Converting Boot Lock To Optional Manual Operation On Mark 1

[johnswlondon]

the boot latch operates electrically,so if the wiring loom is faulty or the battery dead you cant get into the boot,or can you.....

 

ok,what you need to do is make 2 cuts 4 inches apart (and 3 inches in length)immediately above the boot latch mechanism in the rear boot panel using a stanley knife(which is made of chipboard and covered in pvc.break the panel to join up the 2 cuts and peel the chipboard away from pvc,leaving the pvc intact(like a flap to conceal the hole when the boot is closed.

 

 

if you look in the hole you will see the solenoid which electrically opens the boot latch through the hole.on the right hand side of the solenoid is the white clip and actuator pin which moves into the solenoid and compresses the rubber bellows.push the pin in towards the solenoid(compressing the bellows)while gently pushing the hatch open.

 

without ven loooking you will b able to slide the pin and open the boot after a couple of tries.

 

hey presto,emergency boot opening!

[mumof4]

Sooo..this is just for the MKI??

 

top of my wish list is to win the bloody lottery.:D

[sparky Paul]

Or...

 

You can simply turn the boot key past the unlock position to the 9 o'clock position. The lock barrel has a mechanical linkage to open the tailgate in case of power loss, at least my 1999 mk1 does... :wacko:

 

...got to be easier than getting the Stanley knife out... :lol:

[mumof4]

Not half Sparky......!!.

 

Now...how do you get into the MKII.?? :wacko: ..would it work for the MKII??

[sparky Paul]

Now...how do you get into the MKII.?? :lol: ..would it work for the MKII??

I was under the impression that the mk.2 had the same locking/central locking/immobiliser set up as the completely revised one on the 98'-on mk.1, so I would have thought that the key trick would work.

 

To be honest, I'm not sure if all the mk.1/2 tailgate lock mechanisms are the same, they certainly look much the same on TIS. :wacko:

Edited August 9, 2007 by sparky Paul

[mumof4]

And this is only if all power is lost in the car???...could it be done if say.....the front drivers door doesnt open for some reason?..or remote and drivers door lock goes belly up??

 

Only ask as we have had a few times on here peeps not being able to get into their cars..and this trick of yours would help them if it ever happened again. :wacko:

[sparky Paul]

Obviously, this only applies to the tailgate as it's the only one which has solenoid assistance for opening, I imagine this is why this mechanical override is added to the tailgate. I suspect many people aren't aware of it because it needs quite a stiff turn past the normal unlock position.

 

It certainly works, as I was using it to open the tailgate when the wiring in the tailgate flexy snapped, and I've also used it to open the tailgate with the battery disconnected.

[mumof4]

Nice one sparky.......Think this needs to be added to the FAQS...

[sparky Paul]

:lol:

 

Hope it helps someone out!

 

...or in... :wacko:

[Andrew T]

It's quite correct that the Key will always open the boot in the event of power failure, but if like me you'd never unlocked it manually you may find that it's seized solid and you'll need to spend half an hour on you knees with a can of WD 40 trying to untick the bloody thing. Under those circumstances hacking your way through the tailgate trim may be quicker! Edited August 9, 2007 by Andrew T

[sparky Paul]

It's quite correct that the Key will always open the boot in the event of power failure, but if like me you'd never unlocked it manually you may find that it's seized solid and you'll need to spend half an hour on you knees with a can of WD 40 trying to untick the bloody thing. Under those circumstances hacking your way through the tailgate trim may be quicker!

 

Good point. Mine works fine, but I do operate it this way occasionally - perhaps that's the answer.

 

The cosmetic result is certainly better than carving up the tailgate trim!

[mumof4]

Both ways are sound..and will included in the FAQs.

[insider]

if you look in the hole you will see the solenoid which electrically opens the boot latch through the hole.on the right hand side of the solenoid is the white clip and actuator pin which moves into the solenoid and compresses the rubber bellows.push the pin in towards the solenoid(compressing the bellows)while gently pushing the hatch open.

 

without ven loooking you will b able to slide the pin and open the boot after a couple of tries.

