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Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Vmax on 14 October 2008, 09:30:30

Title: Dead Battery
Post by: Vmax on 14 October 2008, 09:30:30
Hello all,
I have just purchased my written off 99 Elite back from the Insurance company, bargain for £110 with just rear bumper and light cluster damage. The problem is the car has been sat in the garage for a couple of weeks and the battery has died. I can't get in! Tried just putting the key in the lock and turning, but it wont budge - Should it open just by turning the key??
Cheers  :-/  :y
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 14 October 2008, 09:39:19
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Hello all,
I have just purchased my written off 99 Elite back from the Insurance company, bargain for £110 with just rear bumper and light cluster damage. The problem is the car has been sat in the garage for a couple of weeks and the battery has died. I can't get in! Tried just putting the key in the lock and turning, but it wont budge - Should it open just by turning the key??
Cheers  :-/  :y

Yes but, you have to turn the key quite hard!
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: MutantCav on 14 October 2008, 09:50:04
If you deadlocked it then it will be a bugger to budge...

or get under the engine bay and connect jump leads to the positive of the starter motor and the negative to the body...
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Vmax on 14 October 2008, 09:50:36
Ok thanks, I was worried about snapping the key off!  :y
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Vmax on 14 October 2008, 09:52:33
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If you deadlocked it then it will be a bugger to budge...

or get under the engine bay and connect jump leads to the positive of the starter motor and the negative to the body...

Thanks I think I'll give that a try, I'm a bit heavy handed - don't want to snap the key!  :o ::)
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Matt_GSi on 14 October 2008, 12:39:23
Hi, I'm new and having same problem but can get in boot but can't get back seats down. How can I do it from the boot?
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: hotrod222278 on 14 October 2008, 13:01:39
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Hi, I'm new and having same problem but can get in boot but can't get back seats down. How can I do it from the boot?[/quote

Its almost impossible without forcing the seats foward. unless someone else knows otherwise!!!!
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Welung666 on 14 October 2008, 13:04:32
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Hi, I'm new and having same problem but can get in boot but can't get back seats down. How can I do it from the boot?

Its almost impossible without forcing the seats foward. unless someone else knows otherwise!!!!

Possible if you have very long arms though the armrest opening. The locking brackets are very well hidden from the boot side. I will say that the jump leads to body & starter works well, used it a few times to un-deadlock the Cav when that had a charging problem :y
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Entwood on 14 October 2008, 13:17:28
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Hi, I'm new and having same problem but can get in boot but can't get back seats down. How can I do it from the boot?

Sharp "thump" on the centre "ski-hole" thingy will release the top plastic catch, reach up through the gap and press the seat release button .. drop seat crawl through ..  :y :y :y

had to do that on the old beast .. will never have to do it again ...  
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Andy B on 14 October 2008, 16:47:25
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.... will never have to do it again ...  

Fingers crossed!  ::)  :y  :y
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Andy B on 14 October 2008, 16:49:44
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Hi, I'm new and having same problem but can get in boot but can't get back seats down. How can I do it from the boot?[/quote

Its almost impossible without forcing the seats foward. unless someone else knows otherwise!!!!

Pop the boot light out and 'jump' across the red & brown wires!  :y It works ... cos I've done it! Far easier than crawling under front wing, but obviously only applies to PRE face lift cars.
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Vmax on 14 October 2008, 16:57:52
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Hi, I'm new and having same problem but can get in boot but can't get back seats down. How can I do it from the boot?[/quote

Its almost impossible without forcing the seats foward. unless someone else knows otherwise!!!!

Pop the boot light out and 'jump' across the red & brown wires!  :y It works ... cos I've done it! Far easier than crawling under front wing, but obviously only applies to PRE face lift cars.


Even with a dead battery?
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Andy B on 14 October 2008, 17:04:29
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Hi, I'm new and having same problem but can get in boot but can't get back seats down. How can I do it from the boot?[/quote

Its almost impossible without forcing the seats foward. unless someone else knows otherwise!!!!

Pop the boot light out and 'jump' across the red & brown wires!  :y It works ... cos I've done it! Far easier than crawling under front wing, but obviously only applies to PRE face lift cars.


Even with a dead battery?

You need another good-ish battery to 'jump' it wth.  ;)  ;)You're only supplying power to opperate the door lock. Once  you have the bonnet up you can then charge the car battery or jump the car in the normal way.  :y
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Entwood on 14 October 2008, 17:24:22
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.... will never have to do it again ...  

Fingers crossed!  ::)  :y  :y

Can't happen .. no way of opening the boot on this one if the battery is flat !! ... its the manual key or jump the starter motor .. no other options !!

