Locking your keys in the trunk, or even losing your keys is something that happens to most drivers at least once. Luckily, there is a good number of different methods you can try to open the trunk and chances are high that at least one of them will work on your car. But even if they don’t, you can always call a locksmith to help you out.
The first thing you should try to open the trunk is the emergency trunk release. After that, fold the rear seats and try the safety trunk release or disable the latch. You can also try bypassing the trunk release relay or using tools like the Slim Jim, air wedge, auto jiggler, or a magnet. If the car is old, you can drill a hole in the trunk lid.
1. Use the Emergency Trunk Release
Virtually all cars that have electronically operated trunk latches also have an emergency trunk release. The emergency trunk release is a cable operated trunk latch that overrides the lock, the electrical system, and the key. The location of this lever is different in every car so you will have to break out your owner’s manual to find it.
It can be in the glove box, near the steering column, between the seats, in the engine bay, and numerous other places. It’s also possible you will have to remove some plastic interior trim to get access. But naturally, the doors have to be unlocked for this method to work. If your keys are in the trunk, keep reading because there are other methods you can try.
2. Fold the Rear Seats and Disable the Latch
If the doors are unlocked, folding the rear seats is the easiest way to get access to the trunk. If your keys are in there, you can just crawl inside and pick them up. But if that’s not the case, try disabling the trunk latch and unlocking it manually. To do that, you will need to remove the trunk lid trim or the trunk sill trim. Those are usually clipped into place but make sure to bring a light in there with you and check if there are any bolts.
Once you remove the trim, you can use a screwdriver or any kind of lever to unlock the latch. The latch is essentially just a hook that grabs a metal anchor so once you see it, it’s pretty intuitive what you need to do. And if it’s easier to remove the trunk lid trim, you will find some metal rods and levers inside. Try moving each of them using some pliers and one of them will unlatch the trunk. But before all that, look for a safe trunk release.
3. Fold the Rear Seats and Pull the Safety Trunk Release
As a safety precaution that came about after a kidnapping case in 1995, all cars sold in the US must have a safety trunk release inside the trunk. These work in much the same way as the emergency trunk release we mentioned earlier. That means it overrides the electrical system and the trunk lock. The safety trunk release is usually a cable with a glow in the dark handle. Depending on the car, it can be on the side walls, the trunk lid, or on the floor in one of the corners.
You can also check your owner’s manual to find it. Once you are inside the trunk, you just pull the trunk release and that’s that. Again, the doors do have to be unlocked for this to work and the car has to have folding rear seats. As for folding the seats, you will find two levers on top of the seats, or you can again check your owner’s manual to see how to operate them.
4. Bypass the Trunk Release Relay
Cars with electronically operated trunk latches that have a trunk button on the key fob, a button in the cabin, or an electronic handle, also have a trunk relay. Bypassing this relay is one of the easier ways to open the trunk provided the doors are unlocked and you find a relay pinout for your car. The first thing you should do is check your owner’s manual to see which of the relays in the engine bay is for the trunk latch.
Then, remove the relay by pulling it out just like a fuse. You will now need a small piece of wire to bypass the relay. You can find a pinout of the trunk relay for your car online, or you can just probe the relay terminals until the trunk unlatches. The chances of damage by doing that are minimal.
Once you probe the correct terminals, the trunk will unlatch just like it would when you push the button on the key fob. And once you open the trunk, plug the relay back in and the latch will work just as it did before that.
Here is how to bypass the trunk release relay on a Ford Mustang and it works the same on all cars with the only difference being the relay pinout.
5. Use a Slim Jim Tool
A slim jim tool is the first method you can try if all the doors are still locked. A slim jim is a thin metal sheet with hooks on the end and it’s made purposefully for releasing car door and trunk latches. The slim jim tools cost between $15 and $25 on Amazon but I’m sure you can buy them at most auto parts stores or general hardware stores. Using them properly will take some trial and error but you will get there.
The first step is squeezing the tool between the bumper and the trunk lid. The trunk latch is somewhere in the middle so that’s what you are aiming for. Then, feel around the trunk latch until it hooks up and pulls it to the side. If the latch doesn’t move, it means you hooked it up to the wrong part. Relocate the tool and try again until it works. If it doesn’t work, you can always open the doors using the tool and try one of the previous methods.
Ceny získané z rozhraní Amazon Product Advertising API na:
A mohou být změněny. Veškeré informace o tomto tématu jsou k dispozici na adrese Amazon.com, platné v době nákupu.
