and please don't say in the trunk.

Long story short, my key is broken in the door & i have some ski equipment locked in the trunk . .. i go to Denver in a week.

On the phone with a GM dealer now trying to get a key cut but a lot of them don't do it.

I'm thinking it's either the fuse or the solenoid itself
- any other ideas why the button isn't working?

OK GM guy just said they only do '90 on up,
but that if I got the code off the cylinder they
might be able to help (or i'm sure a locksmith could do it).

So- do the door locks have the key-code stamped on them somewhere?

[This message has been edited by Kuta (edited 03-05-2008).]

-i-should-mention-i-did-not-find-the-trunk-release-fuse-by-the-driver's-door,- negative- it is there, marked CTSY/Lid
but i did manage to short out the instrument panel trying to bypass the trunk release switch & now the overhead lights don't work but the footwell lights do, even though i replaced the instrument panel fuse the overhead lights go through the CTSY/Lid circuit . ..

[This message has been edited by Kuta (edited 03-11-2008).]

Read this post, it might help you out..
//www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/089081.html

If it does not pop have someone push/pull on the lid to make sure it grounds the popper while you do it..

[This message has been edited by Dodgerunner (edited 03-05-2008).]

I believe the stop/tail fuse also feeds the trunk release. cann't quite remember I lost my panel lights, tail lights, and dimmer transistor when I put a momentary swith in place of the stock one, found out I was grounding both.

Nick

i found the trunk release fuse- it was there with the other ones,
just in a shadow but clearly labeled "CTSY/Lid"
My friend didn't see it either the night it failed

anyway, that fixed the overhead lights i blew,
but the lid still won't pop (i swapped the tail fuse to test)

If i get the key out of the door can a locksmith make a new one from the part(s) ?
All what the cylinder needs to unlock is the metal piece in the door . ..


NEXST STEP : HOT WIRE

[This message has been edited by Kuta (edited 03-11-2008).]

On the trunk release switch there are 4 wires. The grey and black wire are for the bulb in the switch (dash light circuit) then there is an orange/black wire and a yellow/black wire, this is the trunk release circuit. Can't remember witch one is hot. I think its the orange/black. Its an always on circuit.

A new key would have to be made with the old cuting wheel machine, a Lock Smith should have one. Yes they can make a new key as long as the key broke of leaving the "teeth" intact.

Nick

You don't say what year your car is and there are a couple of variations in the release operation based on year and how it is equipped. If it stick shift pull the e-brake handle up enough that the dash brake warning light comes on then try the release. If it is auto some them have to be in park and I believe one year required the key to be on.

Also as mentioned above, have someone lift slightly on the trunk lid when you hit the button. The system grounds through the latch. Hopefully a piece of cloth or something didn't get caught on the latch and acting as an insulator (has happened before).

edit: Do you hear the relay clicking under the dash by the driver's right knee? It should click each time you hit the button even if the trunk isn't grounded

[This message has been edited by 2farnorth (edited 03-07-2008).]

Also... You can use the horn relay in place of the deck lid one.

There are notes on this in my cave.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top of every forum page...)

Does your switch push both ways? Up and down? If so pull it out. Then look where the top (grey part) fits onto the black body using a small screwdriver pry off the rocker.. Next take a strong paper clip or your screwdriver if small enough and poke down into the hole and slide the switch. I had this problem then noticed the tab on the rocker was broken.

[This message has been edited by DIY_Stu (edited 03-08-2008).]

Sorry- it's an 86 manual. It only rocks up
i've connected the circuit using a paper-clip so i'm not too concerned about the actual switch

Hot-wiring did not work
first i used a 12 volt ac adapter that i came across today, 1 amp
when that didn't work i pulled the battery off my motorcycle in case it needed more power

i jammed a machinists screwdriver (micro flat-head) in the key-hole, and tried a few other grounding locations on the lock to no avail

So it might be one of these two:

1) that big nylon bag of ski equipment i threw in there just before it stopped working is caught between the latch
in which case maybe the latch is not only insulated from ground, but mechanically stuck w/ nylon from un-latching

2farnorth: i don't hear any relay clicking or any noise other than an e-brake warning w/ the car key on Acc (power)
[ i tried getting it to pop w/ car off, on, e-brake on, off, etc etc etc ]
So, more likely, hopefully

2) the relay is broken


Would the hot-wire bypass the relay? I'm thinking not because it's up-circuit of the relay, and if it's broken nothing will get through
I tried connecting the +12v into what looked like the relay connector (also a yellow wire with black stripe) under the dash, but that didn't work

I'll try swapping the horn relay for the trunk relay- hope that is the fix


Last ditch I will extract the key and hope a locksmith can manage to make a new one. Wouldn't mind having a key again

thanks for the replies

[This message has been edited by Kuta (edited 03-08-2008).]