 :o :o :o
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Andy B on 14 October 2008, 17:29:00
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.... will never have to do it again ...  

Fingers crossed!  ::)  :y  :y

Can't happen .. no way of opening the boot on this one if the battery is flat !! ... its the manual key or jump the starter motor .. no other options !!

 :o :o :o

Don't forget Nigel I seen inside your boot! :o The lpg tank would be easier to remove than al the caravan gear you had in there! ;D  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Bandit127 on 14 October 2008, 17:42:32
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Hi, I'm new and having same problem but can get in boot but can't get back seats down. How can I do it from the boot?[/quote

Its almost impossible without forcing the seats foward. unless someone else knows otherwise!!!!

Pop the boot light out and 'jump' across the red & brown wires!  :y It works ... cos I've done it! Far easier than crawling under front wing, but obviously only applies to PRE face lift cars.
Just in case - please do not try to 'jump start' using the above advice. 10 or 15 minutes should give the dead battery enough juice to unlock and start the car.

Obvious to most - but maybe not all...
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Andy B on 14 October 2008, 17:48:16
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.....
Just in case - please do not try to 'jump start' using the above advice. 10 or 15 minutes should give the dead battery enough juice to unlock and start the car.

Obvious to most - but maybe not all...

I did try to say jump across rather than jump start  ;) I used A N Other battery to just supply the car while I used the key in to lock to open the car.
You're never going to able to start the car via the boot light wires though, no matter hw long you leave the car conected to them. :y
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Bandit127 on 14 October 2008, 18:13:47
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Just in case - please do not try to 'jump start' using the above advice. 10 or 15 minutes should give the dead battery enough juice to unlock and start the car.

Obvious to most - but maybe not all...

I did try to say jump across rather than jump start  ;) I used A N Other battery to just supply the car while I used the key in to lock to open the car.
You're never going to able to start the car via the boot light wires though, no matter hw long you leave the car conected to them. :y
Andy - you COULD connect a battery charger using your method. As long as the original battery is OK you could get fully charged in 8-12 hours.

More than once I have used old, knackered jump leads that wont carry starter current any more to charge a dead battery with enough for starting in about 10 minutes (off the alternator).
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Andy B on 14 October 2008, 18:23:33
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.....
Andy - you COULD connect a battery charger using your method. As long as the original battery is OK you could get fully charged in 8-12 hours.

More than once I have used old, knackered jump leads that wont carry starter current any more to charge a dead battery with enough for starting in about 10 minutes (off the alternator).

Yes you could!  :y
Can I change my mind& agree? ::)  :y  :y
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Ilija on 17 October 2008, 23:13:42
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If you deadlocked it then it will be a bugger to budge...

or get under the engine bay and connect jump leads to the positive of the starter motor and the negative to the body...

Had the same problem with my '95 V6. Deadlocked and dead battery. Solved it by opening the boot and taking out the boot light (located center, top when boot is closed) and connecting fresh battery to light terminals (Double-check polarity!) for 10-15sec.
Opened quite nicely then :)
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Andy B on 17 October 2008, 23:16:13
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If you deadlocked it then it will be a bugger to budge...

or get under the engine bay and connect jump leads to the positive of the starter motor and the negative to the body...

Had the same problem with my '95 V6. Deadlocked and dead battery. Solved it by opening the boot and taking out the boot light (located center, top when boot is closed) and connecting fresh battery to light terminals for 10-15sec. Opened quite nicely then :)

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Hi, I'm new and having same problem but can get in boot but can't get back seats down. How can I do it from the boot?[/quote

Its almost impossible without forcing the seats foward. unless someone else knows otherwise!!!!


Pop the boot light out and 'jump' across the red & brown wires!  :y It works ... cos I've done it! Far easier than crawling under front wing, but obviously only applies to PRE face lift cars.

suggested that one already!  ;D

Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: ngrainqey on 17 October 2008, 23:18:46
lol i'v had this problem and just tried locking and trying to unlock a couple of times to get a bit of a swing on my hand lmao! it's stiff when you deadlock it but does budge without the key snapping or anything
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: Ilija on 17 October 2008, 23:19:09
Andy B: Sorry :) must have missed it when I ran through the thread

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lol it's stiff when you deadlock it but does budge without the key snapping or anything
Tried it but I stopped when I felt the key is going to snap  ::)
Title: Re: Dead Battery
Post by: JasonH on 18 October 2008, 10:27:10
You mentioned caravan stuff. If you have a towbar with a 12S socket there's a fused permanent 12V feed there (pin 4). Connect 12V to it, give it a while to put some juice back in the battery and you should be in business.