Trunk emergency!

[alexckma]

we do have a valet lock, it's in the glovebox...

[rsjean]

Originally Posted by HISI808

wow, you are brave. I'm assuming you had the rear seats down in case your test didn't work?

Rear seats down and of course drivers side door open...

[rsjean]

Originally Posted by atomic837

I guess the question would be; when you say the battery is disconnected, is it completely unplugged or just the negative? I have a feeling that having the battery completely disengaged from the car (no wires attached) is my problem.

Or maybe I'm doing something wrong with trying to jump start- can you post a pic of your setup?

Completely disconnected. I have since reconnected it but if it will help I can run the 'test' again tomorrow and take pictures. I wouldn't try and start the car with this set up if that's what you mean by 'jump-start' just open the trunk...

[The1]

there's no reason that you shouldn't get the trunk open by connecting the battery terminal under the hood.

You just may not have grounded it well, just make sure you wiggle all the wires and have a good connection.

then just leave it on there for a bit, like someone else said, check to see if you have any dome lights that will go on and off. If not, you have no connection.

did you leave the wires hanging in the battery area against any metal surfaces? or did you wrap them/make sure they weren't touching anything? otherwise, connect one lead to the alternator (if you can locate it) and the other to the engine block, this will have the same effect as the provided terminals, but may provide a better connection if there is any trouble.

[Sylon]

Originally Posted by rsjean

Completely disconnected. I have since reconnected it but if it will help I can run the 'test' again tomorrow and take pictures. I wouldn't try and start the car with this set up if that's what you mean by 'jump-start' just open the trunk...

Make a DIY thread with pics so these threads dont keep popping up once a month, lol. Once the OP finally gets into his trunk, the discussion will turn to how much this is a huge design flaw because BMW wanted to save a few extra $$$ and then the thread will eventually die out.

Right about then, another poor shmuck will find out the hard way that you can't open your trunk with the battery disconnected. Rinse, repeat.

[alexckma]

how many of you actually disconnect your battery on a regular basis?

[The1]

Originally Posted by alexckma

how many of you actually disconnect your battery on a regular basis?

on my old car it was a very regular thing, maybe once a month.

this car as i have not done much work to it, i haven't had to disconnect.

it's good practice to undue the batt each time you are going to be working with wiring. A/C electricity (in your house) lets go of you when you get electricuted, D/C holds on! (in your car)

[Dackelone]

With all the computers in our cars - you guys are NUTS for taking the risk with a volatge spike when you disconnect and reconnect the batery cables.

A better idea is to get a battery tender trickle charger. That would be my recommendation!

[Evice]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

With all the computers in our cars - you guys are NUTS for taking the risk with a volatge spike when you disconnect and reconnect the batery cables.

A better idea is to get a battery tender trickle charger. That would be my recommendation!

Thank you, this is what I tried to say, said in better way

[The1]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

With all the computers in our cars - you guys are NUTS for taking the risk with a volatge spike when you disconnect and reconnect the batery cables.

A better idea is to get a battery tender trickle charger. That would be my recommendation!

if they were worried about that, they wouldn't put jumper terminals under the hood.

and really the only way you're screwing up the ECU is with connecting the positive to the negative by accident, and people do that all the time without anything going wrong. (i've even seen someone do it on a BMW and no problems)

cars can take hits from lightning. It takkes a lot to mess up the ECU like you're talking about. Don't worry about it.

[LittleWiggler]

Have you tried to pull the emergency release for the trunk lid? I think if you can reach inside to touch the battery you should be able to pull the emergency release.

[Lester]

Originally Posted by LittleWiggler

Have you tried to pull the emergency release for the trunk lid? I think if you can reach inside to touch the battery you should be able to pull the emergency release.

I think you are missing the point here. He is completely locked out of the trunk. The rear seat fold down release and the emergency trunk release are both not acessible if you can't get into the trunk in the first place.

Since April 2010 - there is no manual key cylinder for the trunk lid. So if the battery is dead, (or removed as is the case here) with the rerar seats upright and locked in place - there is simply way to get into the trunk.

The suggestions are to place voltage at the battery jumper terminals under the hood to restore power to the trunk solonoid.

My question is, what will happen if the trunk solonoid ever fails? In my opinion, BMW failed to do new model owners any favors by removing the key entry for the trunk lid. It should be possible, although a little expensive to retrofit the newer models with trunk lock cylinders.

In case you are a new model owner, the trunk lock on the early versions (2008 - 2009) is tucked under the recess for the license plate.

We first heard of this shortly after the revised models started shipping. Another new owner on this forum disconnected his battery for some reason, and couldn't get into the trunk. Several of us suggested wryly that he simply use the manual key, and thought he was a simpleton for not being able to locate it. It took him posting a picture for us to believe him.

[new2the3]

they got rid of the trunk key with 03/09 production. The ashtray cover at the same time also.

[MOCKBA]

Unfortunately you are not in California. We have AAA for this type of emergency, just call them and problem solved. A yellow truck will appear in 20 minutes and technician will open everything including trunk.

[MOCKBA]

Originally Posted by The1

there's no reason that you shouldn't get the trunk open by connecting the battery terminal under the hood.

You just may not have grounded it well, just make sure you wiggle all the wires and have a good connection.

then just leave it on there for a bit, like someone else said, check to see if you have any dome lights that will go on and off. If not, you have no connection.

did you leave the wires hanging in the battery area against any metal surfaces? or did you wrap them/make sure they weren't touching anything? otherwise, connect one lead to the alternator (if you can locate it) and the other to the engine block, this will have the same effect as the provided terminals, but may provide a better connection if there is any trouble.

Where is fuse block? In trunk too? Leaving battery terminals grounded after disconnecting battery looks pretty neat and makes task of using battery terminals under hood more complicated. You can just short cut everything. So you need to find connection after fuses. But if they are in trunk you need to find some other wires going after it.
Where is fuse block? In trunk too.?

[JimD]

Fuse block is behind the glovebox. Not so easy to get to but not in the trunk.

Jim

[MOCKBA]

Good, so if circuit shorted from battery side, you can still power electronic bypassing fuses. Good luck.

[mackeroni]

(Note to self: Never disconnect battery.)

[Rawhide]

Wow what a mess. Feel for you man. Can you pull the panel beneath the rear window out? Maybe you can get to the seat release that way? Just a thought, that's one part of the car I've never really looked at...

[Raine]

I was in this situation.

Pop the hood, give the car a jumpstart, press the trunk release button in the front.

[IDBMW]

If you cannot get into the trunk by putting 12V to the jumper posts and think the battery terminals are touching or grounded you could find where the + battery wire goes to in the engine bay and disconnect it. Then you can use the 12V to open the trunk. You will need to connect the 12V to the place where you removed the battery wire from.

This is not that difficult to solve and there are many solutions. Heck, you could even put 12V to the trunk release in the fuse box but if the + and – wires are touching in the trunk you have to disconnect the + wire in the engine bay first.

[jkp1187]

Just wondering how atomic837 resolved the situation....