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I have been conatcted by a member whose XJ8 boot is locked shut, key will not work and both release buttons have stopped working, here is is email

I hope you can help here. I have a 1998 XJ8 on which the external electrically operated boot lock failed some years ago, as did the mechanical one. I wasn't too bothered as the key fob and dashboard buttons still worked fine. Today, however, these too have failed and my boot is locked with a considerable number of tools inside!
Before I cut a hole in the metal, can you offer any alternative options for unlocking the system?


anyone got any ideas??

nup

seems like all the bridges have been burned


i would say , get the drill out, but its probably in the boot......


other than using liberal amounts of WD40 in the lock , and keep trying the key with a small amount of ' bouncing ' pressure on the boot lid to see if it lets go ,

then wash everything in wd40 , clean off and grease up as required

good luck to him

BB

as i thought all my avenues exhausted as well!!

R

Boost battery connected via the positive terminal point under the bonnet and keep trying the dashboard button. It may eventually succeed. My car is a bit prone to the same problem.

You really don't want to drill the boot unless you have to.

Good luck

Paul

if none of the buttons work , and there are three plus the key , then i would imaging the solenoid on the lock is fubar ?

lets hope not


BB

I seem to remember from another forum (although I'm sure which model) that you can remove the number plate and drill below the lock to access the lever.
It might be wroth having a look at another one to see where all the bits are laid out in relation to each other before attacking with a drill/hole cutter.

Rob,

This happened to me on my x330

I wrote in and the article was published I think about April 2012 JEC magazine