Locked out of my trunk

I could post this on a Sentra forum, but it's such a generic problem I'm guessing there are people here who have never seen a Sentra who could help...

So I put my newly acquired 91 SE-R on the road today. And there was much rejoicing. (Yay...) While messing around with stuff, I poked around in the trunk, trying to find traces of a water leak, found nothing, shut the trunk, did other stuff, and went for a test drive. During the drive I remembered I'd left a small open container of baking soda in there, which , given my exuberant on-ramp technique, was now probably spread all over the trunk.

The trunk lock itself is seized and disconnected, and it was high on my to-do list to replace it so that in case something goes wrong with the internal release (lever by the driver's seat) I can still get into the trunk. So wouldn't you know, when I got home and pulled the lever, nothing happened. The gas cap opens OK (same lever for both), but now I can't open my trunk from the inside or outside. I'm locked out.

Other than a big prybar, which is sure to damage the trunk lid and who knows what else, what advice do you have for busting into my own trunk? Once open I can probably figure out what's wrong fairly simply, but I need to get inside to do that. Fortunately I had nothing important in there - except the spare tire, so I hope I don't get a flat.

Any way to get in through the passenger compartment, moving/removing the back seats? Failing that, I'd trace the cable from the lever back to the release and see if messing with the cable near the release will get you anything.

On some cars you can get at the trunk latch by drilling a hole in an appropriate place behind the license plate. YMMV on a sentra, but I know it works on miatas.

This is a not-uncommon issue in Esprits. Solutions there involve drilling a hole behind the license plate, removing the boot floor with a cut off tool to the captive nuts, or cutting a hole in the boot floor.

As alex sez, does the back seat drop down? Can you remove the back seat from inside? Most come out that way. Any idea where the cable broke? That is, can you take the lever assembly apart and see how much cable comes out? Then look there to see if you can grab onto whatever is left with some vice grips and pull. Try the Sentra specific forums. Maybe the route of the cable and/or failure points is well known.

Or try a shotgun.

Ooh, yeah. Shotgun would work. Forgot about that.

The latch mechanism in those things moves up/down to engage/disengage the cable. (Its been a while) You probably leaned on the wrong thing. I'd bet you can wedge yourself in there far enough by pulling the rear seat out.

This is a great time to remind people to use their door and trunk keys sometimes, instead of just using the remote or cable. Lots of aggro when the remote fails on a cold night, and the door lock seized up 10 years prior.

Have you tried spraying some penetrating oil in the lock and working the key? It may loosen, and if it doesn't, it no big loss to drill the tumblers and open with a screwdriver.

Well that was easy.

I had no idea that Sentra back seats were so easy to remove. I also had no idea that the Sentra has a switch that will disable the internal trunk release. I must've flipped this by accident and locked myself out. Not anymore - everything works fine now.

Thank you, GRMers, for stating the stupidly obvious when I couldn't think of it. :)

White_and_Nerdy wrote: I also had no idea that the Sentra has a switch that will disable the internal trunk release.

They put that in there because so many Sentra drivers utilize the services of valet parking attendants and it's good to keep those types from being able to open your trunk and steal your baking soda.

Oh yeah - the baking soda was still in its container! Not a bit of it spilled! I must not be enjoying the car enough...

Streetwiseguy, you've got it pegged. That's exactly what it is. And here I thought I was going to have to replace a cable or something! I've tried wiggling the lock back into commission, but it's also broken on the inside so the rod that connects to the latch can't connect to the lock. I think I'll just pony up the $40 for a new replacement and have my local locksmith match it to the locks on the rest of the car. Good advice on testing it, too - obviously the previous owner of this car didn't.

I had a '91 sentra XE( same body style ), and if I remember correctly there are hooks on the front of the bottom of the seat and top of the back of the seat that you unhook to remove the back seats/

Never mind... I was alittle late.

Better than the Cadillac XLR I once witnessed come in to the dealer with a malfunctioning (stuck shut) electronic trunk opener. Keep in mind, $75,000 car.

The tech called Cadillac, Cadillac essentially told him, "...better order a new trunklid assembly." He hung up the phone, shrugged, and calmly got out an angle grinder and cut a hole right through the plastic license plate surround and through the trunklid framework. Most ridiculous thing I've ever seen.

On two of my cars I covered over the key hole when doing body work and used a choke cable hooked to the linkage to pop the trunk from the inside.

I think choke cables are cheaper than re-keying.

Dan