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MG MGF Technical - Broken Boot Lock/cable

And now my latest problem. I managed to get something jammed up against the inside of the boot lock. After repeated attemts to dislodge said item I succeeded in opening the boot with key and molegrips. So carried away on my wave of euphoria was I that I then closed the bootlid despite noticing that turning the key in the bootlock did not move the cable running to the latch.

Can anyone suggest the cheapest way to fix this? I obviously cant see what I've done without getting SFs instructions but I am conscious of the limited time before the weekend ie I need a plan of action before fighting with boot access. If the cable is not attached to the back of the lock, what probably needs replacing, and can I acquire it from a scrappy?

Pete

ps Today's handy hint - dont carry exhaust pipes in your boot if they only *just* fit. Or at least, dont then hoon it round a roundabout.
P Davey

I assume you call the compartment at the back of the car the boot.

I am not giving away any secrets if I tell you an OEM boot can only be opened using a key in the lock. If yours works with a cable, you must have an aftermarket remote operation fitted.

Andy's method is that devised by the exMG dealers so if you have one near you, call in, but you're probably on your own with tracking down a new remote cable.

Chris
Chris

Surely Chris, they all operate with a cable? The key hole is not over the lock and my very early 1995 car has a cable running from the key hole to the lock. Don't know how you get in if the cable isn't attached though.
Mike Howlett

Mike: Just been out to check and the lock is cable operated. I'm not going to write any more on this open forum.

Pete:

See your dealer on how to open the boot.

Chris
Chris

It was chucking vast amounts of money at a main dealer which I was trying to avoid!

Pete
P Davey

First is to push hard down on the lid to relieve any pressure on the catch which may allow it to open.
If released by the SF/Treffen method, then you will see the lock and cable.
Cable is FRC100090. If you can find one.
Lock & cable with non specific key is CWC101920 at £55 and £80 with specific key (if still available).
If you have a problem, then somewhere in my garage/workshop, there is a cable albeit, your local cycle shop could make you a cable quicker than I could find mine.
Geoff F.
G. Farthing

Many of Andy's ideas are quite often not those devised by exMG dealers - in fact many are the other way round, ideas that Andy and others came up with because of the lack of ideas coming from the MG dealers, ideas that were then adopted by the dealers.

That is what happens when like Andy, Rob, Myself, Dieter and loads of others (that have now dropped from the scene) are pioneers!

No criticism meant just giving recognition where it is due.
Ted Newman

Ted

Give credit to the dealers where it is due: I agree they did not serve us well over the years, but boot opening was one of the rare occasions when they got it right.

From my own experience in July 1998, I know at least 2 dealers were aware of this method,ie before the Treffen group rediscovered it and when the AA still resorted to brute force. I also passed it on privately to Brian who was a regular contributor here for a while.

I know it may seem harsh but accepted practice is for the first inventor to be given full rights, while reinventors get nothing.

It would not be in anyone's interests to discuss the fine detail here, but happy to discuss it in private sometime.

Chris
Chris

Chris

The Treffen Method got it's name because it was demonstrated to a whole group of us on a Treffen -- HOWEVER I remember it being shown to me (as a matter of urgency for the other party) at the first MGF Reunion in 1996 at Gaydon AND not by a dealer - nor I hasten to add by Andy BUT I confess I can not remember who!

As far as dealers are (were) concerned I never had any problems with my own Dealer - Stratstones of Poland Street - being extremely good and very caring for their customers. In fact it was them that in March 1996 did not like a creaking noise from the right hand cill and immediately sent the car back to Longbridge, and arranged a replacement for me, whilst our car had some extra welding done and the whole vehicle resprayed, as a consequence it never has suffered from the 'white' stone chip syndrome. Incidentally I was told at the time that the extra welding then became standard at the body producers.

I am fully prepared to give credit where credit is due!
Ted Newman

As an update - all sorted now.

We (significantly drwing on the nimble fingers of OH) employed SF's method to release the bootlid which worked (slowly but) fine. What I had done was snap the part of the back of the lock which trips the alarm sensor and holds the cable in place. Fortunately I found a trusted Rover 820 hatch in a scrappy which shared the same lock/latch mechanism as the F, and liberated the broken part to fit to my lock.

Thanks again for the advice

Pete
P Davey

This thread was discussed between 11/04/2007 and 14/04/2007

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