Help! 2006 - Trunk won't open

[jellyhead]

To start with, the car sat for several months and had a dead battery. I used the bumper key to open the trunk. At this point I thought the handle by the trunk latch was supposed to open the doors so I pulled it. Obviously nothing happened so I continued until I located the actual door release cable. This was all great, I got the battery charged and closed the trunk. Minutes later when getting ready to leave the garage I tried to open the trunk and it would not unlatch. The front of the lid lifted as the motors tried to open it but the latch just wouldn't release. I tried using the bumper key again but this time it did nothing. I disconnected the battery for 30 minutes to reset it but it still will not work.

There is a similar post here with no solution so far
http://www.xlrforum.com/showthread.php?t=7816<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

 

[XLRATING]

I had happen not long ago what is described in the link you gave. Was trying to put the top up, the "flaps" behind the seats went up, the trunk should have gone up next and it wouldn't go. Pushed the top button to close so the "flaps" went back down, then tried the trunk button. No go. Had someone gently push up on the trunk to help open it while I pushed the trunk open button in the car. The trunk eventually went up but struggled on the right side. It looked like the grease was mostly rubbed off on the hinge mechanism on that side, so we loaded it up with lithium grease and it's been fine since (fingers crossed & knock on wood).

I'd see if someone can "help" the trunk up while you push the open butten and check the grease situation. Might get lucky and have a simple fix! (p.s., I also quit using the touch pad above the license plate to open the trunk since this happened -- it had not been working smoothly with that in quite a while, would start up an inch and then stop and I would have to push the pad again a couple of times, so I thought it best to leave it alone. I only use the fob, since it's the easiest thing to replace if it fouls up).

 

[jellyhead]

I pushed up, down and sideways. I tried all buttons and manual release, this is just rediculous that there is no way to open the trunk when the latch fails. Looks like I will be openning it with a sawsall and buying a new trunk lid. All this because of a dead battery. Really makes me wish I'd taken the offer to sell it a couple of months ago.

 

[Anthony Cundari]

One more try ...

The first time I tried the key and tried lifting the trunk lid due to a dead battery I didn't think anything was happening. 1. You turn the key and you hear nothing. 2. You try lifting the trunk and it doesn't give. I did 1 & 2 twice before I got smart. I turned the key, stood up straight and used both hands to lift the trunk lid. It is HEAVY. There is no traditional pop up / movement when the lock is released that makes you think it is unlatched. If you have opened it manually then you know what I'm talking about. BTW, my daughter was reading the directions off the web since the owner's manual was in the glovebox and it was 34 degrees in the garage that day. I also wasn't very happy about the dead battery. ( I now use a Schumacher SEM-1562A)

 

[ChicagoDave]

The first time I tried the key and tried lifting the trunk lid due to a dead battery I didn't think anything was happening. 1. You turn the key and you hear nothing. 2. You try lifting the trunk and it doesn't give. I did 1 & 2 twice before I got smart. I turned the key, stood up straight and used both hands to lift the trunk lid. It is HEAVY. There is no traditional pop up / movement when the lock is released that makes you think it is unlatched. If you have opened it manually then you know what I'm talking about. BTW, my daughter was reading the directions off the web since the owner's manual was in the glovebox and it was 34 degrees in the garage that day. I also wasn't very happy about the dead battery. ( I now use a Schumacher SEM-1562A)

Anthony's correct, the trunk is very heavy. The key mechanism is mechanical, so it should release/unlock the trunklid. Hope it works!

 

[Lola's Mom]

Anthony's correct, the trunk is very heavy. The key mechanism is mechanical, so it should release/unlock the trunklid. Hope it works!

I concur Dave .... when the sensor failed on my trunk, I could not lift it on my own ..... it is VERY heavy. I swear, a third of the weight of the car is in the trunk lid .

 

[ccclarke]

The rear decklid isn't that heavy; it's the hydraulics you're fighting when pushing upwards in cardio-pulmonary mode.

Jellyhead, I gave you a reply to your problem in the other forum right after you posted. If it helps in any way, please post the results here as well.

CC

 

[1BADXLR]

bro... just take a 5lb sledge hammer to it, trust me it'll open!
oh yeah, and send some pictures of the aftermath...

 

[Lola's Mom]

The rear decklid isn't that heavy; it's the hydraulics you're fighting when pushing upwards in cardio-pulmonary mode.

Jellyhead, I gave you a reply to your problem in the other forum right after you posted. If it helps in any way, please post the results here as well.

CC

Of course, you're right! Hydraulics .... duh .... All I knew was that he certainly wouldn't know it took that kind of strenght to lift that sucker up!

 

[jellyhead]

Since I have already opened it once with the key I know what it feels like. It is definitely still latched. I had someone turn the key while I lifted and shoved side to side, still nothing. Since this is a mechanical device when the battery is not connected, if it dosen't open then it has to be jammed in some way.

 

[ChicagoDave]

Since I have already opened it once with the key I know what it feels like. It is definitely still latched. I had someone turn the key while I lifted and shoved side to side, still nothing. Since this is a mechanical device when the battery is not connected, if it dosen't open then it has to be jammed in some way.

Jellyhead,

Do you think there is somekind of "disconnect" between the lock cylinder and the truck latch? Is the key lock cylinder connected by a cable? Not sure if you can get under the car and try to follow the lock cylinder into the car, up to the trunk. My car is still in winter storage, otherwise I would go and check for you.

Good luck - wish I could offer more help.

 

[jellyhead]

I can hear the cable pulling when I turn the key but since I can't see the actual latch, I'm not sure it is still connected. I don't know why it wouldn't be connected though when I just used it and it worked...unless the inside pull handle and the key share the same connection link to the latch. Even so, why would the cable breaking loose from the latch cause the latch to jam so the power switch no longer opens it...???????

Called the dealer where I bought the car to ask if the service department has ever encountered this issue but haven't heard back from them yet. The dealer is 2 hrs away so I'm going to just drive it in to let them look at it if they don't really know what to do.

 

[suitntie]

Worth a shot

I cant make any promises but i remember having a similar problem. Try disconnecting the negative battery terminal for a few minutes. Doing so resets most if not all of the electronics. Good luck.