Yesterday I dropped my key in trunk when in put in my briefcase and as I closed the lid. What a pain...
Searched forums for couple hours and tried several ideas from members to no avail.
Called several locksmiths and found 2 that were capable of opening trunk but wanted at least $250 for service call
I finally decided to call the 2 dealers close by and 1 in Scottsdale AZ has key available and able to cut using VIN
What a relief, still my mishap cost me $147 for a cut key.

 

Ray, Not going to make your day, but does not the button on the left of the steering wheel on the face of the dash work?
If a dead battery, inside the hood area is a connection to the battery could add a charger too for some power to make that button work.
Of course if the trunk electrics don't work to release the lock, forget I said anything.

 

Wayne,
I am aware of that and that was my hope.
But doors were locked so I used a long stiff wire to pull door handle from a gap in the door window and unfortunately it tripped the security and disabled that trunk switch and also all door unlock function.
FYI: Mrs used to have a spitfire in our teenage years, we even took a drive from Phoenix to Bakersfield. ( LOL NOT AGAIN)

 

Here's an idea . . . perhaps that's one reason Jaguar supplies a full set of not just 1, but 3 keys, any one of which would have let you get into the car. In my view, any Jaguar for sale, regardless of price, gets downgraded by the cost of dealer replacement for any missing keys and ditto for manuals.

Those back-up keys should be stored safely away so that, when this happens, as it has to many, it is possible to retrieve a spare key, or arrange a family member to do so. I say this, not to rub salt in your wounds, but to raise a warning to all those who carry all 3 keys on their car key ring . . . or worse still, drive a car that has only one key. Time bomb tick, tick, ticking . . . .

In the end, glad to hear you are reunited with your car and briefcase . . . but a $147 lesson you didn't need, but will learn from.

Best wishes,

 

was that supposed to be a long trip ??

in 1975 I drove my Spitfire from Norman Oklahoma to Bellingham Washington, then down the coast to San Diego, from there back to Oklahoma. Oh, yeah, my girlfriend was in the passenger seat the while time and even was still talking to me afterwards,

Z


PS Subsequently, I drove a TR-4a from Oklahoma to Jeckell (sp ?) island Georgia and back, also with girlfriend . That trip was a little rougher.

 

I would be the last 1 to disagree with your philosophy but I also realized that life is not black and white so $147 is a very cheap lesson learned.
Getting a tibbe key was in my bucket list but it hit me in the *ss faster that you can say whoops.

 

You guys better man than I am, but hell yeah at 19 that spitfire was a fun car (LOL daddy did not buy me a cat!)

 

I posted this originally some nine years ago, but it still works today and can save a lot of heartache and dollars

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ight=emergency

 

very clever, wished Iseen this before.
Got a spare now but will consider doing this mod later.
Thanks Astromorg

 

When I was away from home and fell into the same "misfortune" cascade - locked the key in the trunk, tripped the security system and disabled the dash button when I coat-hangered the door - I removed the bass speaker from the rear shelf and used the hanger to pull the inside emergency release handle in the right-hand back corner of the trunk/boot. Not too drastic an amount of work, as I had the basic tools in my always-on-board "emergency" kit.

 

Do you think that is possible with a 1998 XK8 convertible?
Thank you.

 

Obviously, not through a speaker on the rear shelf. Offered my experience more anecdotally than practically, as I know there are comparatively few coupes, either produced or on the road. Convertible owners would have to speak to the possibility of locating an access to the trunk/boot through the back of the cabin.

 

Perhaps . . .

Use a blowtorch to cut a big hole in the boot (trunk) lid?
But why this aversion to just get spare key(s)?

If you can't afford full set of keys, I shudder to think what else is skimped.

 

The traditional way is to get a spare key cut and hide it under the bodywork ....£10

 

The best solution to avoid this happening is to get in the habit of always unlocking the car with the fob, before opening the boot with the fob - this way you simply can't lock the keys in the boot. No need for angle grinders, hidden keys or hidden boot release pulls if you always press unlock before open.