[DougWomble]

Hi everyone, first time post (so please be gentle).

My very old dad is trying to sell his car, and long story short we've disconnected the battery in the boot, it's now died, and one of my parents' carers has helpfully closed the boot!

I am aware there is a way of connecting a 9V battery to cables by the passenger seat footwell, to get the boot to pop open. With reference to the attached photo, am I looking to hook up to the grey/green cable adjacent to the centre console??

Any advice for a complete novice would be appreciated, thank you!!

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by DougWomble

... we've disconnected the battery in the boot, it's now died, and one of my parents' carers has helpfully
closed the boot! [It's the THOUGHT that counts!]...

Welcome to the Forum!
Questions:
1) What are Last-7 Characters of VIN? (Not ALL E9x models have SAME wiring).
2) Are BOTH Battery Cables disconnected from Battery Terminals?

If POSITIVE Battery terminal is still connected, (-) Terminal ONLY is DIS-connected, You can attach jumper cables
or Booster to Jumpstart Terminals under Hood and then press Trunk Release Button by Driver Door Hinge to open boot.

If BOTH battery terminals are DIS-connected, AND the Positive Battery Terminal is contacting Chassis Ground
(you can test for continuity between Jumpstart Terminal (B+) under hood & Chassis Ground), if you were to apply
Voltage as described in paragraph above, you would get SHORT/ RISK OF FIRE.

You CAN safely send B+ ONLY to the Boot Latch by Identifying the correct wire at X14270/12 (Gray/Green wire)
on 2008 & later E9x. I can't say whether the wire you show in photo is connected to X14270/12 or NOT. X14270
is on firewall side of JBE Module, beneath the JB Fuse Panel, under Glovebox.

Please let us know what you find,
George

[gtrinker]

No way to get in through the backseat?

[ctuna]

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=986670

and links within the links

[bmwforumuser]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Welcome to the Forum!
Questions:
1) What are Last-7 Characters of VIN? (Not ALL E9x models have SAME wiring).
2) Are BOTH Battery Cables disconnected from Battery Terminals?

If POSITIVE Battery terminal is still connected, (-) Terminal ONLY is DIS-connected, You can attach jumper cables
or Booster to Jumpstart Terminals under Hood and then press Trunk Release Button by Driver Door Hinge to open boot.

If BOTH battery terminals are DIS-connected, AND the Positive Battery Terminal is contacting Chassis Ground
(you can test for continuity between Jumpstart Terminal (B+) under hood & Chassis Ground), if you were to apply
Voltage as described in paragraph above, you would get SHORT/ RISK OF FIRE.

You CAN safely send B+ ONLY to the Boot Latch by Identifying the correct wire at X14270/12 (Gray/Green wire)
on 2008 & later E9x. I can't say whether the wire you show in photo is connected to X14270/12 or NOT. X14270
is on firewall side of JBE Module, beneath the JB Fuse Panel, under Glovebox.

Please let us know what you find,
George

Using the wiring diagram above (the images here will help you too), here's what you'll want to do:

1. Remove the footwell "roof" panel (2 Torx screws), slide into the footwell and look up towards the dash, behind the glove box, you'll see the junction box with a large connector sticking out the back of it (right up against the firewall).
2. On the side of that connector nearest the outside of the car, there is a clip that you should be able to slide towards the outside of the car (in the second image above, you'll see it on the far right of the "Connector View" - it looks like an anvil), and it will release the connector (it slides out at an angle).
3. Once it's off, look on the back of it to ensure the gray wire with the green stripe on it is there (it should be in pin 12). On the front of the connector, you should be able to see the numbers "1" and "20" in the first row of pins (you may need a flashlight to see these). Start counting at 1 until you get to 12. Gently push a straightened paper clip in there.
4. Then, get a simple 9V battery, connect the negative terminal to the chassis ground under the hood via one cable of a pair of jumper cables (or a long insulated wire, like a speaker wire, if you like), and attach another wire to the positive terminal and strip away a bit of it at the other end.
5. Touch the exposed part of the positive terminal's insulated wire against the paper clip, and you should hear the trunk latch open. Don't worry, it shouldn't spark or shock you (it's only 9V after all, and the latch doesn't even need that much voltage to actuate).

[DougWomble]

Hi everyone, thank you for your replies so far. I'm SO close to getting there, I'm just struggling with the "there is a clip that you should be able to slide towards the outside of the car (in the second image above, you'll see it on the far right of the "Connector View" - it looks like an anvil), and it will release the connector (it slides out at an angle)." step.

As I'm in the UK, are all the directions referred to correct? It feels like it's just about to release the connector but is being stubborn. And I don't want to snap it!!

Again, any advice greatly appreciated 👍🏾👍🏾

[DougWomble]

Actually, scratch that, we're in :-D

Rather than poke brown cables out, we just shaved the insulation off and hooked up to it direct. Happy days!

Again, thanks all for the help.