In this video, you can see how the Slim Jim tool works on car doors.
6. Use an Air Wedge
An air wedge is a tool made for installing window frames, door frames, and other heavy materials that need time to settle. But people often use them to get access to cars because of how strong they are. They are extremely simple to use and are also pretty cheap. A set of two or three air wedges on Amazon costs right around 15 bucks. But you can also pick them up at any hardware store like Home Depot.
The way it works is you squeeze the wedge between the trunk lid and the bumper while it’s deflated. Then, close the valve on the hand pump, and start pumping. As the air wedge inflates it will create a gap between the trunk and the bumper. Keep in mind that damage is possible, especially if you inflate the wedge too much. You only want to pump until you create a gap big enough to squeeze a screwdriver through.
Use the screwdriver to unlatch the trunk and open it. You will have to use substantial force because the air wedge puts tension on the trunk latch. Alternatively, you can use the air wedge to open the doors because that’s a lot easier. You can then access the trunk through the rear seats or open the hood and bypass the trunk release relay.
Here is how the air wedge works on car doors. The procedure is pretty much the same on the trunk latch, only it can be more difficult to squeeze the wedge inside.
Ceny získané z rozhraní Amazon Product Advertising API na:
A mohou být změněny. Veškeré informace o tomto tématu jsou k dispozici na adrese Amazon.com, platné v době nákupu.
7. Use Auto Jiggler Keys
Auto jiggler keys are a set of about ten universal keys that are meant to open any car lock with some perseverance. But in order for this method to work, the car has to have a trunk lock which many of the newer cars don’t. A set of auto jigglers costs around $15 on Amazon and I’m sure where else you can get them. Maybe AutoZone or other bigger auto parts store chains.
Once you get your jigglers, they are pretty simple to use although it can take some time. You want to push the jiggler keys inside one by one, and, you guessed it, jiggle them. These keys are made to force the lock pins in place by moving them around randomly. That’s why you also want to turn the lock as you jiggle the keys. Make sure not to you use too much force to avoid breaking the key inside the lock.
Ceny získané z rozhraní Amazon Product Advertising API na:
A mohou být změněny. Veškeré informace o tomto tématu jsou k dispozici na adrese Amazon.com, platné v době nákupu.
Here is how to use auto jiggler keys on door locks which are pretty much identical to trunk locks.
8. Use a Magnet
Using a magnet to open a trunk is a method that will only work on relatively older cars. In other words, on cars that have trunk locks. You can use any type of magnet that’s strong and big enough. Old speakers are excellent for this. And keep in mind that this method isn’t guaranteed to work, but it’s worth a shot if it’s all you got at the moment. So, find the biggest magnet you can and get yourself an old rag or a microfiber cloth.
Wrap the magnet with the cloth to prevent scratching the trunk lid. After that, move the magnet left and right, up and down around the trunk lock until the latch releases. You want to place the magnet just above the lock, then just below it, or on either side until it works.
Here is a video on how to open a Honda Civic trunk with a magnet. But this method should work on most cars with a trunk lock.
9. Drill a Small Hole in the Trunk Lid
Drilling a small hole in the trunk lid will obviously damage the car. This method is only suitable for older cars and beaters. The upside to this method is that it’s a great way to access the trunk if the lock is broken and you have no intentions of replacing it. Just remember to plug the hole with something removable to prevent water from going inside and corroding the trunk.
You want to drill a hole just above the trunk latch, preferably under the license plate where the hole won’t be visible. The hole should be big enough to fit a bigger and longer screwdriver. Once the hole is there, stick a screwdriver in there and unlatch the trunk. It’s worth finding some photos of your car’s trunk online just to get a good idea of where to drill the hole.
Here is how the whole process works on an old Jaguar. Keep in mind that latches are in a different place in every car which is why looking up trunk photos online is a good idea.
Proč investovat do čističky vzduchu?
The methods of opening a trunk without a key can be divided into two categories. In the first category, we have methods that work if the car doors are unlocked, and in the other category, both the doors and trunk are locked.
When you can access the passenger cabin, opening the trunk is easy – you can fold the rear seats or thread a wire to pull the emergency trunk release. But if the doors are also locked, get yourself a slim jim, auto jigglers, or air wedges. The slim jim is the easiest one to use and is guaranteed to work without causing any damage. You can use all three methods to unlock the doors as well.
Zde je několik článků, které by se vám mohly líbit:
This is a silly question, but aside from the key fob and lever by the driver seat, is there another way to open the trunk. According to the manual, it seems there’s also suppose to be a button on the trunk and also a key hole too?
