyless remote entry. "Mommy, what is that strange man doing to that car??!!? I'm scared!!"
 
KevinVarnes said:
Believed.

I always wonder if people look on in horror when I physically insert a key into the lock cylinder in my door to unlock it. None of our cars have keyless remote entry. "Mommy, what is that strange man doing to that car??!!? I'm scared!!"
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Yeah and I get annoyed when I don't have the clicker and I just want the part i left in the passenger seat so I walk around to drivers side to use key as the passenger side has no key hole. My son's '94 F-150 has both. I believe we've been duped into believing it's for safety when it is savings the bean counters siphoned off.
 
Grog6 said:
mercedes makes you pay to use the seat warmers you paid for with the car, lol. No one buys those for the usability, lol.
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WHAT? No way. I'm calling bullshit!

What kind of fool would ever buy a car where that situation would exist? I would look at the sales manager and tell him exactly why I'm not going to buy his 6-figure piece of shit.

I suppose if you don't pay the bill they disable the car?
 
I didn’t think they actually implemented it yet but the intent is absolutely true, I think BMW was spearheading it, but Tesla can do it as well.

You pay a subscription because apparently 8 year car payments aren’t enough and if the subscription lapses it’s disabled via an over the air update. This wouldn’t be a problem for some scofflaw like me to bypass it with old school retrofitted seat heaters but it wouldn’t surprise me if they brick the car if you altered anything electronic in the process. “You’ve violated your terms of service” will be displayed on your giant ugly user unfriendly touchscreen

90s OBD II was the peak of automotive technology, but todays technology almost makes me resent that. It opened the can of worms. Carbs, points and roll up windows is where my mind’s at these days 😆
 
XR7-4.6 said:
You pay a subscription because apparently 8 year car payments aren’t enough and if the subscription lapses it’s disabled via an over the air update. This wouldn’t be a problem for some scofflaw like me to bypass it with old school retrofitted seat heaters but it wouldn’t surprise me if they brick the car if you altered anything electronic in the process. “You’ve violated your terms of service” will be displayed on your giant ugly user unfriendly touchscreen

90s OBD II was the peak of automotive technology, but todays technology almost makes me resent that. It opened the can of worms. Carbs, points and roll up windows is where my mind’s at these days 😆
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+1 This whole subscriptions for everything is complete garbage. I want to pay for something and physically own it, not pay for it and then pay for a subscription until you determine that you don't want me to have it anymore. Same for "buying" movies online. If I don't physically have it in my possession and/or someone else or thing controls how or when I can access it then I don't really own it. These are the same people trying to convince us that eventually we will own nothing and be happy. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a "whoever has the most stuff wins" kind of guy, but I do believe in private property.

I mean, I like carbs and all, but points do kind of stink compared to electronic ignitions, but I get where you're going. Often times on long road trips I think about how much easier it would be to change an engine mounted mechanical fuel pump on the side of the road rather than a tank mounted electric fuel pump. My daily driver Saturn has actual crank up/down windows and manual locks o_O
 
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