Cannot open boot (trunk) lid - fixed.
#1
10-12-2015, 11:52 AM
Cannot open boot (trunk) lid - fixed.
This is for my 1956 XK140 drophead but I expect it is same for fixed head or OTS for all models.
The methods for getting the lid open here
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ds-help-97572/
were unacceptable/impossible. The suggestion of drilling a hole in the lid was not acceptable and in fact could not work as the catch wheel is below the whole mechanism and you would not access it from outside, I recon. Also, for the DHC the access into the boot from the cabin is just 6" deep and reaching either the screws to remove the cover/card/hardura or the bolts holding the boot handle is not feasible.
However, all is not lost. All that is needed to open the boot lid is the access in from the cabin and a long (at least 2ft) flat blade screwdriver - or equivalent. Look in the boot to the catch which is not releasing and you can see the toothed wheel. Insert screwdriver (or equal) and with someone lifting the lid from outside, you can tweek said screwdriver to turn the wheel and release the lid.
Edit: It does not need to be a screwdriver. The tool should be only as thick as the toothed wheel which you push on, as another lifts from outside, push on the wheel to rotate it - that is all.
In our case we found neither catch was releasing so this had to be performed on both sides and hey presto, the boot lid opened. On removing the lid card (Hardura) we found the reasons for the failure to release on both sides.
First one cable had broken. Clearly obvious cause.
Secondly, I found that as the key had been turning through a lot more than 90°, this was not pushing the lever to release the second catch. If you look at the 2nd picture in the above link you see 2 levers with rollers parallel to each other. The boot release button has a V shaped blade underneath which turns when the key is turned. With the key sitting in line with the car (locked position) if the button is pressed the blade passes between the rollers without moving the levers. Turn the key 90° and the blade will push the levers apart, thus releasing the boot catches. On my car, the lock is worn and the key would rotate about 150° and we thought it was a wrong key and the lock should have rotated 180° to unlock. As it was, with the V misaligned it would not release the catches.
The next problem was how to replace the broken cable. Looking at the catch assembly, it is all riveted together and the cable end (nipple could not be extracted. We thought it would be necessary to drill out the rivets and replace them with bolts because there is not space to remove the nipple from the release lever inside the mechanism.
It must have been assembled - riveting done - after the nipple was installed in the lever ???
Not necessary
By drilling a hole in the side of the assembly in a position opposite the nipple when the release lever is pulled up as far as it would go, I was able to remove the broken off bit of cable with the nipple on the end. The split pin must be removed first of course.
The nipple is soldered to the cable so can be removed by application of heat. I had some Bowden cable from a cycle to use as replacement. Somewhat thicker but should do the job. I drilled out the nipple to accept the larger cable and soldered the two together. The other end of the cable is attached to the length adjuster and the old one was cut off. The new cable is cut to length and a piece of brass tube slid over so that the cable passes through the link, is folded back on itself and the tube slid over both parts of the cable. Solder then secures it all together.
Re-assembly into the boot lid comes next.
The methods for getting the lid open here
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ds-help-97572/
were unacceptable/impossible. The suggestion of drilling a hole in the lid was not acceptable and in fact could not work as the catch wheel is below the whole mechanism and you would not access it from outside, I recon. Also, for the DHC the access into the boot from the cabin is just 6" deep and reaching either the screws to remove the cover/card/hardura or the bolts holding the boot handle is not feasible.
However, all is not lost. All that is needed to open the boot lid is the access in from the cabin and a long (at least 2ft) flat blade screwdriver - or equivalent. Look in the boot to the catch which is not releasing and you can see the toothed wheel. Insert screwdriver (or equal) and with someone lifting the lid from outside, you can tweek said screwdriver to turn the wheel and release the lid.
Edit: It does not need to be a screwdriver. The tool should be only as thick as the toothed wheel which you push on, as another lifts from outside, push on the wheel to rotate it - that is all.
In our case we found neither catch was releasing so this had to be performed on both sides and hey presto, the boot lid opened. On removing the lid card (Hardura) we found the reasons for the failure to release on both sides.
First one cable had broken. Clearly obvious cause.
Secondly, I found that as the key had been turning through a lot more than 90°, this was not pushing the lever to release the second catch. If you look at the 2nd picture in the above link you see 2 levers with rollers parallel to each other. The boot release button has a V shaped blade underneath which turns when the key is turned. With the key sitting in line with the car (locked position) if the button is pressed the blade passes between the rollers without moving the levers. Turn the key 90° and the blade will push the levers apart, thus releasing the boot catches. On my car, the lock is worn and the key would rotate about 150° and we thought it was a wrong key and the lock should have rotated 180° to unlock. As it was, with the V misaligned it would not release the catches.
The next problem was how to replace the broken cable. Looking at the catch assembly, it is all riveted together and the cable end (nipple could not be extracted. We thought it would be necessary to drill out the rivets and replace them with bolts because there is not space to remove the nipple from the release lever inside the mechanism.
It must have been assembled - riveting done - after the nipple was installed in the lever ???
Not necessary
By drilling a hole in the side of the assembly in a position opposite the nipple when the release lever is pulled up as far as it would go, I was able to remove the broken off bit of cable with the nipple on the end. The split pin must be removed first of course.
The nipple is soldered to the cable so can be removed by application of heat. I had some Bowden cable from a cycle to use as replacement. Somewhat thicker but should do the job. I drilled out the nipple to accept the larger cable and soldered the two together. The other end of the cable is attached to the length adjuster and the old one was cut off. The new cable is cut to length and a piece of brass tube slid over so that the cable passes through the link, is folded back on itself and the tube slid over both parts of the cable. Solder then secures it all together.
Re-assembly into the boot lid comes next.
Last edited by Jeronimo770; 10-13-2015 at 11:24 AM. Reason: clarify opening tool description
#2
10-13-2015, 11:34 AM
Re assembly proved to be more difficult than expected.
First my new piece of bowden cable proved to be too short. I had enough spare length so we adjusted the looped end not once but twice!!. Then when we thought it was all working OK, both side releasing the toothed wheel when the opening button was pressed, we closed the boot lid to test it and the other side then would not release!!
Back into the boot from inside, opening/releasing the wheel proved difficult because the screwdriver was not angled so that it could go between the sides of the catch assembly and turn the toothed wheel - hence the edit above.
More work needed to adjust the mechanism. It requires a lot of pressure on the button to achieve releasing the toothed wheels!!
First my new piece of bowden cable proved to be too short. I had enough spare length so we adjusted the looped end not once but twice!!. Then when we thought it was all working OK, both side releasing the toothed wheel when the opening button was pressed, we closed the boot lid to test it and the other side then would not release!!
Back into the boot from inside, opening/releasing the wheel proved difficult because the screwdriver was not angled so that it could go between the sides of the catch assembly and turn the toothed wheel - hence the edit above.
More work needed to adjust the mechanism. It requires a lot of pressure on the button to achieve releasing the toothed wheels!!