No power in battery to unlock the car door

[AquaHydroChem]

I'm having some problems with my car at the moment
Its a Vauxhall vectra with a complete flat battery
The car is looked and there is no power in the battery to turn the central locking over with key or immobilizer.
And the catch for the bonnet is inside the car so I can’t pop the bonnet to gain access to the battery

Dose anyone know how I can get in the car or gain access to the battery or trickle charge it from outside

Thanks

James

 

[mikeyd]

If the starter motor is low enough down on the engine to get at from underneath, then you will find the thick cable which goes to it is directly connected to battery +'ve. So put your charger positive to that and use any bit of bare metal for the negative connection

 

[KingboyD]

Is it keyless entry??? Im not too familiar with the set up but isnt there an emergency use key within the fob?? and a cap over where the door lock would usualy be?? What year vectra is it??

 

[AquaHydroChem]

Excellent Mike; common sense is always the best and easiest chose

kingboy its a P reg mate
there is only one lock and that’s the drivers door
When I got the car it came with a fob and a key the fob has not rely worked since I’ve had the car; I’ve always used the key to lock it, it is a coded key with barrel inside it
Nope there is defiantly no cap over the lock

Thanks
James

 

[gregers]

is it a remote fob?if so somewhere in your hand book should be details on how to reprogram it,be aware that if the batterys are dead(there may be 2)about losing the pats chip that is situated inside.

 

[cjard]

Excellent Mike; common sense is always the best and easiest chose

kingboy its a P reg mate

Confusion: Your P reg (1996!) vectra is keyless entry and start?!?

Use the metal part of the key in the drivers door lock to unlock the door
Open the bonnet and remove the battery for charging, or jump start it (remembering to connect the negative lead LAST, to another part of the engine, NOT the negative battery terminal)

I’ve always used the key to lock it

And to unlock it, what did you use if the fob didn't work?

Note: the action of the key to unlock a door is usually mechanical. Even if the car battery is totally flat and the central locking is inoperative, turning the key in the drivers door unlocks the door

If the mechanical link from barrel to lock is broken and you've been relying on the central locking to electronically unlock the door (usually the central locking switch would be on the lock itself, rather than the barrel whiich is mainly why i'm confused and guessing at the problem) after you turn the key in the drivers door then you have a bit of a problem. Try and gain access through the boot, or by use of a coat hanger through the top of the door (pull it away from the car body)

Failing that, if you don't succeed in getting an electricity supply, smash the smallest window you can find by using a hammer blow in the corner of the window, and reach in. The smaller the window, the easier to replace. You may also be able to remove (forcefully) the front grille and pop the bonnet from outside. Replacing the grille may be cheaper than the window

 

[mikeyd]

Note: the action of the key to unlock a door is usually mechanical. Even if the car battery is totally flat and the central locking is inoperative, turning the key in the drivers door unlocks the door

I presumed it was deadlocked, but then again reading back he didn't actually say that and I maybe shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion.

 

[cjard]

I thought car deadlocking was usually arranged such that the key could unlock deadlocks but "lifting the button inside the car" or "attempting to open using the internal handle" could not..

http://www.ukcar.com/features/tech/others/dead-locks/index.htm

 

[mikeyd]

I thought car deadlocking was usually arranged such that the key could unlock deadlocks but "lifting the button inside the car" or "attempting to open using the internal handle" could not..

http://www.ukcar.com/features/tech/others/dead-locks/index.htm[/QUOTE]

I based my previous presumption on a previous car I had, (a citroen). To deadlock it with the key you had to turn the key as you would to lock it, but then hold it for a second or two and then something 'electrical' happened and the deadlocks set. The key would then spring back normally. I assumed other cars were similar and that deadlocks are not normally purely mechanically connected, either to the button inside or the lock barrel outside.

Hopefully OP will come back and explain. Meanwhile I'll still be lurking in the hope of helping with a citroen related problem, (cause I had plenty )

 

[cjard]

och.. the door lokcs on my mum's C5 were a pain in the arse. Lending her my volvo S60 for a month convinced her she needed to swap, and she now has an S40. Zero problems so far..

 

[Spark123]

Daft question, can you gain entry to the boot - is there not some sort of mechanical lock on it?