2002-2005 Battery Dead How do I open trunk

[Dave182]

Tried to start the bird this morning. Battery is dead, no electricity at all. So....how do I open the trunk to charge the battery if the unlock has no juice to open it?
HELP!

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[Gking]

Believe it or not, there is a key lock behind the drivers seat that 'might' do it. I've only tried it once, but I had a good battery. Something try.

 

[tbird]

 

[Bond007]

To get into the Trunk with a dead battery there is a key slot in back of the Drivers seat on the back wall, Put your ignition key in it and turn. Your Trunk will pot open.

Everyone should periodically check the operation of that method for opening the trunk. The key operates a cable that has become detached in some cars. If that happens, you can access the trunk by removing the panels behind the seats. Another option is to charge via the cigarette lighter.

 

[kbrighton]

Cannot open trunk of 2003 Thunderbird.. New battery completely dead. key will not turn in lock behind seat.
Any suggestions?

Key won't turn, or the trunk does not open when you try to turn the key? If the latter, try having someone pull up on the trunk lid while you turn the key. I had this problem, and it worked for me.

 

[Frankie the Fink]

Cannot open trunk of 2003 Thunderbird.. New battery completely dead. key will not turn in lock behind seat.
Any suggestions?

]
Charge the battery via the cigarette lighter..

 

[edward301]

get a portable jump battery and plug into cigarette lighter, that should give you enough
power to press trunk release button on drivers door map pocket.

 

[doug7740]

When a new lock cylinder is installed, the door lock cylinder and ignition lock cylinder should be installed as a set. That eliminates carrying an extra key which will fit only one lock. At the dealership, when the ignition lock cylinder was installed we were able to build the remaining lock cylinders using the key code number stamped on a metal tag that was attached to the new keys. Sometimes the owner did not want to pay the labor for us to remove the emergency trunk release cylinder to rebuild it, or the technician forgot about the trunk release cylinder.

Removing the emergency trunk release cylinder isn’t hard to do. If I were you I would remove the trunk release cylinder and take it to a locksmith so it can be built to your ignition key.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue




According to the owner's manual one key operates all of the locks on the vehicle.



If the key does not fit the trunk unlock key socket behind the drivers seat, why don't you remove the trunk release lock from behind the driver's seat? That way you can pull the cable and open the trunk, and also see why the key doesn't go into the lock.

To remove the trunk release lock, remove the components in the order indicated in the illustration and table below.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[bobguichard]

Recently purchased tbird with dead battery. Key does not fit the trunk unlock key socket behind the drivers seat. How can the trunk be opened in this situation

 

[edward301]

Plug a portable battery booster in one of the cigarette lighter sockets to provide power and then press the trunk
unlock button on the drivers door. You may have to try both sockets to get power to the car.

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[Brax]

Recently purchased tbird with dead battery. Key does not fit the trunk unlock key socket behind the drivers seat. How can the trunk be opened in this situation

If all else fails a good mobile locksmith can cut a key for it blanks are cheap .

 

[Felice]

No key is there a way to get into the trunk? 05 Thunderbird

 

[aororex]

See this post. Seems to be what you need.

2004 Can you Charge the Battery from Under the Hood?

Car in storage, Bat is dead, Trunk is full of stuff. Too much current needed for Cigarette lighter chargers. Can I charge the battery from under the hood?

forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com

 

[billydee]

No key is there a way to get into the trunk? 05 Thunderbird

 

[billydee]

use key in slot behind drivers seat to open trunk

 

[BIRDMAN 1942]

Tried to start the bird this morning. Battery is dead, no electricity at all. So....how do I open the trunk to charge the battery if the unlock has no juice to open it?
HELP!

 

[RFK]

Tried to start the bird this morning. Battery is dead, no electricity at all. So....how do I open the trunk to charge the battery if the unlock has no juice to open it?
HELP!

Behind drivers seat there is a slot to use your key to open trunk, insert it and turn

 

[Surf Beat]

Believe it or not, there is a reason people buy Toyotas, Nisan, Hondas over Fords: incompetent employees!

My battery died, so I fetched my key, pulled the driver’s side door forward, stuck the key into the key slot on the rear panel located about a foot above the floor, turned the key, but that did not activate the trunk mechanism

I then pulled the bottom carpet forward to get access to the key mechanism to check the trunk release cable.

What I found really irritated me. The incompetent employee who was hired to install the trunk release cable forgot to install it.

Moreover, because Ford did not install an auxiliary battery post in the engine compartment, I will now have to jack up the car, remove the passenger tire and then tire cowl, and look for the auxiliary battery post.

 

[Brax]

My battery died, so I fetched my key, pulled the driver’s side door forward, stuck the key into the key slot on the rear panel located about a foot above the floor, turned the key, but that did not activate the trunk mechanism

I then pulled the bottom carpet forward to get access to the key mechanism to check the trunk release cable.

What I found really irritated me. The incompetent employee who was hired to install the trunk release cable forgot to install it.

Moreover, because Ford did not install an auxiliary battery post in the engine compartment, I will now have to jack up the car, remove the passenger tire and then tire cowl, and look for the auxiliary battery post.

Just buy a battery booster you plug into the power outlet on the dash

 

[Surf Beat]

A few days ago I ordered an accessory 12v adapter that I can use on my Deltran Tender to connect to a power outlet on the dash. It’s an accessory that substitutes for the standard battery cables I found on eBay for $12.

In my opinion that procedure seems like a safer way to go then using a battery booster directly through the power outlet on the dash. I say that because I am concerned a battery booster “may” burn up some wires, thus making my problem worst.

I am presuming the reason my battery died was either my Tender is defective or one of the cables popped off one of the battery posts.

On a side note I read that in 2001 the government mandated that all vehicles manufactured AFTER 2002 are required to have an emergency fluorescent pull latch installed in the trunk that can be easily found by the wife in the event she finds herself locked inside the trunk and can’t get out. Gotta have a tad of levity for this post.

Unfortunately, my Burd is a 2002. However, I also read Ford has been putting an emergency latch in vehicles since 1997, so if all fails, maybe I can find that latch in in the trunk.

If any of you guys or gals have the time to look inside your trunk for that emergency plastic latch, which should be easily accessible, let us know .