I've had right fun with my boot the back end of last week, we went away touring around Wales for a few days.

Arrived at our hotel, got some things out the boot, went and checked in came back to the car for the other bits in the car and the boot wouldnt open. I tried everything:

The knob on the boot
The interior dash button
The remote
Leaving the car and coming back later in case the onboard computer had got confused.
I called the breakdown service out - absolutely useless, I did more than he did plus he put oily handprints on my seats -complaint going in there!

Next I rang a few contacts someone said use the lock on the boot I had never used it but it was seized any way, 14 year old car, lock most probably never used.

I rang an X300 guy from the JEC and he said all the above or the last resort was to remove the rear number plate and half the way down drill a 1\2" hole to sever the lock- Maybe if desperate but I wasnt going to be doing that.

Then one of the staff passed us and advised there was a locksmith who had never been beaten on picking a lock.

I drove to him in the morning in Bala and even though it was seized with a pic he got each section of the lock moving and then turned it with the key.

15mins and £20 he was in .....

Hence we got our remaining stuff out the boot.

Ive now sourced a new solenoid, linkages & catches for the boot £25 so any fitting tips appreciated.

The reason for posting - make sure your boot lock is working my solenoid had never failed and as usual things go when you least expect it.....

 

Could this be a valet switch problem?

 

To be honest I have never used it.... not really sure what it does

 

Then my advice would be to read-up about it then!
Now on a more helpful path, have you got 2 keys for the car?
The reason I ask is that some time back I happened to push the valet switch and found I couldn't open the boot with either the key or the dash switch. My remote at the time was non functioning, so trying that was out. I thought I was really in a mess!
Anyway I came in to the house and sought out my other 'spare' key and this opened the boot with no problem.
Checking the handbook, it seems I had in fact been using the 'valet' key all the time, which won't open the boot if the valet switch is on and that my spare was in fact the 'master' key.
Needless to say the valet key is now the spare!
Advice is as my first line I suppose - read the handbook.
Good luck.

 

Valet key is green, master keys are black.

 

I found a post from one of your more helpful posts.....

Back to the helpful part of your reply
I got 1 black key with the car.

Part sourced ready to swap out solenoid.

 

Best of luck. The only advice I could offer is to watch your forehead, that boot lip can be a vicious device.

Ask me how I know

I know that you are handy with a spanner, so you should be good, I sat in the boot and worked backwards when I changed the 92.

Keep a brew on hand.