Okay, on an 86 manual trans it should work with e-brake on and key on or off.. Reach down the right side of the steering column lower cover and find the relay just up over the edge of the cover. I put my finger on it to feel it clicking when the button is pushed. The click is a little faint to hear unless everything else is quiet. If the relay is not clicking it is either defective or there is no power getting to it. One of the causes could be a defective e-brake switch at the base of the e-brake handle, but if the brake warning light in the dash comes on when the e-brake handle is raised then that switch should be okay.

The e-brake warning light does come up when i raise the brake.*

Next step is relay diagnosis. . . will crack into this tonight.

I was unsuccessful removing the key fragment from the door,
all I got was two little coping saw blade pieces stuck in there
I'm wondering if even the locksmith can help me now
|
|
|
|
*[The e-brake cable is not actually connected to the brakes
b/c of a shoddy job the previous owner did replacing the exhuast
with one from a different car, but the switch seems functioning.]

[This message has been edited by Kuta (edited 03-09-2008).]

Or the bag is blocking the strike from grounding. Without in grounding it's not going to fire.
Not sure it there is somewhere to touch to make a ground externally.

[This message has been edited by Dodgerunner (edited 03-09-2008).]

Yeah it was a large laundry bag: think "huge insulator"

The section of key has been in the lock for over a month now and I'm afraid its stuck in there good

i'm gonna try to remove the cylinder from the door;
i've spent enough time doing everything else, i might as well spend time doing something guaranteed to work

i tried grounding the solenoid through the lock but maybe that wasn't a good enough ground . . . any ideas?
I might as well just get the locks fixed with all this time i'm spending- wish me luck!

[This message has been edited by Kuta (edited 03-09-2008).]

Guess it depends on how much stuff is in the trunk, someone else said they pushed the drain plug up that is in the bottom of the trunk. They then pushed up the side of the liner and where able to reach the latch.
You might be able to do that to get a ground up to touch the latch.
Might need skinny arms.

well i got the cylinder out
i read that's the easy part
putting that horse-shoe clip back on might take a few hours

Now i have a question:
stamped not on the cylinder, but the thin part which levers the arm connecting the cylinder to the control of the lock,
there is stamped a letter, followed by four numbers

BXXXX

is this the key code?

I have to figure out how to get the key out,
now that i have the cylinder in my hand.
It doesn't look easy to disassemble.

[dbl post]

[This message has been edited by Kuta (edited 03-10-2008).]

dangit dangit dangit
What i got is a part # !

Key # goes "0/9 X/Y # #"
Lazy GM not printing the # anywhere but the key . . .

Well I ordered the locks from FieroStore
I read a few complaints here- they break,
but I don't see much choice otherwise, as
I didn't want to pay to ReKey the Trunk.

So I'm really onto the last resort here:
BREAKING INTO THE TRUNK!

Should I
1) drill it
2) bump it
3) or screw it (screw-driver, that is)

I'll first look under the trunk to see if my skinny arms can get to the latch,
to either open it or place a hot-wire ground.

Don't bump it or use a screwdriver, I've seen too many decks damaged at the scrap yard, you'll shatter the SMC around the lock.
The safest is the drill. I wouldn't use anything larger than 3/8.
I've been lucky not to drill a lock on my car, but I have had to drill the lock to my house (long story), when you hit the tumblers the drill will grab, so go slow and don't push.

A ministers prayer for you

Nick

[This message has been edited by the reverend (edited 03-10-2008).]

I went with drilling . . .

