I wanted to share this "horror story" with you just so that you know what not to do when adjusting the boot lock 
Recently I got my car back from a complete repaint. As part of having the car repainted I decided to fix some small cosmetic 'problems' + make other small improvements here and there.
One such small improvement was a new rubber seal for the boot. After putting in the seal the boot lid wouldn't fall into lock anymore - which I suppose is no surprise. In order for the lid to lock properly I had to adjust the position and the angle of the boot lock. Looking at how the lid hit the locking mechanism I had to bend the lock slightly to get to the right angle.
After a bit of testing and adjusting - finally the boot lid locked into place
Great stuff! ........ until I pressed the button to open the boot lid again!!! Nothing happened :!:
At first I thought the lock had somehow been turned to the 'locked' position so I fetched the key - the lock was not in locked position !
Right about this time I started to perspire profusely as it dawned upon me what had happened:I had closed the boot lid, but I couldn't get it open by pressing the button on the boot lock!!!
Looking at my closed boot lid I suddenly realised that this is one piece of sturdy metal - solid German engineering one might say. There is no way that you can 'lift' the lid or pry it open at one side to get underneath it - not without destroying the entire boot lid that is.
NOT GOOD!
What had happened was this: As I had bent the mounting bracket on the locking mechanism to get the right angle, I had bent it just a few millimeters too much so that the centre of the lock, which protrudes into the boot to hit the locking mechanism couldn't reach the locking mechanish anymore !!! I had forgotten to test this with the boot lid open :shock:
The solution fortunately came to me quickly though....
I took off the license plate and the chrome cover between the lights. Then I was able to take off the screws which hold the fog light in place and push that into the boot compartment. I was then able to get my hand through the fog light hole and with a screw driver reach the lock inside and unlock the lid :lol:
I was very very very fortunate however - for 3 reasons
1. Because the car had just been repainted I had fitted the rear lights, fog light, chrome cover etc. just a few days before. As I had I put in stainless bolts and nuts everywhere nothing was seized or rusted which means that I was able to unscrew everthing from the outside by pulling out on the bolts while undoing them.
2. My car has a fog light!!! Without that 'hole' in the rear panel I have no idea how I would have gotten the lid open again :shock:
3. As I had slammed shut the lid I had left my lamp in the boot. It was on and therefore provided excellent help when I has trying to 'arrest' one of the special long nuts of the fog light while undoing the screw from the outside. I was able to 'hold against' the nut with a screw driver through the left hole for the license plate !!
As I said, I wanted to share this experience so that everybody else remembers to always check whether the lock opens properly before slamming shut the boot lid
I have been thinking that in the absence of a fog light perhaps it would be possible to get to the lock through the rubber in the filler opening - although I do not believe you could get to the lock from that distance. In case anyone else knows how to get access to a closed boot - other than drilling the lock - please share.
One lucky bastard !
Recently I got my car back from a complete repaint. As part of having the car repainted I decided to fix some small cosmetic 'problems' + make other small improvements here and there.
One such small improvement was a new rubber seal for the boot. After putting in the seal the boot lid wouldn't fall into lock anymore - which I suppose is no surprise. In order for the lid to lock properly I had to adjust the position and the angle of the boot lock. Looking at how the lid hit the locking mechanism I had to bend the lock slightly to get to the right angle.
After a bit of testing and adjusting - finally the boot lid locked into place
Great stuff! ........ until I pressed the button to open the boot lid again!!! Nothing happened :!:
At first I thought the lock had somehow been turned to the 'locked' position so I fetched the key - the lock was not in locked position !
Right about this time I started to perspire profusely as it dawned upon me what had happened:I had closed the boot lid, but I couldn't get it open by pressing the button on the boot lock!!!
Looking at my closed boot lid I suddenly realised that this is one piece of sturdy metal - solid German engineering one might say. There is no way that you can 'lift' the lid or pry it open at one side to get underneath it - not without destroying the entire boot lid that is.
NOT GOOD!
What had happened was this: As I had bent the mounting bracket on the locking mechanism to get the right angle, I had bent it just a few millimeters too much so that the centre of the lock, which protrudes into the boot to hit the locking mechanism couldn't reach the locking mechanish anymore !!! I had forgotten to test this with the boot lid open :shock:
The solution fortunately came to me quickly though....
I took off the license plate and the chrome cover between the lights. Then I was able to take off the screws which hold the fog light in place and push that into the boot compartment. I was then able to get my hand through the fog light hole and with a screw driver reach the lock inside and unlock the lid :lol:
I was very very very fortunate however - for 3 reasons
1. Because the car had just been repainted I had fitted the rear lights, fog light, chrome cover etc. just a few days before. As I had I put in stainless bolts and nuts everywhere nothing was seized or rusted which means that I was able to unscrew everthing from the outside by pulling out on the bolts while undoing them.
2. My car has a fog light!!! Without that 'hole' in the rear panel I have no idea how I would have gotten the lid open again :shock:
3. As I had slammed shut the lid I had left my lamp in the boot. It was on and therefore provided excellent help when I has trying to 'arrest' one of the special long nuts of the fog light while undoing the screw from the outside. I was able to 'hold against' the nut with a screw driver through the left hole for the license plate !!
As I said, I wanted to share this experience so that everybody else remembers to always check whether the lock opens properly before slamming shut the boot lid
I have been thinking that in the absence of a fog light perhaps it would be possible to get to the lock through the rubber in the filler opening - although I do not believe you could get to the lock from that distance. In case anyone else knows how to get access to a closed boot - other than drilling the lock - please share.
One lucky bastard !