 

hey presto,emergency boot opening!

 

Does this work when the car is deadlocked? If so, it's a possible escape route from a deadlocked car.

[sparky Paul]

Does this work when the car is deadlocked? If so, it's a possible escape route from a deadlocked car.

 

Good idea. It should work when deadlocked as either method acts directly on the linkage to the latch - and the key trick opens the tailgate when deadlocked, even when there is no power.

[katman]

It's quite correct that the Key will always open the boot in the event of power failure, but if like me you'd never unlocked it manually you may find that it's seized solid and you'll need to spend half an hour on you knees with a can of WD 40 trying to untick the bloody thing. Under those circumstances hacking your way through the tailgate trim may be quicker!

 

When I first got my Galaxy I only had the Black Remote Key. After finding out how much another remote key was going to cost I went for the manual key and a red key which I then had to pay Ford to program into the Galaxy.

 

The mechanic who did the work advised me to use a key to open the car on a fairly regular basis as he had worked on many Galaxys where the locks were siezed due to lack of use and people got locked out when the battery in the keyfob went flat.

 

Having discovered that it usually took me 3 or 4 goes to hit the IR sensor I gave up on the remote keyfob and use the key all the time.

[Andrew T]

Another reason to use the door locks regularly is that the key gets a little bit worn every time you put it in the ignition. After many years of this, and of never using the door locks the key can become so worn that it will no longer operate the door locks. I have this problem on our other car, but luckily it rarely needs to be locked up.

I use the automatic window opening and closing facility (operated by the door locks) quite regularly which should stop this happening on the Galaxy.

[caiss4]

Can anyone confirm whether you can lock the tailgate if the c/locking and/or power has failed? With my recent experience of blown c/locking fuses my wife maintained that whilst she could manually lock the doors the tailgate could not be locked which presented big problems for security when we couldn't deal with the blown fuse away from home.

[sparky Paul]

Can anyone confirm whether you can lock the tailgate if the c/locking and/or power has failed? With my recent experience of blown c/locking fuses my wife maintained that whilst she could manually lock the doors the tailgate could not be locked which presented big problems for security when we couldn't deal with the blown fuse away from home.

Another interesting one!

 

Without any power at all, there wouldn't be a problem as the tailgate will be locked as soon as you slam it shut - the opening handle would not work.

 

The tailgate doesn't have a separate lock as such, only the latch mechanism which is normally operated by a switch on the tailgate handle, but only when the car is unlocked. When the car is locked, the circuit to the solenoid is disconnected. However, if the central locking failed in such a state that this circuit was still connected, there is an obvious problem - one answer would be to remove the fuse to the circuit, which should hopefully prevent the tailgate from being opened.

[caiss4]

SP,

 

I just checked what happens when the car is unlocked by c/locking, the fuse removed (equivalent to blowing). Whilst you can manually lock the passenger doors the tailgate is most definitely unlockable. Turning the key c/wise - nothing happens, turning the key ac/wise the tailgate is released.

 

Does this mean:

 

1. there is something wrong with my tailgate lock i.e turning c/wise should disengage the latch or

2. should everyone note that in the event of c/locking power failure (or no power at all) you can't secure the vehicle?

[sparky Paul]

SP,

 

I just checked what happens when the car is unlocked by c/locking, the fuse removed (equivalent to blowing). Whilst you can manually lock the passenger doors the tailgate is most definitely unlockable. Turning the key c/wise - nothing happens, turning the key ac/wise the tailgate is released.

 

Does this mean:

 

1. there is something wrong with my tailgate lock i.e turning c/wise should disengage the latch or

2. should everyone note that in the event of c/locking power failure (or no power at all) you can't secure the vehicle?

 

Your tailgate lock is operating correctly. Turning they key to 9 o'clock opens the tailgate by manually overriding the normally solenoid-operated latch.

 

In the event of power failure, you would not be able to open the tailgate without the key - if you can't get in without a key, the car is effectively secure...

 

...try getting in without a key. ;)

Edited August 10, 2007 by sparky Paul