It doesn’t seem my Elantra has either of those things.
493 příspěvků · Připojeno 2014
Mine has neither. The place where the button is in the diagram is where the backup camera would go, if I had one. Perhaps that manual in your link is for a different country.
Edward Bodette Discussion starter
116 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
My physical owner’s manual contains the same exact page/diagram.
307 příspěvků · Připojeno 2012
Button on trunk lid is on cars with Smart Key. At least it is on mine.
Jan
15 příspěvků · Připojeno 2016
mine is elantra 2012 GLS,, i dont have i button to open the trunk from outside neither a remote control.. so i’m making some researching about it, and i bought the button and it fix in its place,,
can you take a pic for the upper lock inside the trunk (i dont know what they called it ) this would help a lot ..
i’ll be thankfull
10 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
My 2015 SE has a regular key, not the smart key. Where the trunk switch is on a smart key vehicle there’s a non-operating plastic plug filling the hole where the switch is supposed to be so if your car uses a regular ignition key then no, you can only open the trunk with the fob or the lever by the driver’s seat.
206 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
Federal law requires that there be a way to open the trunk from the inside. I would ask the dealer how that is done.
Zobrazit další odpovědi
410 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
You can put the rear seats down and crawl into the trunk and pull the safety to open the trunk from the inside.
272 příspěvků · Připojeno 2005
Sure, but don’t you have to get into the trunk to release the seat-backs?
304 příspěvků · Připojeno 2013
Or your cars probably have auto-trunks where you stand near the trunk for a few seconds and it opens on its own. that’s what they have done for 2016.
Its not possible you don’t have a button to open it from the outside.
208 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
That may only be for the Limited with tech package vehicles. I also know this is a 2017 option as well.
On my 2016 Limited I have the lever in front, my key fob, and the proximity button next to the backup camera. I think I would be to impatient to stand there for 3-5 seconds waiting for the lid to pop before I tried to press the button.
Zobrazit další odpovědi
325 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
On my 2015 the only way is fob or lever. A friend of mine added a button to his where the OEM button would go and it works when the car is unlocked. I don’t see the point since I need the fob to unlock may as well just use the fob to get in.
2015 Elantra Sport Titanium Grey Metallic On Black 1.8Nu L4, 6-Speed Automatic
2011 Ford Escape XLT White Suede on Black FWD 3.0 Duratec V6, 6-Speed AUtomatic
325 příspěvků · Připojeno 2014
My 2016 with Tech Package has the button on the trunk in addition to the smart key.
3717 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
Inside lever, fob or touch pad are my options. No key hole on the trunk.
2014 Elantra Sport 2.0 6M Shimmering Silver. LED vnitřní světla, karimatka a síť. 35/20% odstín. LED štítek a záložní světla. LED mlhy. LED světlomety, homelink, 225/45R17 91V PureContacts. PRODÁNO-Nyní 2019 Nabíječka RT
2016 Tucson Sport 1.6T 7A Caribbean Blue. Závěs, tónování, blatníky, homelink, kryt zavazadlového prostoru, zadní a štítková světla LED, nainstalovaná bederní opěrka sedadla, LED mlhy, příčníky na střechu s náhradními díly. LED světlomety s přímou montáží.
325 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
There is a keyhole for it under the car
2015 Elantra Sport Titanium Grey Metallic On Black 1.8Nu L4, 6-Speed Automatic
2011 Ford Escape XLT White Suede on Black FWD 3.0 Duratec V6, 6-Speed AUtomatic
1439 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
Can you show a pic of where this keyhole is located?
325 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
lol Im just being a smart ass
2015 Elantra Sport Titanium Grey Metallic On Black 1.8Nu L4, 6-Speed Automatic
2011 Ford Escape XLT White Suede on Black FWD 3.0 Duratec V6, 6-Speed AUtomatic
325 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
All joking aside I found an unused pin on a connector in the SJB that when energized pops the trunk.
Could use this to add another unlock method if you wanted.
However 2 ways in is already plenty no?
2015 Elantra Sport Titanium Grey Metallic On Black 1.8Nu L4, 6-Speed Automatic
2011 Ford Escape XLT White Suede on Black FWD 3.0 Duratec V6, 6-Speed AUtomatic
6 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
I have also been trying to figure this out
I have a 2016 GLS (canada)
so assume u can only open the trunk in side the car or by holding the the trunk button on the key fob
175 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
With my 2015 Limited with keyless entry, I can use the trunk lever by the driver seat, hold down the trunk button on the remote control, or have the keyfob in my pocket while I press the button under the rear deck lid. If you don’t have keyless entry there’s probably a keyhole somewhere, though just going by memory I don’t think my 2015 (Canadian) owner’s manual showed the keyed version with the key where the OP’s pic has it; I think it was on the left side up under the deck lid.
