Hi guys. F is dead this morning. Trying to open it with emergency key, found the key, found the keyhole but can't get it to turn to open the lock. Anyone know any tricks to this?

 

At the end of the key there is a small piece that hinges sideways 90 degrees so you can push the key all the way in and makes it easier to turn.

 

+1. You have to make certain it is pushed in all the way. I had to use 2 hands: one to hold open the door handle, push the key all the way in and maintain pressure while I used the second hand to gently twist the key with that dinky fold out handle. Using that key is extremely cumbersome.

 

This may help.

 

Thank you Super Q7 for posting this video. Hopefully if I'm ever in this situation I will remember exactly what to do. Thank you

 

Thanks all for your help. In the end the only solution was to use a largish flat bladed screwdriver to slot into the extension piece which gave enough purchase to turn the key, there was no way I could do it with finger pressure alone, it did bend the aluminum channel piece doing that but I was able to squeeze it back into shape afterwards.

Not a great design. There really is something wrong with the power management systems in these cars, I know there are other threads on this, the car sat for 4 days without starting and then was completely flat, when tested it was down to 4 volts. After running for an hour after Jump starting the battery is testing as good. Something is not properly shutting down when the car is locked and draining the battery.

Also be aware that the car needs power to open the glove box, so if you keep your handbook in there and then need it when the battery is flat, you are stuffed.

 

Andrew,

I don't know how often or how far you drive your car, but after spending a couple of weeks a while back taking voltmeter readings while driving the car, it's clear that the battery maintenance software in this car limits the amount of "juice" delivered by the alternator.

There was a lengthy thread with several members, including me, documenting this. The battery maintenance software limits the voltage much more than the average vehicle I've had any experience with. On every other vehicle I've tested, the alternator is allowed to deliver a consistent 13-14v pretty continuously. This car stays in the low- to mid-12s pretty consistently, with very short spikes into the 13s. I only saw 14v a couple of times and only for a very brief time.

The bottom line is that in order to keep it charged w/ alternator alone, it needs to be driven more than 50 miles a day at least 3-5 days a week. If it's driven only a few miles at a time that same number of days, the battery will end up running down at some point, probably after a few weeks.

My daily commute is 60 miles round-trip, and I usually drive it 3-5 days a week that distance. If I plug it in immediately after one of my 60 mile trips, it still takes a 1.25 amp Battery Tender 12 or more hours to bring it up to a full charge. I've never had a dead battery, but I also plug it in about once a month or so just to make sure.

The safe and easy thing to do is to wire a Battery Tender or CTEK maintainer and plug it in regularly.

 

As I have suggested on numerous occasions to others, the matter is simply resolved by disconnecting the battery for several seconds to reboot the energy control module. It occasionally gets confused particularly if the OBDII port has been tapped into.

 

I don't think it's that simple. The voltage we've documented is normal behavior. In addition, most of us aren't tapping into our OBDII port. Lastly, I don't think your car sits very often.

 

When on travel, I've had it sit several times for a week or more...no issue. But then when the module freaks out, it'll show the low battery warning within 24 hours.

 

I have done the same, and I've never had a low battery warning. I spent a lot of time monitoring voltage readings. I then tested all my other vehicles with the same voltmeter. The F-Type consistently registers much lower voltage readings as I described above, but I drive it enough that it doesn't matter. I'm also on the original battery, which is now 3 years old.

There's no way it's getting fully charged on a bunch of short trips. Why else would it take 12-24 hours to fully charge on a BT when plugged in immediately after a 60 mile trip?

 

In addition to the emergency key, there are three other emergency procedures. One allows you to raise the soft top if the mechanism fails. It involves special tools found in the passenger footwell. Another allows you to unlock the transmission for towing(AT) and involves tools in the center console box. Lastly, some convertibles have a parking brake release lever in th boot.