Hi All - I wonder if you can guide me in the right direction?

I have been a little foolish. I have taken off the -ve lead from the battery and in a moment of unexplainable madness I inadvertently closed the boot lid. As a result the key fob, internal boot release switch and the switch on the boot itself will not work. The only alternative is to use the manual key in the little hole in the boot -but this will not work - the key will not turn!!!

Is there any other way to open the boot?

 

Is the car open, you can power it from the fuse box, or cigerete lighter ssocket or the is a power connection behind the front wheel arch plastic cover.

 

Great. Thanks for the reply. Could you talk me through the easiest option. Not quite sure what I need to do?

 

Yes car is open

 

Do you have another battery? Or something like a battery booster?

Also, do you know the rear seats fold down, maybe someone knows a way of releasing them without boot access.

Also I'm not sure it will work with a disconnected battery, cos the circuit is broken. It works with flat battery, but the circuit is complete then.

Have you tried your other key, if you have one

 

My wife's car has battery in it or I have a battery charger

 

NEVER connect a charger without the battery connected...it will damage the electronics.

Have you tried some aerosol spray lock lubricant in your trunk lock?

 

Hi, I've tried lots of WD40 on the lock + tried both keys. Lock will not turn.

 

Rear seats do not fold down. I think the arm rest opens to put skis through etc... but you need access to the boot to do this.

 

What model, all rear seats on s type fold down except str,

The release levers (1 for each side) are top corner rear of boot opening.

You should be able to get to it through ski flap and use something like brush pole to push the T pull relese

 

I believe the STR ones do also but the cross brace restricts access.

I'd keep working with the lock and penetrant.

 

+1

I'd also be using an actual penetrating oil rather than a water displacement oil (WD40).

 

Make sure your keys are the 'real' ones and not valet versions.

 

OK this looks like a good option - How do I open the ski flap / rear seats from inside the car? It is a 2005 S-Type 3.0

 

Please check that the valet button is not pushed. It's in the glove box.

Remember you have a spot in the front wheel well to hook up a battery charger so you can pop the trunk!



This is a Lincoln LS but the S Type is the same.
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Hook up a battery there, not a charger. Repeating, hooking up a charger without a battery connected has a strong probability of damaging electronics in the car.

 

Never heard of it and I have done it multiple times on multiple cars with no problem.

How does the car know if a battery or a battery charger is hooked to the post??
It doesn't!

12 VDC is 12 VDC.

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It is not certain damage, but it is very risky.

Most chargers put out DC pulses, not pure DC, and the voltage can exceed 18 volts unless a battery is connected. Even worse, there can be much, much higher brief voltage spikes as each pulse rises and falls.

The battery acts both as a filter that smooths the pulses and a voltage regulator that limits the maximum voltage.

All the electronic modules have circuits that protect from overvoltage to some extent, but these components can often fail or be overwhelmed.

 

An old-fashioned charger may put out much better DC, missing those spikes - but you want to KNOW so look with a 'scope or the like
If no 'scope, I'd assume that it's not safe to connect the charger without the smoothing the battery would normally provide.

In a 3.0 you can just fold the back seats down I thought.

 

The release catches are in the boot, if the is no battery connected, will powering it from the wheel arch point work?