22926 příspěvků · Připojeno 2011
Indeed there is an emergency lever. My mother-in-law found it! :grin2:
Okie Rich
“Velké písmo dává a malé písmo bere.” Tom Waits
Pravidla fóra
208 příspěvků · Připojeno 2014
Although this has been answered many times with many levels of humor I’d just add this little bit of extra info:
Button under lip is on Limited or those models with smart keys. Most of the other models have just the fob button that you need to press for about 2-3 seconds and the lever next to driver’s seat.
The key hole is for base model without keyless entry thus no fob button to open the trunk from outside.
I personnaly think it would be nice to have that key hole for all models in case your batteries are dead on the fob.
Oh, and I have one extra way to open the trunk since I turned a blank button on the dash into a trunk release button last year
Guess I’m just too lazy to reach for that lever on the floor.
1339 příspěvků · Připojeno 2014
Oh, and I have one extra way to open the trunk since I turned a blank button on the dash into a trunk release button last year
Guess I’m just too lazy to reach for that lever on the floor.
Not a bad idea. Many times, I’ve tried to pop the trunk,and opened the gas door by mistake.
S trochou lásky a štěstí to zvládnete
325 příspěvků · Připojeno 2015
I do wish there was a just in case key option however the chances of the fob (electric open) failing and the lever by seat (mechanical open) failing but a key hole still working are almost impossible.
2015 Elantra Sport Titanium Grey Metallic On Black 1.8Nu L4, 6-Speed Automatic
2011 Ford Escape XLT White Suede on Black FWD 3.0 Duratec V6, 6-Speed AUtomatic
1339 příspěvků · Připojeno 2014
I really wish I’d paid the extra $ for that option! Lol!
S trochou lásky a štěstí to zvládnete
307 příspěvků · Připojeno 2012
I don’t think a picture will be of much help.
If all you have is the lever inside the car you may need a new latch and/or lock actuator. Try this link it may help.
Jan
15 příspěvků · Připojeno 2016
I don’t think a picture will be of much help.
If all you have is the lever inside the car you may need a new latch and/or lock actuator. Try this link it may help.
I did some digging about it, and i found the specific piece that do all this ..
i opened the trunk lock ( TRUNK LID ) out of my car (piece by piece ) i came to this
i do have a wire plugged into my trunk lock ,, but if you see from inside .. its empty
so thats means the cable connected to plastic and the wire will be useless
just like the manufacturer prepare the cable for you in case you wannet, just change the lock and plug and play
those who have elantra 2011-2014 i think dont have that
this is what i come up with for now ,, i will let you guys posted if i found some thing
if you have questions feel free to ask
15 příspěvků · Připojeno 2016
im trying to upload the photo but i didnt want to .
37 příspěvků · Připojeno 2016
After reading through the thread, I checked my recently purchased 2013 Coupe GS to find that I do not have a trunk key hole (never noticed when I test drove). The remote and inside latch are only means of opening trunk. There is a blank where the camera and the switch pad should be.
Question: Is there a way to install or wire the trunk opening switch pad to a vehicle not equipped from the factory? Does wiring exist but not connected?
9391 příspěvků · Připojeno 2006
It would be far more trouble than it’s worth. Hyundai does not pre-wire for anything the vehicle is not originally spec’d for.
2 příspěvků · Připojeno 2019
My friend owns a 2016 Elantra.Her trunk lock only opens by remote and not by the cable next to the seat.So I did some investigating why because when that remote goes out. you just can’t get in the trunk.She has no handle on the trunk lid.I removed the trunk lock and opened it up.I’ve learned that if the lock doesn’t open with the cable it will also NOT open on the emergency button on the lock in case someone was locked in the trunk.I came to find out that the lever where the cable attaches to is not pushing all the way on the other part,therefor not unlocking.I slightly bend that lever with needle pliers till it started to unlock.Then put it back together and installed it.It works fine now and trunk opens on cable AND emergency latch in the trunk.If you start to have issues not being able to unlock the trunk with the cable next to your seat,DO THIS WORK because when the actuator or remote fails. you’re screwed,not being able to even get to the trunk latch.