More bad news
in my haste I didn't mark the length of the tumbler
yep, it went through with the big bit.
Sure- I got the tumbler to turn. What's the point when it doesn't turn anything at all.
Now I have a big hole where the keyhole was

I see only 2 options
1) try to get the solenoid to fire

2) get into the trunk elsewhere

I only have a couple days before my trip at this point I am screwed

[This message has been edited by Kuta (edited 03-10-2008).]

You went through the key lock, thats okay. If the lock rod droped thats fine too now you can use a flat head screw driver use a long one not a wide one. If you can shine a light in there you will see were the lock rod goes just give it a turn with the screw driver.

Nick

[This message has been edited by the reverend (edited 03-10-2008).]

Success Nick!

The lock was already loose so I just pulled the whole thing off
That gave me enough room to see where the rod had dropped
I was able to grab it with a needlenose and TWIST! . ..POP!!!

What a SOUND that was

Now I got my stuff, and here are some pictures to tell the rest:


Yes- that is a stretched out spring from the lock cylinder. Rod in background.


WELL LOOKS LIKE I FOUND THE PROBLEM


darn it! gotta be more careful. now i know- it's grounded!


This is what I am working with to install the new lock.
The damage does not look too severe;
the plastic that broke from the lock
might even come with the lock- if not where can I get that?

Anything else you see I will need to replace?


Pic of the parts I mangled . . .
The black plastic might come with the new lock, and the metal sleeve looks salvageable,
although it also looks like it might come with the new lock.


I'll use some red nail polish to touch up those nicks.

And, of course, the trunk button works perfectly now.

I got my ski gear,
I'M READY FOR DENVER.


Thanks to all- Never would have made it without all of your
tips, suggestions, help, morale, and archives.

[This message has been edited by Kuta (edited 03-10-2008).]

I wish I had read this earlier, I was thinking you could have run a wire from a ground point on the frame and touched the other end to the outside of the trunk lock which should have given the solenoid the ground it needed to pop.

Glad you got in there.

Steve

I tried grounding it with external voltage sources to no avail.
I don't think my ground from the key-hole was reaching to the solenoid
To be honest I did not ground it to the frame, but maybe that would have worked?

I can try to experiment now that I have access, just if I'm curious
to see what would and wouldn't have worked- why it didn't work, etc.

At any rate- I needed new locks
and the trunk lock was old and busted.
Now I will have a new matching set!

[This message has been edited by Kuta (edited 03-10-2008).]

I'm thinking about running a ground wire from the latch back through the deck lid to a ground so that won't happen to me!
Glade you got it open.

Nick

That's a really good idea.

I had no idea my bag obstructed the
bolt when I threw it in there, or when
I closed the trunk. It was dark in the
garage, and the excess material got
in the way sometime after I threw it
in.
Since it was not thick nylon, the
trunk closed fine. Now I know.

I can only think it's grounded that way
so you don't fire the solenoid when it's
already open- but I've had it mis-fire &
had to push teh trunk closed again just
so it could fully open

So I might do that too. Ground is close enough!

[This message has been edited by Kuta (edited 03-11-2008).]

I bought a deck that someone pryed open last year, not a perty site. I've rebuilt most of the danaged area. I'm going to see if a 3rd gen Camaro latch release will work. It has a ground wire already on it. It looks like the same bolt pattern an shape as the Fieros'.

Cars with electric fuel systems don't go far on a battery, especially at night, the fuel pump and injectors take a lot of juice.

Nick

For a ground you can always insert an old key in to the hole, then take a piecec of wire around to the ignition switch oin the steering colume. Hold the wire up against the key cylinder whike some one holds it against the key in the trunk . This is now a ground circit. Hit the button while the circit is there. Sometimes a weight on the trunk also? POP

quote Originally posted by the reverend: I'm thinking about running a ground wire from the latch back through the deck lid to a ground so that won't happen to me! Glade you got it open. Nick

I was planning to Upgrade Ol' Paint with some parts I've picked up.
If I remember right, my coupe is pre wired for a trunk popper, except for the Deck Lid wireing. Aren't there 2 wires running to an ajar switch? You need to run 1 extra wire to run 12V to the popper, looks like I'll run 3 extras.
1 for 12V, 1 for ground, 1 extra just because I'm a klutz sometimes.

------------------
Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto.
Turning white on top, like owner.
Leaks a little, like owner.
Doesn't smoke....... OK, we're trying to quit.