Dead Car, no way in

burning.empire

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2001 V8. My car magically died this morning. No lights, no crank, no nothing. As if the engine and battery are missing.

Here is the rub. What fuuckin' idiot designed this car with NO access to the battery. The in-dash trunk release doesn't work if the car is dead, there is no external key hole. I don't have a electronic key Fob (which I don't think would work anyway with no power.) and stupid back seat release is in the trunk!

I tried to check the alternator just to cover all my bases, but I'll be damned if I can even find it in the engine compartment.

Any ideas, I have a sawzall in my house. In fact, with my day off tomorrow, I am going to sawzall the plastic panel behind the fold-down arm rest. So I can gain access if this ever happens again. I'm stuck here at home, No way I'm going through this stranded on the highway or somewhere.
 
What fuuckin' idiot designed this car with NO access to the battery. The in-dash trunk release doesn't work if the car is dead, there is no external key hole.

Unless you filled it in, every LS I have ever seen has a key hole for the trunk on the right side of the license plate.... :confused:
 
Jack it up, take the front passenger wheel off, and throw a jumper pack on it to backfeed the system.
 
Unless you filled it in, every LS I have ever seen has a key hole for the trunk on the right side of the license plate.... :confused:

if it doesnt work, thats because the cable is broken or disconnected, not the designers fault
 
Alternator is on the bottom of the pass side (iirc)

Did some ls' not come with keyholes on the trunk? (jus askin, no d bagness lol)
 
2001 V8. My car magically died this morning. No lights, no crank, no nothing. As if the engine and battery are missing.

Here is the rub. What fuuckin' idiot designed this car with NO access to the battery. The in-dash trunk release doesn't work if the car is dead, there is no external key hole. I don't have a electronic key Fob (which I don't think would work anyway with no power.) and stupid back seat release is in the trunk!

I tried to check the alternator just to cover all my bases, but I'll be damned if I can even find it in the engine compartment.

Any ideas, I have a sawzall in my house. In fact, with my day off tomorrow, I am going to sawzall the plastic panel behind the fold-down arm rest. So I can gain access if this ever happens again. I'm stuck here at home, No way I'm going through this stranded on the highway or somewhere.

dear god dont use shears
 
they key may just operate an electric solenoid though? Similar to the doors. Never tried to use the key in the door without any power.

Hell, using a 9V battery on the cigarette lighter may be enough juice to pop the trunk as long as the original cause of the drain doesn't consume all the power.
 
Your keyhole is here. between the rear surround and passenger rear tail light lens:

IMG_7060.jpg


Alternator is at the bottom of the engine. Just follow the serpentine belt til you get to it. From underneath.

You can try to get to the seat release with a long flathead screwdriver, as I know there are many who have done it that way.

Otherwise there is a positive connection under the splash guard in the passneger front wheel well, but it's not an official jump point.
 
...Here is the rub. What fuuckin' idiot designed this car with NO access to the battery. The in-dash trunk release doesn't work if the car is dead, there is no external key hole. ...

Your LS was designed with a mechanical key lock access for the trunk. It uses the same key and the door and the ignition. It's on the back of the trunk lid, on the right.

All LSes (100% of them, gen I and gen II) came with mechanical key access to the trunk. If yours really doesn't have one, then it's because you or a previous owner removed it.

You can backfeed power through the lighter or one of the power sockets to be able to open the trunk electrically. Most auto stores have what you need. I need they are usually called jump packs or something like that. (The ones that are just a 9V battery won't do it.)

One thing that I do, is to use the actual key in the door and in the trunk every great once in a while. That's just to make sure that the mechanical locks still work, as a back up to the remotes and the keypad.
 
they key may just operate an electric solenoid though? Similar to the doors. Never tried to use the key in the door without any power.

...

Wrong on both counts.

The key connection in the trunk is completely mechanical, not electrical.

The key connection in the driver's door is mechanical to the driver's door lock. It also triggers a switch that triggers the other three electric door locks.

Both the truck and the driver's door will unlock with the key with the battery dead or even removed.
 
Both the trunk and the driver's door will unlock with the key with the battery dead or even removed.

+1, on both counts (though not really needed, as we all know joe is a reliable source).
 
Wrong on both counts.

The key connection in the trunk is completely mechanical, not electrical.

The key connection in the driver's door is mechanical to the driver's door lock. It also triggers a switch that triggers the other three electric door locks.

Both the truck and the driver's door will unlock with the key with the battery dead or even removed.

Was just trying to give the benefit of the doubt and think of a reason he might not be able to get into the trunk with a key. Hence I asked it as a question, not stated as fact. Good to know.
 
i've seen it twice where the cable was simply disconnected from the mechanism. IF you have access to the inside, and your key wont open the trunk, a screwdriver will release the backseat latch and you can crawl in...
 
LOL he sure got quiet after that thread... he still signs on too... LOL, def one for the books.
 
Your LS was designed with a mechanical key lock access for the trunk. It uses the same key and the door and the ignition. It's on the back of the trunk lid, on the right.

All LSes (100% of them, gen I and gen II) came with mechanical key access to the trunk. If yours really doesn't have one, then it's because you or a previous owner removed it.

You can backfeed power through the lighter or one of the power sockets to be able to open the trunk electrically. Most auto stores have what you need. I need they are usually called jump packs or something like that. (The ones that are just a 9V battery won't do it.)

One thing that I do, is to use the actual key in the door and in the trunk every great once in a while. That's just to make sure that the mechanical locks still work, as a back up to the remotes and the keypad.

I have done this, It works the thing I used I keep in my car under the seat at all times. It was only 20 bucks or so
 
Wrong on both counts.

The key connection in the trunk is completely mechanical, not electrical.

The key connection in the driver's door is mechanical to the driver's door lock. It also triggers a switch that triggers the other three electric door locks.

Both the truck and the driver's door will unlock with the key with the battery dead or even removed.


The driver's door will not unlock with a dead battery.... The key cylinder has a mechanical link to an electrical switch ONLY on the door latch, the electrical switch is wired to the driver's door module, which unlocks the driver's door and sends the signal to the REM for the 3 other doors. (Gen 1)
 
The driver's door will not unlock with a dead battery.... The key cylinder has a mechanical link to an electrical switch ONLY on the door latch, the electrical switch is wired to the driver's door module, which unlocks the driver's door and sends the signal to the REM for the 3 other doors. (Gen 1)

Well I just went out to my 2000,ls with no battery, turned the key to lock and unlock the drivers door only, so either my door is full of magical elves, or your wrong...
 

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