I was doing a hard restart to fix a memory seat issue, and closed my trunk/boot with the battery disconnected. I frantically looked up ways to get in there, and in my search, I found you can go through the hole behind the license plate.
So, I took a screwdriver, and quickly broke the trunk release. I heard something plastic snap.
I hear the motor turning when I hit the release button, but it doesn't open.
I assume I broke a linkage between the motor and the latch.
Can I just buy the linkage, or am I buying a whole new unit?
The trunk does open with the key, so it is just an inconvenience, but I do want to fix it.
Thanks for any help,

 

Before anyone asks, the key wasn't working at first. I tried several times with no luck before I removed the license plate.
I went back to it, with lubricant, after I broke the plastic piece.

 

Let me know when you figure out what you need- I *should* have it in a box.

 

I have like 3 sets, after I replaced my trunk lid twice (original was badly hail damaged, second had a bunch of very well hidden Bondo). I can take pics for you if you need to see all the components. It's mostly just a button, a motor, some actuator rods (you probably broke one of the plastic clips on the rods) and the tumbler. If your tumbler was stiff enough that you had to break out some oil to get it moving, your motor may just not have been strong enough to actuate it. The whole thing isn't hard to replace, but check the rods first, I bet one just came out.

 

First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Looks like I'm ok. It turns out, I didn't break the blue plastic clip, I just knocked it off.
While I repaired it, I noticed something peculiar. The trunk lights were unplugged. When I plugged them in, I couldn't lock the car with my fob.
What tells the car that the truck is closed? It seems to think my trunk is open when the lights are plugged in.

 

This is my next project. I bought the car with a locked trunk in Vallet mode. After a lot of work and lube, I was able to open it with the key. I'm not sure if the button release ever worked but I can hear the motor run if I push the button (inside or on trunk) so I'm guessing there is a broken or knocked off piece like you had.

 

Check the wiring between the trunk and the lid- it can get frayed and/or stretched.

 

More info -

the wiring loom wrapped in cloth tape that runs from the car to the trunk lid is behind the rhs bracket cover, there's 2 large plastic trim clips to pop out then undo the tape and inspect each wire for breaks, these might not be obvious but this is 99% were the fault is.

 

Forgive my ignorance. "rhs bracket cover"?

 

There is a grey plastic cover encasing the trunk hinges - carefully remove the right hand one to reveal the wiring harness.
My trunk release button stopped working a few weeks ago - inspection of the harness revealed two broken wires and the rest ready to break. You will probably have to remove some of the plastic tubing / tape surrounding the wires for better access.
I stripped the wires, spliced some new electrical wire copper strands to the ends (about an inch or so, soldered them together and sealed with 2.5mm shrink wrap. My thinking was if I pinched the existing cut wires together this may put stress on the shortened repaired wires - theres not much to play with, so I added some extra wire to the cut ends.
Its a fiddly job and didn't look too pretty afterwards but the repair was effective. The harness rides on the trunk strut so every time the trunk is opened/closed the wires get weakened and eventually break.
Remember to slide the shrink wrap over the cut wire before splicing and soldering - 2.5mm ID should be OK, any thinner and it won't fit over the repaired wires.
AndyP

 

While your fixing the latch do the outside opening modification by re routing the interior safety [yellow] tab

 

OK. What's that now?

 

The early X308 DID NOT A HAVE BOOT LID SAFETY RELEASE 'GLOW-IN-THE-DARK' PULL TAB!!!!!!!

bob gauff

 

Looks like you just saved me some work! :-)

 

IS it that common in America for somebody to bop you on the head, throw you in a boot/trunk with a shovel and drive out to the woods to bury you that they had to make a law that has the motor industry fit openers inside boots/trunks ? Never seen them on UK spec cars or the 60s and 70s caddys, chevys, fords I have had. Only came across it on the 94 mustang I had.

 

Is that what the vents in the trunk are for?

 

Did not know those yellow pull to get out tabs glowed in the dark ! Mind you I have never shut myself in the boot to find out. If I think a drain on a battery maybe due to a light staying on in the boot/trunk or glovebox I set my phone to video and shut it in for a few seconds, then watch the play back.

 

Quite possibly. Just looked on the interweb, apparently in 1998, in three weeks between july and august 11 children died in three separate instances of shutting themselves in the trunk!!! Who knew? Maybe not such a daft idea.

 

Wow. Did not see that answer coming.