My girlfriend's E30 trunk was so full of crap that last time I shut it, it jammed, and now it won't open. Normally, I'd go through the back seat, but it's solid. Even on cars with a solid wall behind the seat, there's usually a small hole somewhere that I can get a long extension through and unbolt the latch, but the aforementioned crap is acting as a barricade. When I push the button, I can hear the mechanism working, but something it sticking inside. Any ideas?
-
March 31, 2010 10:46 a.m. 16vCorey SuperDork
-
March 31, 2010 10:53 a.m. tuna55 HalfDork
Sitting on it may push it back to normal levels, instead of pressing on the latch like it is now.
-
March 31, 2010 11:26 a.m. Tommy Suddard SonDork
Shotgun.
-
March 31, 2010 11:30 a.m. 914Driver SuperDork
Go down a bumpy road to get all her junk to settle, try it again. Buy her a bigger closet.
-
March 31, 2010 11:34 a.m. jrw1621 Dork
Bust out a taillight?
I too would try pushing down while trying to open.
Have her rest both of her elbows on the trunk lid.
From behind, you should assist her with the pushing....
Not guarenteed to work but worth a try.
-
March 31, 2010 11:36 a.m. Brotus7 New Reader
Well, how much of that crap did she need, anyways? Maybe now is a good time to re-evaluate.
-
March 31, 2010 11:48 a.m. ansonivan Reader
jrw1621 wrote:
Have her rest both of her elbows on the trunk lid.
From behind, you should assist her with the pushing....
Be sure to wear protection while attempting this, baby's require even more junk, next time you'll be asking for advice on how to open a jammed minivan hatch.
-
March 31, 2010 12:00 p.m. 16vCorey SuperDork
I've tried pushing down, but haven't had an extra person around yet to have someone sit on it while trying to open it. I actually thought about busting out a tail light as a last resort. One of them actually has a little crack it it, so if I had an extra I'd bust it out in a heartbeat. I'm really just making sure I didn't miss anything obvious.
-
March 31, 2010 12:08 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork
maybe not pressing down... are the shocks worn enough to bounce the rear of the car? Maybe bounce it while trying to unlatch?
-
March 31, 2010 12:24 p.m. 914Driver SuperDork
16vCorey wrote:
I actually thought about busting out a tail light as a last resort.
Close your eyes and imagine opening the trunk with the key. Once opened there's a latch thingie; does it pull out of the way toward the right? Remove that taillight and fish for it with a coat hanger. (no pushing - coathanger jokes please) You'll never geti it anyway, but you'll feel better just trying.
-
March 31, 2010 12:31 p.m. Wonkothesane New Reader
So, ah, Corey... I didn't really want to say anything, but since you brought it up, did you realize your girlfriend has a lot of, er.. well... Junk. In her trunk.
-
March 31, 2010 1:43 p.m. speedblind Reader
This happened to me when the central locking on the trunk went. You have to remove the rear seatback and snake your hand around to the latch. It's a pain. Have fun.
-
March 31, 2010 1:49 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork
there is a thought.. how much of her junk can you get out through the interior of the car?
-
March 31, 2010 2:11 p.m. 16vCorey SuperDork
speedblind wrote:
This happened to me when the central locking on the trunk went. You have to remove the rear seatback and snake your hand around to the latch. It's a pain. Have fun.
Not sure how you managed that, it's a solid plate of sheet metal behind the rear seat back.
mad_machine wrote:
there is a thought.. how much of her junk can you get out through the interior of the car?
Pretty much none. There are but a few tiny holes in the panel behind the rear seat. Maybe if it were full of pennies I could eventually empty it, but there's no way I'm getting two sleeping bags, a tent, and other similarly large items through holes roughly the size of a quarter.
-
March 31, 2010 2:18 p.m. 914Driver SuperDork
16vCorey wrote:
Not sure how you managed that, it's a solid plate of sheet metal behind the rear seat back.
-
March 31, 2010 3:09 p.m. kcbhiw HalfDork
16vCorey wrote:
My girlfriend
You're not married yet?
-
March 31, 2010 4:39 p.m. MrJoshua SuperDork
Does the solid metal behind the seatback have a panel where the ski hole would be? If so, you can knock it out rather easily. Then if you are as skinny as Osterkraut you can just climb right in!
-
March 31, 2010 4:58 p.m. Tommy Suddard SonDork
Get a 1/4" drill bit, and drill lots of holes around the trunk release. Eventually, you're bound to trip the latch. If you don't, you will have eventually drilled enough holes that the entire assembly will break free.
-
March 31, 2010 5:39 p.m. 4eyes Reader
Have you tried going about 40mph and slamming on the brakes, to shift the load?
-
March 31, 2010 5:56 p.m. Osterkraut Dork
MrJoshua wrote:
Does the solid metal behind the seatback have a panel where the ski hole would be? If so, you can knock it out rather easily. Then if you are as skinny as Osterkraut you can just climb right in!
Good times.
-
March 31, 2010 6:45 p.m. bludroptop SuperDork
Serious answer: think like a thief. Slide hammer the lock cylinder, open trunk.
Get new lock cylinder re-keyed to match, tell GF she owes you big-time and enjoy the reciprocation.
Easy peasy!
-
April 1, 2010 8:58 a.m. 16vCorey SuperDork
Weird, that panel pops out? I guess that's what I get for pulling the back seat out at night with a really crappy flashlight. It looked totally solid to me. Anyway, I guess the contents had settled since I last tried to open it (about two weeks ago). I tried last night and it popped open with the push of the button, just like it's supposed to.
-
April 1, 2010 9:04 a.m. John Brown SuperDork
bludroptop wrote:
Serious answer: think like a thief. Slide hammer the lock cylinder, open trunk.
Get new lock cylinder re-keyed to match, tell GF she owes you big-time and enjoy the reciprocation.
Easy peasy!
Doesn't help if the latch is faulty not the key.
Drop the fuel tank and cut your way in through the bottom with a torch. Yes, it will catch all of her E36 M3 on fire but that is the tax she must pay for loading that much E36 M3 into her trunk.
-
April 1, 2010 9:35 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork
now that you got it open... tell her the trunk to her car is NOT the same as her purse
