cant open boot, lost key

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:20 am

does anyone know of a way to open the boot with no key, im working on my project car and all my bits are in the boot. i have checked behind the seat but there is no accsess. can anyone help?

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:27 am

I've moved this to the tech section where it should be.

Place a half inch extension bar on the bootlock, and give it a quick whack.

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:36 am

Plenty of E30s around where the key won't go in the boot lock, because the key is never used. Always locked and unlocked tia yhe central locking.
So why can't you use the central locking?

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:44 am

do all e30's come woth the hole in the rear firewall for the Ski hatch? if so would removal of the rear seat backrest give access to perhaps get an arm into the boot? assuming Simon's suggestion does not work?

presumably your boot key was different to your ignition key? or have you lost all keys for the car?

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:51 am

E30BeemerLad wrote:do all e30's come woth the hole in the rear firewall for the Ski hatch? if so would removal of the rear seat backrest give access to perhaps get an arm into the boot? assuming Simon's suggestion does not work?

presumably your boot key was different to your ignition key? or have you lost all keys for the car?

All E30s come with a nearly punched out metal plate where the ski hatch hole goes.
Can be removed in a few minutes with a hacksaw blade and a file.

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:52 am

the boot key is different to the rest and i have no central locking, there is no hole behind the seat either

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:53 am

Brianmoooore wrote:
E30BeemerLad wrote:do all e30's come woth the hole in the rear firewall for the Ski hatch? if so would removal of the rear seat backrest give access to perhaps get an arm into the boot? assuming Simon's suggestion does not work?

presumably your boot key was different to your ignition key? or have you lost all keys for the car?
All E30s come with a nearly punched out metal plate where the ski hatch hole goes.
Can be removed in a few minutes with a hacksaw blade and a file.

yeah mine is missing brian, so it helps to add to the ambience of the noisy diff

, centre rear armrest stays up all the time!

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:59 am

tickle wrote:the boot key is different to the rest and i have no central locking, there is no hole behind the seat either

I've never seen an E30 without C/L, or do you mean it just doesn't work?

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:03 am

no central locking remotes, no reciever either, my other car is the same, and has the micro switches on the locks, where should the solenoid be mounted? im not sure about the one with the locked boot though! they are both 316's though, i didnt think that these came with it.

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:12 am

Early E30's didn't have C/L so this would probably explain it...did you try my method above?

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:15 am

tickle wrote:no central locking remotes, no reciever either, my other car is the same, and has the micro switches on the locks, where should the solenoid be mounted? im not sure about the one with the locked boot though! they are both 316's though, i didnt think that these came with it.

Central locking and remote central locking are two different things. Never seen an E30 without central locking.
Remove the drivers side footwell speaker panel, the speaker, a black plastic cover beneath the speaker and two self tapper screws on the inner cill directly below the speaker hole.
Lift out a triangular metal plate with a large black "relay" atteched to it and we'll tell you how to go from there.

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:17 am

Simon wrote:Early E30's didn't have C/L so this would probably explain it...did you try my method above?

Very early ones didn't. What age cars are we talking about?

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:18 am

the car is not here but i will go and try shortly, one is f-reg and the one with the locked boot is same era, dad an m40 lump in it till recently.

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:22 am

If it's F reg it has central locking. Dig the "relay" out.

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:26 am

is there a possibility you could write me a step by step as ive got a 10 min journey to get to the buildings where it's kept, or are there different options?
sorry to be a pain mate

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:43 am

Simon wrote:Place a half inch extension bar on the bootlock, and give it a quick whack.

Simon's right. This is what the AA did for me when I locked my keys in the boot! before I knew how do do this myself of course.

Before you do it, go to the BMW dealer and get yourself a lock repair kit. Less than Ãƒ”šÃ‚£10 as far as I remember. Lets you rebuild the lock around any key I think - so you could use the same key as for your door locks. Quite easy to do, and a bit of an education as to how locks work!

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:45 am

tickle wrote:is there a possibility you could write me a step by step as ive got a 10 min journey to get to the buildings where it's kept, or are there different options?
sorry to be a pain mate

http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... ocking.htm

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:53 am

cheers mate, das ist sehr gut ya! tchus

Post Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:38 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:
Simon wrote:Early E30's didn't have C/L so this would probably explain it...did you try my method above?
Very early ones didn't. What age cars are we talking about?

When he said 316 I assumed he had an early E30, when I say early E30's, I mean early E30's! As in some of the 1st ones over here!

I also think euro E30's didn't have C/L until quite late too.